On the street.
Lam Pham was running fast, a ferocious zombie following beside him.
He had come out to hunt zombies. Seeing this lone and desolate zombie wandering the street, he didn't kill it but brought it along for a run. The two maintained a certain distance from start to finish, about a finger's width, meaning "you can't catch me, I won't let you touch me."
"Groan... groan..."
The angry roars of the zombie came from behind, as if saying, "Are you playing with me? If you have guts, stop for me."
"Do you know?" Lam Pham turned his head.
"Groan... groan..."
The zombie kept roaring, probably saying, "What the hell would I know! Let me bite you to death."
"Our Duong Quang Residential Area has reformed. I feel it's very good, my mood is extremely joyful. I really hope that in the future, more and more survivors will move in. The future will definitely be even more lively."
Lam Pham chatted with the zombie.
He knew the zombie couldn't understand. If it were Officer Hoang, he would definitely understand, and might even roar a few times to express joy.
For this kind of irrational zombie that only knew how to gnaw, he was truly helpless.
"Life is like this, moving forward full of hope, there will always be rewards. Although your existence brings many disasters to the living survivors, when we humans can stand firm, it's time to start counterattacking."
He said softly.
Hoping this irrational zombie could understand.
A group of zombies appeared on the road ahead.
The groaning sounds were incessant.
Echoing down the street.
While running, he drew Frostmourne, the blade glinting. He casually beheaded the zombie that had been running with him, then slowly stopped, the tip of his sword touching the ground, and called out ahead.
"Hey, hello there."
The group of zombies heard the sound, roared ferociously, and like mad dogs, surged towards him.
"They are rushing towards me, my own safety is affected. The moment for self-defense has arrived."
Drawing his sword, he transformed into a streak of light and shot towards the zombie horde.
The moment of self-defense officially began.
If it were an ordinary person, facing so many zombies would definitely be very tiring. Clearing zombies was a physically demanding task; not everyone could do it unscrupulously. His perception of zombies had always been like this.
If he could encounter a rational zombie.
He would be willing to talk.
But it was a great pity that such rational zombies were very rare.
...
The sun was setting in the west.
Dusk enveloped everything.
Lam Pham walked quietly on the street, his back to the dusk, his shadow stretching incredibly long. The bulging bag indicated his harvest was quite good; he had cleared N streets without even blinking.
He would do what was right to clear zombies without hesitation and would absolutely not regret it.
Tan Phong seed company.
"Boss..."
Lam Pham walked over, selecting various vegetable and fruit seeds. Seeds could be stored for many years, ensuring a self-sufficient supply.
Even though there were many survivors now, they probably wouldn't think about planting vegetables and fruits.
It might be due to environmental constraints.
Nowadays, everywhere was reinforced concrete. Only the old residential areas, inhabited by a group of elderly people who liked to plant things in their leisure time, had reclaimed wasteland, preserving patches of soil.
This was also a treasure of Duong Quang Residential Area.
He purchased the good seeds and chemical fertilizers.
Paid and left.
Paying was a habit of his, a way of maintaining principled behavior.
Especially since he possessed strength that was formidable in the eyes of ordinary people, he didn't want to become an arrogant, entitled person. He just wanted to be an ordinary citizen in Hoang City.
Someone very familiar, very familiar, someone he missed very, very much had told him: be a friendly, gentle, and righteous ordinary person.
He always remembered.
He dared not forget.
Walking on the street, he looked up at the sky, a slight smile on his lips, enjoying this nine-to-five life. It made him feel like he was always living in the beautiful Hoang City.
Returning to the residential area.
He saw the changes; this was the effect of the reforms. On his way back, he smelled the fragrance coming from the shops. It was the aroma of rice. Perhaps life couldn't compare to before, but at least everyone could eat their fill and not worry about hunger.
He understood how painful hunger could be.
Once, when he was penniless, smelling the fragrance wafting from outside, his saliva would uncontrollably flow.
Nighttime.
"Still busy?" Khau Bang asked.
Ma Duy Vien sat by the radio equipment, "Wait a bit, it's only just past eight, not sleepy yet."
"Grandpa Luong and I were teachers before. I didn't expect that in the apocalypse, my profession could still be useful. A PE teacher can actually shine and contribute." Khau Bang thought about her situation and couldn't help but laugh.
Previously, during peacetime, her class schedule was something the math teacher would definitely snatch.
Whenever she saw the students' wailing faces, she also felt powerless. Who could blame them? The math teacher who took their class was her best friend.
If she snatched it once, she could get a free meal from her best friend.
Now it was different. Her PE class had to lead the children in physical training and had become a major course. Thinking about it, it was really a huge change.
Ma Duy Vien said, "Haha, this reform is really good. It represents the Duong Quang Residential Area hideout officially moving towards development. Everyone is contributing to the hideout. This kind of situation is particularly good."
Just then.
A sound came from the radio equipment.
"Static... static... Is..."
Ma Duy Vien listened intently, but it was still constant static; he couldn't make out what the other party was saying at all.
Khau Bang said, "Sound means there are people, but it's more likely a trap."
"Yes, people's hearts are sinister nowadays." Ma Duy Vien sighed. No one wanted such things to happen, but could it be avoided just by not wanting it?
He himself listened to the sounds from the radio equipment. Even if it were clearer, it would be fine. Even if he replied, it would be the same. Who knew if the other party could hear clearly.
...
At this moment.
On a road several hundred kilometers away from Hoang City.
An armored vehicle was driving.
Hung Uong and Diep Hong always worked together. The other two were young soldiers, about nineteen or twenty years old, both hot-blooded youths whom they had rescued during that period.
Unexpectedly, they were both former soldiers. This made Hung Uong feel very good. With proper training, they could definitely become decent soldiers in the apocalypse.
"Brother Uong, tell us about it." One of the young men asked curiously. His name was Quan Chinh Nghia, a very impulsive young lad. At first, he was a bit unconvinced by Hung Uong, but then Hung Uong subdued him with one move, and since then, he regarded Hung Uong as an idol.
Now that Hung Uong mentioned that very powerful figure in Duong Quang Residential Area, these two young men were very curious.
Hung Uong, wearing the Thuong Long battle armor with his face exposed, smiled and said, "That one is no ordinary person, exceptionally strong. You'll know when you see him."
"Oh? Brother Uong, is he even more formidable than you?" Quan Chinh Nghia asked.
"Formidable? He's an existence I don't even have the courage to confront. Do you think he's formidable or not?" Hung Uong smiled. This kid was really quite gossipy. But it was good too; telling them a bit would prevent them from looking too shocked later, as if they'd never seen such a scene.
"What about wearing the Thuong Long battle armor?"
"It's useless."
Quan Chinh Nghia's mouth hung open, as if to say, "Are you kidding me? This joke isn't funny at all." He had seen how strong Brother Uong was wearing the Thuong Long battle armor.
Zombies were like a small side dish in front of Brother Uong, easily hunted.
Now Brother Uong was actually saying that even wearing the Thuong Long battle armor was useless. How perversely strong was that guy?
Hung Uong looked at this kid's expression and knew he was still in shock. He imagined the scene when he first saw Lam Pham, how astonishing, how terrifying it was.
Whenever he recalled it, it was as if he were facing a deity.
Early morning.
Duong Quang Residential Area welcomed an old acquaintance not seen for a long time.
Hung Uong and his group had arrived.
"So beautiful."
Lam Pham looked at Hung Uong's battle armor, very surprised. Its appearance was just like those battle armors in future movies, really too handsome.
Hung Uong said, "Not at all. This is the new battle armor developed by Professor Ha. The battle armor I'm wearing is called the Thuong Long battle armor. It absorbs crystal energy and can hunt evolved zombies."
Co Hang was shocked, finding it incredibly novel.
Quan Chinh Nghia curiously looked at Lam Pham. This guy before him carrying Frostmourne was the terrifying individual Brother Uong had mentioned. Honestly, he really couldn't see it; he felt quite ordinary.
"Amazing. Science is indeed science; it can always bring miracles," Lam Pham said.
Hung Uong said, "Please don't say that. Without your help, we would probably have had a very difficult time. Oh, right, I came specifically this time to bring you a set of battle armor. This is the second set of battle armor; it doesn't have a name yet, so you guys can name it."
After speaking.
He quickly moved a box out of the armored vehicle. This box was even larger than the one that previously stored the exoskeleton equipment.
As it was opened.
A brand-new set of battle armor appeared before their eyes.
The group was speechless with amazement upon seeing this battle armor. After all, for this group of ordinary people, they had never seen such a modern product.
"Will that be enough for you? You might need it more than us," Lam Pham said.
Hung Uong said, "Enough. Because of the Thuong Long battle armor, we have already occupied a research institute. The materials there are very abundant, enough to manufacture quite a few battle armors. Oh, right, the battle armor has a limit on the number of crystals it can absorb. For white crystals, the maximum is twenty pieces. Exceeding that number, it cannot be picked up."
"A limit of twenty pieces." Lam Pham heard this. "For example, my Frostmourne has definitely exceeded twenty pieces."
Hung Uong said, "Your Frostmourne absorbs more than just white crystals. Crystals also have levels. White is the lowest, then black."
Lam Pham said, "That's right. The number of crystals Frostmourne has absorbed is really too many. There are black ones, and also gold ones. I don't know why I can pick it up; perhaps it's some kind of evolution."
Quan Chinh Nghia looked at the two conversing, many question marks and thoughts in his mind.
Hung Uong said, "Brother Lam, Professor Ha specifically asked us to deliver this to you. Thank you for your help, which allowed us to progress relatively quickly. Although Duong Quang Residential Area is protected by you and has no problems, having a set of such battle armor means that if something happens, someone can help out here. Co Hang is a very professional soldier. If he wears it, he can definitely unleash even greater power."
Co Hang looked at the battle armor, his eyes burning with intensity. Every man has a dream of battle armor, and he was no exception.
"Mm, I know Brother Hang's abilities. Does the previous exoskeleton equipment need to be returned?"
"No need. The exoskeleton equipment has already been phased out by us; it will not appear in the future." Hung Uong also hadn't expected progress to be so rapid. Indeed, the country still hid a lot of black technology, just hadn't told others. Figures like Professor Ha would definitely have access to it, and even participate in the research.
Of course, the reason the battle armor's power could be so terrifying was also due to the crystals. If there were no crystals, then its power might still be within an acceptable range for others.
"Oh, right, do you guys know about Awakened ones?" Lam Pham asked.
"Awakened ones?"
Hung Uong was stunned.
"Yes, humans who possess abilities exceeding ordinary people. Since the apocalypse appeared, we have a little girl here who is an Awakened, possessing telekinesis, the ability to control objects. We've been waiting for you all to come..." Lam Pham explained Van Van's situation.
Hung Uong and his group were stunned upon hearing this. Bitten by a zombie and yet nothing happened, just a persistent high fever? How could this be? It was simply an unimaginable thing.
But they believed what Lam Pham said.
It must be true.
"You mean?" Hung Uong wondered if Lam Pham wanted to hand Van Van over to them.
Lam Pham said, "I see that drawing blood for research is a common occurrence. If you need it, you can take some back to check. If you can research why being bitten by a zombie doesn't turn one into a zombie, it might be a great progress and success."
Hung Uong understood and was somewhat moved, not expecting such an unexpected joy.
"Wait a moment."
He quickly took out a satellite phone to contact Professor Ha.
The call connected.
When Professor Ha learned of this situation, he seemed to freeze, not recovering for a long time. Lam Pham could even hear Professor Ha on the other end of the satellite phone, his breathing gradually quickening, as if he were jumping up and down on the spot.
He also very much agreed with Lam Pham's explanation.
Just draw blood and bring it back.
To research the reasons why one could resist a zombie bite and thus not turn into a zombie, there must be some special gene in the original host body, or perhaps when invaded, the body secreted a large amount of special substances.
Afterward.
Everything was ready. They could leave now, but they didn't. Instead, they looked at the situation here.
Under Lam Pham's guidance, Hung Uong and his group looked at the current development and the survivors. "I didn't expect such huge changes here. It's their good fortune that this group of survivors lives here."
"They are all people full of hope. I am willing to give them a place full of hope," Lam Pham said calmly.
Quan Chinh Nghia looked curiously at Lam Pham. He found that this person, not much different in age from him, was truly very different. If it were anyone else who could do such things, they would absolutely have their nose in the air, extremely smug.
But he found that in the other person's view, this seemed like a very normal thing.
Hung Uong sighed, "I truly admire you, admire your actions."
"Haha, it's nothing much, just a few people's efforts. If we're talking about admiration, it should be you guys, always working hard, never giving up." Lam Pham never thought he had done anything worthy of praise. It was just killing some zombies. In his view, this was a casual matter. "By the way, do you still need crystals?"
Hung Uong shook his head, "No need. Before coming, Professor Ha instructed me not to ask for crystals. We've been constantly asking you for them, and we feel really embarrassed. Now we have the ability to hunt evolved zombies ourselves; we can rely on our own efforts."
Lam Pham looked at Hung Uong and said, "Don't have this kind of burden. Your efforts are not for yourselves, but for this society, for this civilization, for the living survivors."
Are crystals important? Indeed, they are important.
Now, the use of crystals was no secret.
But some people obtained crystals to enhance their own strength, thereby harming others.
While others enhanced themselves to fight against the zombies.
The two were different.
If the former wanted them, he would hand them over to Officer Hoang.
If the latter wanted them, he would only ask if it was enough.
For example, Officer Hoang.
He had been "feeding" Officer Hoang during this period, cutting off the limbs of evolved zombies and sending them to the police station. Perhaps Officer Hoang would be very puzzled why these things kept appearing.
But he would still gnaw on them.
Officer Hoang, who gnawed on the crystals, had become stronger.
Hung Uong said, "Really no need. We can do it ourselves. Believe us."
"Alright, then when you need them, don't be polite," Lam Pham said with a smile.
"Okay."
Men don't need false courtesies.
This was true for Hung Uong, and for Lam Pham.
And at this moment.
Officer Hoang encountered a very bad incident.
As one of the few radiating lights among the zombies of Hoang City, he encountered distrust during a rescue operation. This was an insult to an officer.