Chapter 27: The Cafe

During training, Wang Zhi continued to focus on physical fitness. Physical fitness is expressed through strength, speed, endurance, coordination, resilience, and agility—all essential for survival in the apocalypse. Imagine a horde of zombies chasing you; you need speed to escape, strength to cut them down, and all of it requires stamina.

Checking the time, Wang Zhi saw that six hours had passed. He called everyone through the headset to take a break and eat in the cafeteria.

Moments later, Wang Zhi arrived at the cafeteria.

“Ah! I can’t go on anymore. If I don’t die out there, I’ll die of exhaustion in here!” Fatty groaned as he collapsed into a chair, panting heavily. Lao He arrived right behind him.

Wang Zhi glanced at Fatty, who looked completely drained, then turned to Lao He and asked, “Lao He, what did you do to him? How did he end up like this?”

Lao He shrugged, “Not much, just made him do a 10-kilometer weighted run.”

“A 10-kilometer weighted run shouldn’t have worn you out this badly, Fatty,” Wang Zhi nudged him.

Fatty weakly lifted his arm onto the table and said in a feeble voice, “Look at these marks on my arms, and my legs and waist! That was 30 kilograms! 30 kilograms!”

“Uh… Lao He, maybe don’t push him too hard? Fatty’s starting from a weaker foundation; he needs to build up gradually,” Wang Zhi said, eyeing the red pressure marks on Fatty’s skin. He was genuinely worried the guy might collapse.

“Relax, I know what I’m doing. If we don’t train hard now, we’ll just be zombie food later. There’s no time for gradual training,” Lao He dismissed Wang Zhi’s concern.

Wang Zhi didn’t argue further. As long as Fatty didn’t die, he could keep pushing him to the limit.

“Oh? Fatty playing dead again?” At that moment, Ying and Liuli entered the cafeteria. Ying teased as she walked in.

As they sat down, Wang Zhi noticed that Liuli didn’t look too well—her face was pale, and her hands were trembling slightly.

Hearing Ying’s voice, Fatty suddenly straightened up and said to Liuli, “Liuli, how about we switch? Let me train with Sister Ying instead!”

“Oh?” Ying raised an eyebrow, spinning the dagger in her hand faster and faster until it suddenly flashed in an arc. A strand of hair drifted onto the table.

Fatty swallowed hard. “I-I was just joking. Men and women should keep their distance!” He promptly flopped back onto the table, pretending to be dead again.

During the meal, Wang Zhi ordered ten large bowls of rice, three vegetarian dishes, one meat dish, one soup, and five bottles of Red Bull.

After finishing the meal, Wang Zhi reinforced his point: “The world outside is dangerous, but we can’t stay underground like rats forever. We can’t spend our entire lives hiding hundreds of meters beneath the surface. When we leave here, I don’t want us to return with fewer people.”

Once the meal was done, Wang Zhi paid the bill and left the cafeteria. However, instead of heading straight to training, he realized a pressing issue—he was too weak.

In terms of firearms, he was no match for Lao He. In melee combat, Ying and Liuli were superior. Even Fatty was improving steadily. But what about him? What gave him the right to lead?

Last night, Ying had proven how powerless he was. If she had truly wanted to kill him, he wouldn’t have stood a chance. Lao He and Ying hadn’t openly questioned his leadership yet, but the warning was clear: If he continued to bask in the illusion of authority without real strength to back it up, he’d soon become nothing more than a puppet leader.

Fighting skills took years to develop, and catching up to them was nearly impossible. This was Wang Zhi’s biggest concern—how could he secure their trust and reliance?

“I’ve got it!” Wang Zhi suddenly thought of something.

He recalled seeing intel being sold in the Intelligence Hall. One piece of information was about Captain Jie Xi’s preferences. At the time, he thought it was ridiculous—who would buy something so trivial? But now, it was a golden opportunity to build a connection with Captain Jie Xi.

Without hesitation, Wang Zhi ran to the Intelligence Hall and approached the front desk, searching the menu on the screen.

After finding the intel on Jie Xi, he checked the price—just 10 survival points.

Looking around to ensure no one was watching, he leaned in and said to the receptionist, “Miss, I’d like to purchase intelligence file A.108.” He then handed over his magnetic card.

The receptionist searched for the requested file and said, “Got it. The information is now unlocked. You can review it at the designated terminal.”

Wang Zhi retrieved his card and moved to a secluded corner where an intel terminal was located. He placed his card on the machine, verified his identity, and accessed the information.

The file contained Jie Xi’s preference: “Captain Jie Xi frequently visits the cafe. Further details unknown.”

Wang Zhi: “???”

That’s it? Just a location, and nothing else? This intel was practically a scam! Wang Zhi silently cursed, but he wasn’t ready to give up. He decided to investigate the cafe himself.

The cafe was on the first floor—the largest floor in the Dawn Tower. Nearly all recreational, medical, residential, production, and livestock facilities were located here. The first floor was divided into four zones: the entrance area, the production and livestock area, staff residences, and the commercial district.

When Wang Zhi first learned about the layout of Dawn Tower, he was astonished by its self-sufficient ecosystem. It was practically a miniature city.

Before heading to the cafe, Wang Zhi made a stop at a snack shop. He needed a bargaining chip—something to loosen people’s tongues. Otherwise, their answers would likely be “I don’t know.”

A box of chocolate cost 10 survival points! In an apocalypse, food was the ultimate currency.

Armed with a box of chocolate, Wang Zhi arrived at the only cafe in the fourth zone. The place was empty except for the shopkeeper, who was wiping down some cups. After all, in a survivalist society, who had the luxury to waste points on coffee? Those who did were better off spending their resources on food or weapons.

“Hello, sir. What can I get for you?” The shopkeeper greeted him.

Wang Zhi walked up to the counter and placed the box of chocolate on it, sliding it toward the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper gave him a puzzled look. “Sir, what is this?”

Wang Zhi smiled. “Just looking for some information.”