Apocalypse: Zombie Elimination Expert

As dusk settled, night fell.

The room was pitch black because there was no electricity.

These days, unlike in the past, families no longer have the habit of hoarding candles, but Chen Tuo still managed to handcraft four oil lamps.

One lamp was placed in the living room, one in the bathroom, and two more in the two bedrooms.

The principle of an oil lamp is very simple: just pour oil into a bowl, then roll a wick out of a cloth, and it will burn for a long time.

Although the light is not as bright as an electric light, at least it won't leave you completely in the dark.

After finishing their training, Shu Yao and Chen Tuo took one last ice bath, and the ice in the refrigerator was completely used up.

With no electricity, no internet, and a lack of entertainment, Chen Tuo, exhausted after battling an evolved zombie, returned to his room early. He lay on his soft bed, gazing at the night view outside the window…

Chen Tuo has a habit of sleeping naked and doesn't like to draw the curtains.

This is not an exhibitionist behavior.

I simply enjoy the feeling of being unburdened by clothes, and slowly falling asleep while staring at the night outside after turning off the lights.

Of course, to protect his privacy, he specifically installed one-way glass when decorating the room.

You can see out from inside, but you can't see in from outside.

Even with the lights on, you can only see a blurry shadow outside; if you turn off the lights... you can't see anything at all.

Sleepiness slowly crept in, and just as Chen Tuo was about to blow out the oil lamp and go to sleep...

dong dong dong-

There was a gentle knock on the door.

"Brother Tuo, can I come in for a moment?"

Shu Yao's soft voice came from outside the door.

Chen Tuo casually put on a pair of underwear and opened the door.

Shu Yao stood outside the door, her long hair draped over her shoulders, wearing a loose short-sleeved shirt that just covered her hips.

Even though she was dressed so loosely, the proud outline of her chest still couldn't be hidden.

Even without makeup and dressed very casually, Shu Yao's face is still incredibly beautiful.

Chen Tuo didn't react much, but Shu Yao blushed first.

The reason was simple: it was the first time she had seen Chen Tuo's naked upper body...

Previously, at most, you could see the outline of muscles below through a short-sleeved shirt. Now, without any covering, the body is completely exposed.

The lines sculpted through years of training are exquisite and sharp, resembling an ancient Greek sculpture.

With his handsome face and strong features, there's absolutely nothing wrong with him.

"What is it?"

"I...I want to ask you for a favor..."

Shu Yao's voice carried a hint of trepidation.

Chen Tuo simply turned half his body to the side and said, "Come in and let's talk."

After closing the door, Chen Tuo sat back on the bed and gestured for Shu Yao to do as she pleased.

Shu Yao sat on the edge of the bed, hesitant to speak.

Chen Tuo frowned. "Just say what you want. There's no need to beat around the bush. What do you want from me?"

Shu Yao took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, "Brother Tuo, can I ask you how long you plan to stay before leaving the community? And where do you plan to go after you leave?"

Chen Tuo shook his head slightly, "I'm not sure when it will be, but it should be soon. As for where to go, I haven't decided yet, but I'll definitely go to places with fewer people first."

"Then...then could you...go to my hometown?" Shu Yao asked cautiously.

"Your hometown?" Chen Tuo frowned even more deeply. "Aren't you a local?"

"I'm a local from Jiaxing, but I'm not from the city center. I grew up in a nearby mountain village." As if afraid that Chen Tuo would misunderstand, Shu Yao quickly explained, "It's not far. It's just on the edge of the city center. It's about an hour's drive away, less than fifty kilometers."

Shu Yao knew Chen Tuo's plan; he wouldn't stay in the neighborhood for long and would leave sooner or later.

Shu Yao agreed with this. The environment of the community was indeed not suitable for long-term living, but for her, leaving had another meaning. Only by leaving this community could she return to her hometown and find her grandmother.

She had wanted to bring this up several times these past few days, but she didn't know how to start.

The main fear was that Chen Tuo would refuse.

She knew that it was dangerous and selfish of Chen Tuo to change his plans and run off to an unfamiliar place for his own personal matters.

But she couldn't not go back; her grandmother was her only family.

With the apocalypse breaking out and zombies running rampant, she simply couldn't imagine how her elderly grandmother would cope with such a world, or how she would survive.

Chen Tuo seemed to have guessed something. "You want to go back to your hometown? Are you planning to look for someone?"

Shu Yao nodded, then sighed and recounted her experiences from childhood to adulthood, including how her grandmother scraped together tuition fees and how she endured the gossip in the village to send her to the school in town...

Chen Tuo listened quietly.

Shu Yao remained silent for a long while after she finished speaking before she spoke again.

"It's good to be filial, but have you ever considered that your grandmother might not be so lucky? Maybe she's already a zombie?"

"Even if we assume she's lucky enough not to get infected, given her physical condition, have you thought about what her fate would be after the apocalypse?"

Shu Yao's eyes immediately reddened.

She had already thought of these things, but what if?

"No, no, our village is small, only thirty or forty households, and they don't live close together. Each house has a yard. As long as Grandma doesn't turn into a zombie, she'll definitely be fine staying at home."

"And what about the villagers in your village?"

Chen Tuo then posed the next question, "According to you, that place is too isolated, and the villagers are no different from unruly scoundrels. Even if your grandmother survived by sheer luck, do you think an old woman with her strength could have stopped others from stealing her grain? Could she have stopped others from harming her?"

"No way!" Shu Yao shook her head vigorously. "The villagers don't have a good impression of me, but that's just because they think girls don't need to study. They should just farm and get married early. Anything else is a waste of money."

"Grandma is very popular and doesn't have any conflicts with anyone, so no one will try to take her away from her."

Chen Tuo remained silent.

However, he did not agree with Shu Yao's idea.

She underestimated people.

When the end times come, some people will no longer be human.

People who are usually polite and well-mannered can turn into beasts in human clothing, let alone the gossipy, selfish, and utterly unsavory villagers that Shu Yao described.

Chen Tuo himself came from a small town. Although it wasn't a rural area, it was so remote that it was practically the same.

The local customs in my town and the surrounding villages are not particularly good, but they are certainly simple and honest.

He believes that in some places, the people are simple and honest, and the villagers are kind and hospitable. They will treat both villagers and outsiders with great hospitality and are willing to lend a helping hand when people encounter difficulties.

I have no doubt that some places are poor and remote, full of unruly people, who would love to tear off a piece of flesh from a mouse passing by, and kicking someone when they're down is a basic practice.

In conclusion, whether in remote mountain villages or bustling cities, good and bad people grow up together. However, because many villages are relatively small, it is more likely that there will be a group of good people and a whole group of bad people.

According to Shu Yao herself, the mountain village where she grew up seemed to have no connection to simplicity and honesty.

Her grandmother was most likely one of the few good people among them...

……