Chapter 172: Observation Experiment

"Second sister, the food supply is stable—what about our spiritual sustenance? Hehe… how much tobacco and alcohol do we have left?"

Lu Yubo grinned as he asked.

Now, the few people closest to Zhang Su had grown accustomed to calling Zheng Xinyu "Big Sister" and Zhong Xiaoshan "Second Sister."

"As for tobacco…" Zhong Xiaoshan turned a page and said, "We have a total of 132 packs of cigarettes from all brands—your personal stashes don't count—and 57 liters of various white spirits."

"Oh, we're out of liquor." Zhao Dezhu clicked his tongue.

Zhang Su picked up a stone and threw it at Zhao Dezhu. "You don't get many chances to drink anyway—having enough tobacco is already a blessing."

"True enough…"

Zhao Dezhu helplessly rubbed his head. The team had a rule: no one was allowed to drink. Of those hundred-plus bottles, only Chen Hanzhou had opened one when he lost his arm—no one else had touched them.

"Starting today, tobacco will also be rationed: ten cigarettes per person per day. The 10% extraction rate on externally gathered supplies remains unchanged!"

Zhang Su announced a policy that left every smoker in the group displeased.

"Uncle, Uncle! Five zombies are wandering up!"

At once, everyone stood up. Since dusk had already fallen, several people turned on their flashlights.

Heavy smokers like Zhao Dezhu consumed at least a pack and a half per day, while the female members smoked far less—only one or two when exhausted, totaling three to five a day; by old standards, they called it "health-conscious smoking."

Survival had become living. With a stable environment, everyone hoped their lives would improve, and their needs gradually returned to pre-collapse norms.

The most pressing daily necessity was toilet paper—no one wanted to return to the days of using bizarre makeshift materials to wipe their backsides.

"Enough distractions, Xiaoshan—keep going," Zhang Su said, sensing Zhong Xiaoshan had more to say.

"Besides a few packs we found in homes, I think we only took some from my Yileiwen—still not much… Don't worry, we'll go out to scavenge soon—I'll keep an eye out for sanitary pads for you ladies."

"Ordinary supplies are plentiful, but…" Zhong Xiaoshan's gaze swept over the women's faces, and she offered a troubled smile: "We have less than two packs of sanitary pads left…"

At the rationed amount, each person consumed nearly a pack of cigarettes daily. In this tense, high-stress environment, smoking wasn't exclusive to men—everyone on the team smoked except Mo Qianlan and Zhao Xue, though consumption varied widely.

"Hehe, no problem—my Qingqing doesn't smoke much; she'll give me a few cigarettes," Zhao Dezhu boasted smugly, not forgetting to show off his affection.

Zhang Su nodded seriously. The team had a significant number of female members, all with vital roles—they deserved consideration for their special needs.

Pang Dakun's voice rang out.

The group fell silent. You couldn't say it wasn't important—you couldn't go without it—but you also couldn't say it was life-or-death. It was awkward.

Zhang Su asked curiously: during the afternoon inventory, he'd seen plenty of soap, shampoo, toilet paper, and other items.

"I noticed these homestays stocked plenty of daily necessities—what's running low?"

"Don't provoke them—we're heading over now!"

"Hmm…" Zhong Xiaoshan hesitated, then looked at Zhang Su. "Essential supplies are sufficient, but some daily-use items are running thin—not necessities, but having them is better than not."

Yu Qing immediately retorted: "You wish! I'm saving mine for my dad!"

"Hah…"

As soon as she spoke, everyone's walkie-talkies crackled to life.

The group chuckled.

"Looks like zombies really can sense our presence from far away…"

Wu Lue made an exaggerated face.

"Yesterday I talked to Lao Meng—they used to get zombies wandering up here too. The defenses can't wait. Xiao Liu, how's your plan coming?"

As they walked toward the large parking lot, Zhang Su asked Liu Tianji.

"The defense section's nearly done, but we need some materials from outside—I'll send you the file via Bluetooth shortly."

Liu Tianji said.

Soon, the group arrived at the scenic area's main parking lot. Sure enough, five zombies were shambling slowly up the hill.

When flashlight beams hit them, the zombies reacted as if guided—speeding toward the light, then bursting into frenzy once within range of living scent, sprinting straight at them.

"Keep two alive—I'm running an observation experiment!"

Zhang Su gripped his dog-leg knife and stepped forward toward the zombies.

With their strength, capturing five zombies was effortless. After a one-sided fight, the two largest were tied by ropes to trees—still snarling and thrashing, their ropes creaking under strain.

"Boss, what kind of observation experiment are you running?"

Lu Yubo asked with keen interest.

"I've always wondered how long zombies can survive without food or water—how their energy decays. We never had time to observe properly while on the move. Now that we're settled, we can finally test it!"

Zhang Su approached within a meter of the zombies.

Sensing living presence, the zombies opened their foul, stinking maws, gnashing their teeth at him, their sunken eyes glowing blood-red and utterly devoid of emotion. Their bodies twisted violently, the ropes groaning under the strain.

"But… Boss, how does this data help us?"

Wu Lue asked, puzzled.

"Of course it helps," Yu Qing explained. "If we can map the decay curve precisely, we'll understand zombie capabilities at each stage. The more we know about their biology, the better we can fight them."

Liu Tianji suddenly understood: "Like in Monster Hunter—knowing a monster's habits reveals its weaknesses and attack patterns. This info will be invaluable against zombies later."

"Exactly!" Zhang Su nodded. "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll win every battle. Learning more unknown facts is always better."

One zombie was locked in the ticket booth beneath the scenic area's gate arch; the other was tied to a tree in the open air—observing the difference between indoor and outdoor conditions.

After finishing this, the newly appointed kitchen team—Tan Hua and her daughter, Zhao Dezhu, and Lü Leiyang—quickly prepared dinner: egg and vegetable porridge.

Along the way, Zhang Su had never forgotten collecting seasonings. Combined with the homestays' stockpiles, salt was especially abundant—enough for twenty people for three to five years…

Any resource becomes plentiful when the population plummets, but many are effectively non-renewable. Enjoying the present brings no anxiety—but think even a little ahead, and unease immediately sets in.

After dinner, at everyone's request, Zhang Su organized another movie night. He chose a gritty film: First Blood—as both an educational piece and a warning: don't grow complacent just because you've found comfort!

As the movie began, he wasn't in the audience—he was upstairs with Liu Tianji discussing the security base.

"Boss, it's sent. Take a look."

Liu Tianji scrolled his phone.

Zhang Su opened the document and couldn't help exclaiming: "So much content?"

The dense, tiny text forced him to zoom in just to read it.

Base Security Construction:

1. Wall and Watchtower Design: Use sturdy materials like reinforced concrete to enhance resistance. Install slanted or sufficiently tall protective walls to prevent zombie climbing—the taller, the better; minimum height three meters. Ensure sufficient watchtower numbers and visibility to cover the entire base and main access roads.

2. Trap System: Divided into zombie defense and human intrusion prevention…

3. Secure Entrance/Exit Management…

4. Automated Surveillance System…

5. Emergency Evacuation Routes…

…

Altogether over ten items. Zhang Su spent nearly half an hour just skimming it. When done, he fell silent—the scale and difficulty far exceeded his expectations.

Even the first item was daunting: steel and cement were nowhere to be found. All local materials were wood.

"Xiao Liu, your plan is thorough…"

Zhang Su first praised Liu Tianji's work, then added: "But feasibility is lacking. Many materials are impossible to obtain now. Can we revise it based on what we have?"

Liu Tianji replied: "Downgrading materials is possible, but effectiveness plummets. Boss, if we're staying here long-term, we need solid defenses now. Our advantage is firearms—everything else is dangerously weak. Right now, we rely entirely on terrain. That's not sustainable."

Then Liu Tianji recounted dangers he'd faced in games—some exaggerated, but still applicable to reality.

"Most raw materials can be found nearby. On our way here, I spotted factories—cement suppliers, steel bars, steel plate cutters. If they're empty, villagers probably looted them. We can trade—figure something out."

After their talk, Zhang Su realized this programmer had a well-structured mind.

"Alright. Starting tomorrow, we'll assign detailed roles."

Zhang Su wanted a few days of rest, but he knew defense construction was urgent. People grow lazy when comfortable—once they settle into ease, they'll slack off.

The hardest part is starting. If we can find materials—even better, some equipment—the construction difficulty will drop dramatically.

The next morning, Zhang Su gathered everyone in the parking lot and began assigning detailed roles based on each person's strengths.

Agriculture and animal husbandry: manage the greenhouse, chickens, ducks, and fish.

Equipment maintenance: focus on water and electricity. Temperatures are dropping—pipe freeze protection is critical. Battery panels can be fixed, generators can run—but if water pipes burst, daily life will collapse.

Other roles: logistics, logging, weapon crafting, scouting…

Many held multiple roles. There was no choice—too few people. Everyone understood the situation. Though busy, they knew why they worked—and they were willing, even eager.

Even the corgi, Lucky, wasn't spared—she had to patrol the inaccessible valleys, once in the morning and once at night.

(End of Chapter)