Chapter 25 - 22: Giving the Hope of Life to You

Words : 1349 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 25: Chapter 22: Giving the Hope of Life to You Chen Gang was the overlord among the survivors in this building. He possessed enormous authority. He watched the young man, Xiao Bin, who had suggested killing the four elderly people, constantly moving through the crowd, pulling each survivor aside into a corner to whisper in secrecy. Chen Gang observed that the expressions of those persuaded by Xiao Bin shifted from shock to difficulty, then to resolve, betraying their inner agreement with difficult-to-conceal changes in their eyes. Clearly, they were swayed by Xiao Bin's words, and it made sense that resources determined how long one could live. When it came to life and death, who could truly be selfless? Two elderly people were sitting in wicker chairs. "Guifen, we are old now, and the supplies necessary for survival are getting scarce. Those young people probably want to get rid of us old folks who are dragging them down. I think, let's just leave the hope of survival to them. This country, this society, still needs young people to build it." The elderly man gently patted his wife's hand. Having supported each other for fifty years, it wouldn't be so bad to depart in such a way. The old gentleman was named Wang Zhongguo, and in his youth, he was a soldier. At that time the country was in ruins, eager for rebirth, with countless people ready and determined to contribute to nation-building, and he was one of them. He had participated in numerous battles, both big and small, for his country, risking his life and shedding his blood, devoting his youth to the motherland. His spouse, who had once been a military doctor, would follow the troops into battle, tending to the wounded. It was back in '7X', during a war, when she saved Wang Zhongguo, who was injured. Finding each other agreeable, they stayed together. "Alright, I'll listen to you," said Granny Guifen with a smile, fully aware of the young people's thoughts and intentions. After all that she had experienced over the years, there was little she hadn't seen. In her youthful days, her keen observations had caught several spies. The intentions of these naïve youngsters were therefore transparent to her. They were able to live here because of their children, who did not join the military or become doctors, but went abroad to do business. After buying them a house here, they seldom returned. Now that the apocalypse had erupted and zombies roamed everywhere, survival was likely difficult. "Wang, old brother, you really are open-minded," said another elderly person sitting beside them, laughing softly. This gentleman was named Zhou Aijun, sixty-nine years old, still relatively sturdy, and was a military industrial expert. He had developed many weapons for the country, earning numerous honors and medals. In gratitude for his service, the state had rewarded him with an apartment in Fangji International. Wang, the elderly gentleman, chuckled, "Brother Zhou, you think the same, don't you?" Zhou, the elderly gentleman, replied, "I've given a lifetime of contribution. Aside from that, there isn't much I wouldn't do. I don't blame these children. The most important thing is to stay alive." Zhou's wife looked at him and said, "You've spent your whole life involved with chunks of metal." "My dear, I've made you suffer alongside me," Zhou lamented. His wife had been a teacher, but she had long since retired. These years, her main interest was her education support website. She put her entire pension into it, helping poor children acquire an education and succeed in life. "I've suffered alongside for decades. What's the use of saying it now?" she glanced at him disapprovingly. At that moment, a group swayed by Xiao Bin's persuasion simultaneously approached the four elderly people. They were close to breaking point due to the hardships of the apocalyptic world, with the thought of survival overwhelming their minds. During Xiao Bin's indoctrination, they indeed had moments of reluctance and fear. But as Xiao Bin laid out the benefits, those who wanted to survive decided to throw the four elderly people from the building. First, it would save resources. Second, it would test how many zombies remained in the compound. The racket caused by people dropping would surely draw out any hidden zombies. If luck was on their side and the zombies moved outside the compound, wouldn't that be even better? Wang Zhongguo, the elderly gentleman, stood up. "Children, we understand your thoughts. Don't worry, we won't consume your supplies, and you don't need to push us down the building. There are things, once done, that will have a negative impact and torment both your mind and body. We old folks can simply go back to our homes and await death." The people who were about to act, upon hearing this, clearly looked a bit startled. They hadn't expected to be seen through. It gave them a feeling of deep shame. All of them lived in this building and naturally knew the four elderly people in front of them. In the past, they had been kind people. "We can't let them go, who knows if they'll go downstairs, open the safe door, and bring in the zombies," someone said. As someone spoke up, the others around immediately snapped to their senses. "Exactly, if we let these four old fools out, who knows what they might do? We must throw them down from the lower floors." As the crowd voiced their thoughts, their inner rage boiled over, and they became reckless and fearless. The lives of the four elderly people were as insignificant to them as ants. Suddenly, the iron door was knocked, and a voice came from outside. "Mr. Chen, are you there?" Although the voice was soft, it exploded like thunder in the hearts of those preparing to do something bad. How could someone come at this time? "Mr. Chen, I'm the one who called you earlier; I would like to rent your place," Lin Fan said softly, standing in front of the iron door. Upon hearing this, Chen Gang's expression changed instantly. "Who exactly are you?" Chen Gang couldn't believe that the other party really came to rent a place. Are they out of their mind? With things the way they are now, who cares where you want to live? "I've come to rent a place, like we agreed over the phone," Lin Fan continued, speaking calmly from outside. "How did you get up here?" "I walked up." At this moment, Xiao Bin came to Chen Gang's side, warning, "Brother Chen, don't open the door. We've come to this point; we can't just let anyone in. We don't have the extra resources for him." "Also, if he has been bitten by a zombie, he will definitely turn into one as well." Just by listening to the voice, he could tell the person was very young. If they let him in, wouldn't they be getting another competitor? What concerned him most, however, was that the safety door downstairs was clearly locked, with no key. How had it been opened? Chen Gang nodded, "Mhm, I know what to do; I definitely won't let him in. Suddenly, Xiao Bin's eyes lit up as he suddenly had a cunning plan. He whispered into Chen Gang's ear, "Brother Chen, I've got an idea. Just tell him you'll rent it to him. Then we watch him go downstairs, and when he gets to the lower floors, we throw the four old folks down. That will make a noise. When the zombies come out, he will surely run, drawing the zombies away for us, and making our place even safer." After hearing this, Chen Gang thought, that does make sense. His gaze towards Xiao Bin changed. The kid had a sharp mind. And was sufficiently sinister. PS: Daily request for votes

Chapter 25 - 22: Giving the Hope of Life to You

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