[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-zombie-apocalypse-creation":3,"chapter-zombie-apocalypse-creation-zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-775":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Zombie Apocalypse: Creation",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1887607,2510,"Chapter 775: Back to School","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-775",775,"\u003Cp>As the car came to a stop, they arrived at a scene that looked drastically different from what Xiaoyun had witnessed in Dongguan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were brought to a wide building that looked extremely basic. Inside, there were a bunch of tables and people sitting at an extremely long table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On their table were papers. Not just any paper, but an endless amount of application papers with names and all kinds of basic information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no job fair. There weren’t any ’people’ either—only a bunch of government workers with their badges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are all these?\" Lingang curiously asked, his mind not really understanding how they’re working.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re sorting the applications, and then we send them to the companies that match their experiences.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mayor Lu answered, guiding the two of them down the rows upon rows of workers who sat in front of the tables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why not just... have the company interview them directly?\" Xiaoyun raises the question that has been on his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Too many people had moved to Shenzhen at once... We have 4 times as many people as Dongguan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mayor Lu paused for a second, then continued as she brought the two of them into a private room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I had gotten a lot of complaints from local Shenzhen residents on how the newer people were taking all of the existing workers’ jobs within days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were willing to take as low a wage as possible. The deputy governor had told me to remedy it with a compromise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So you came up with this system?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes... It sets a layer and a job quota. Although it doesn’t give everyone a job right away, it can slow down the worker’s wage from going to zero.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To zero? Why would anyone work for free?\" Lingang questioned, his mind a little dumbfounded by that idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They aren’t literally doing it for free. But the salary they get is gone towards workers’ food and their rent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun didn’t say anything as they stepped back out into the wide room. In his mind, there really wasn’t much he could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a supply and demand problem. One that could only be solved with time, unless the government was willing to make up for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the idea of government loans or subsidies making up for a private business’s salary to employees sounded like a massive potential for fraud in his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention, Yuqi had been trying to suppress inflation with lower government spending, hence the subsidy cuts recently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s the rate of unemployment currently?\" Xiaoyun questioned as they stepped out of the building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As of today, one in four... The goal we have currently is to lower it to one in ten by the end of the month.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see. Thank you for your hard work, Mayor Lu. When I get back, I’ll tell Yuqi to allocate more resources to Shenzhen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, sir.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Xiaoyun arrived back home, it was already six o’clock, as almost everyone was already back home for dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where’s Tianci?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She’s busy working on some experiment, probably... Honey, how was your trip to Dongguan today?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Leyan handed him a bowl of rice, she quickly sat down next to him as everyone finally started eating the food on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was nice. A lot better than what I had imagined. Ahem, Lily, you okay? You look a little down today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun quickly shifted the conversation away from himself as he didn’t really want to talk about work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can’t believe school is starting next week. Ugh, how could summer break already be ending so fast?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily’s complaint drew amused looks—they’d come home from work day after day to find her sitting in the same spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe you should have done something more productive over the summer. Then it will feel like it lasted longer.\" Wuli commented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Lily ignored her comment, everyone chuckled a little again before Nami suddenly had her rice bowl slip out of her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s wrong, sweetie? You okay?\" Leyan asked, her hand catching the bowl within milliseconds as she put the bowl back onto the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I-I just remember I had signed up for a few of the college classes. Sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nami apologizes as she firmly holds onto the rice bowl this time, her eyes still looking a little zoned out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn’t that going to conflict with your work in the morning?\" Xiaoyun questioned as he used his chopstick to pick up a veggie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It should be fine... My boss was the one who told me to take the classes. He wanted me to learn more stuff first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s nice of him,\" Anna commented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. He’s been really nice... He even promoted me to be the project lead a few days ago.\" Nami answered as a smile appeared on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wonder why.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kate sarcastically commented as she looked over to Xiaoyun, clearly trying to imply that he was behind it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, what are you looking at me for? I didn’t even do anything. Nami earned it with her own skills and hard work.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, right, a high school graduate getting into... what job role do you have again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shut up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nami fired right back at Kate’s snarky comment before resuming eating by picking a piece of fish with her chopstick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, Yueyue, weren’t you signing up for classes as well?\" Leyan suddenly questioned, dragging everyone’s attention away from the two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Me? When did I ever say that? Actually speaking of school, Shuli actually invited me to be a professor for a class.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Professor?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within seconds, everyone turned their attention towards Shuli. None of them could ever imagine seeing her as a professor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop exaggerating it. I only invited you as a one-time speaker for the national intelligence class that you specifically requested.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"National intelligence class? What kind of class is that?\" Xiaoyun questioned, his head unable to wrap around the idea of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She’s going to send one of her agents every week to speak in a classroom. I don’t know what they are planning to teach either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shuli’s answer surprised everyone at the table, as they couldn’t imagine a college class where the professor changes without a class plan sent to the school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yueyue, is that really true?\" Wuli curiously asked, realizing how sketchy it sounded as a concept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My agents know what they need to teach. Besides, the students should know what they’re signing up for when they see national intelligence as a major.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The counter-argument finally settled the dust, but none of them held any favorable view towards it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shuli, there are people who actually sign up for this major?\" Kate asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. A lot of people signed up for it... After they saw the salary that Yueyue specifically posted on the school boards.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Recruiting people straight out of high school right into missions that could lead them to their death, huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuqi questioned, reigniting the debate once again, as she didn’t want even to imagine the human resources wasted on something so risky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop making it sound like it’s a death sentence. Two-thirds of the intelligence agents are office workers or investigators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a fraction of officers ever go out into the apocalypse. Those who do need to go outside require more training than just a college student.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And to your point, ever since I had taken office, there had been a total of zero foreign intelligence agents casualties.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yueyue started to get more and more heated, Leyan quickly gave a look to Yuqi and everyone else to keep their mouth shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay, okay. All of those college students are adults. They can make their own decisions. No more talking about work-related stuff.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone at the table returned their attention to the food, eating it in silence as no one wanted to speak up again... Until dinner was finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mom, let me help you carry the dishes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thanks, Nami... Hey, honey, can you call Tianci? It’s starting to get a little late.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun quickly took out his phone, heading over to the backyard as he dialed Tianci’s number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few seconds, the other side picked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s taking you so long today? It’s almost seven o’clock already. Do you need me to come over and pick you up?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m going to stay in the lab for today... You don’t have to worry about me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden tone shift made Xiaoyun a little confused before his brain realized the alternative Tianci had taken over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s going on in the lab? If you don’t tell me, I’m going to go there personally myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t. Come. To. The. Lab.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Tianci’s voice breaks over and over again, a bunch of red flag immediately raises inside his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m coming over to the lab right now. Wait there—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Xiaoyun could finish talking, the phone call was hung up on the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Babe, where are you going?\" Yuqi asked, grabbing onto his arm and stopping him right at the garage door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tianci is in trouble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1506,"2026-06-10T06:59:54.885Z",1,"novelbin.me","1fc99f5ea6a7c09f6525cc87f5822b9238f4b9c75fae0d140919eebb94cd1542","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-527","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-774",829,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fzombie-apocalypse-creation-cover.jpg"]