Chapter Thirty: The First Foundations

With greater strength comes greater confidence. The group of first-tier zombies outside no longer posed any threat in Fang Xia’s eyes. If not for his physical limitations, he could have slaughtered his way through until the game ended.

He waited at the door, smoking a cigarette, as the crowd approached in a grand procession.

Wait—wasn’t there more people than before? He hadn’t counted earlier, but just by glancing, it was clear there were more than when they started.

"Brother Fang, there's a few more people now, is that okay?" Bai Xing, perhaps persuaded by her two roommates, came forward to plead again.

Fang Xia didn't mind. It was only for a week; a few more mouths to feed were insignificant. If they truly managed to form a fierce all-female squad, the investment would be worth it.

If the team truly came together, he intended to keep it firmly under his control, and these first seven days were crucial.

"They’re here, they’re here. For your sake, I won’t turn anyone away. I can feed a few more. But, what do you plan to offer in return?"

Bai Xing blushed, glanced at the others to make sure they couldn’t hear, then tiptoed and whispered something in Fang Xia’s ear.

As she finished, her cheeks burned with embarrassment, while Fang Xia’s body stiffened in excitement, suddenly full of vigor.

...

The distance from the teacher's college to the hotel wasn’t far, but the dense cluster of zombies along the way was no small obstacle.

When Fang Xia and Bai Xing had come earlier, they’d relied entirely on their skills, sneaking through unnoticed.

But now, with so many people, stealth was impossible. The only option was to fight their way through.

Fortunately, he had upgraded to a second-tier fighter—more than enough to crush the first-tier zombie horde.

He just hoped they wouldn’t encounter any second-tier zombies; even he couldn’t protect the group then.

"Bai Xing, guard them well. Stay behind me, and assign someone to search the bodies."

Even now, Fang Xia didn’t forget about upgrading crystals—more precious than lives.

"Everyone, stick together. If you get lost, no one will look for you."

With that, Fang Xia led the charge, wielding his twin blades.

The girls behind him had never witnessed such a scene. They stared, lovestruck.

Is this man their savior? The way he swings his blades feels so reassuring.

"Ahem! Enough gawking. Stick to the plan: take turns searching the bodies, just as I did at the start. Anyone unwilling can leave now."

---

Bai Xing eyed the group of women with displeasure, a faint regret stirring in her heart—had she brought herself a bunch of rivals?

Perhaps sensing the murderous intent in Bai Xing’s gaze, the girls promptly regained their composure, lowering their heads to ease the awkwardness.

By then, Fang Xia had cleared a space ahead. Bai Xing fell silent, leaving Liu Rui to direct the group while she focused on dealing with any zombies that slipped through.

"Move quickly, everyone. Understand your situation. If you’re unwilling, go back."

Some people are born to lead; she knew when to use which approach and could read the situation precisely.

In the apocalypse, the power of a team far surpassed any individual—especially for physically weaker women. Without unity, they’d either become playthings for men or perish.

That was why Liu Rui insisted on leading these women.

Even Fang Xia, battling up front, glanced back at Liu Rui. This girl was certainly unique—but whether that was good or bad, he couldn’t yet say.

He pushed those thoughts aside and continued clearing the way. Behind him, under Liu Rui’s command, the group lost its initial panic and became orderly.

From the college to the hotel was a full two kilometers. Fang Xia hacked his way through, carrying two blades.

On the road, they encountered several other human teams, but everyone tacitly avoided each other.

Ten days into the apocalypse, the capable had adapted to the rules of survival.

Without the restraints of law, human conflict became all the more brutal.

When Fang Xia’s arms grew weary from swinging his blades, the hotel entrance finally appeared. If he’d had to fight any longer, he feared he’d drop dead from exhaustion.

He couldn’t recall how many swings he’d made. Each blade weighed sixty pounds—both together, one hundred twenty. Even with twelve times the physical strength of an ordinary person, he’d reached his limit.

He’d overestimated himself; if the hotel were just a hundred meters farther, he might not have made it.

The only luck was not encountering any second-tier zombies.

There were fewer zombies at the hotel entrance than there had been that morning—perhaps lured away by others—which was a blessing for Fang Xia.

"Bai Xing, lead them inside."

He’d drawn away most of the zombies; the rest was up to them.

Bai Xing, twin daggers in hand, took the lead, entering the hotel lobby first. The zombies inside, attracted by the commotion, rushed toward the entrance.

Unlike Fang Xia’s brute force, Bai Xing’s killing was almost an art.

No blood or gore—just precise, lethal strikes.

"She’s incredible," several girls exclaimed in genuine admiration.

To think they were all female students—how could the gap be so vast...

---

"Brother Fang, there are thirty-one people in total."

Sinking fully into the sofa, Fang Xia allowed Bai Xing to massage his arm while Liu Rui reported the numbers.

With this sudden influx, and the task of supporting them for a week, Fang Xia realized his supplies were far from sufficient.

Thirty-one people—if he actually had a full squad, how much food would they burn through each day? The logistics were a headache.

And accommodations were another problem.

Rooms weren’t lacking, but Fang Xia had hacked open half the doors on the floor—safe, but not ideal.

There was always the tent, two hundred square meters in size, but it was empty. Tomorrow, he’d need to go out and fetch mattresses and bedding.

"Tonight, let them pick any room to rest. Tomorrow, I’ll make proper arrangements."

Night had already fallen; venturing out now was out of the question.

Even with Fang Xia’s strength—he could easily handle zombies at night—but the trouble was always visibility.

Zombies didn’t rely on sight; darkness meant nothing to them. For humans, though, fighting blind severely diminished their combat effectiveness.

"Brother Fang, the two of them can sleep in the guest room," Bai Xing said, embarrassed by her many requests that day.

They were her closest roommates; in this apocalyptic world, their bond was even more precious. The three of them always had endless things to say.

The luxury suite had a guest room in addition to the master, though Fang Xia rarely used it.

The other rooms lacked doors and had seen death.

"Alright, you decide."