Chapter 19

The action plan was set, and both of them were quick to act, swiftly getting started.

However, when Guan Yuanfeng saw Zhou Yun pulling out a flatbed cart from his attic storage room again, with a pile of tools, a ladder, and, on top, a thick roll of long rubber hose, he was once again amazed by Zhou Yun’s hoarding habit. “Why do you have such a long hose?”

Zhou Yun replied calmly, “It’s useful for watering the rooftop, cleaning the ground, and irrigating the fish pond. Plus, buying in bulk gets a discount.”

Guan Yuanfeng: “…”

Zhou Yun skillfully connected the hose to the rooftop faucet and secured it. Then he grabbed a folding ladder and set it up steadily against the wall, leading directly up to the dome window.

He easily climbed up the ladder, pulling the water pipe up with him, and casually put Comet on top.

Comet climbed up the curve of Zhou Yun’s arm and easily jumped onto the window sill, watching intently below.

Zhou Yun tied the dog’s collar to the beam to prevent it from running around, then slowly lowered the water pipe until it hung to the ground.

After securing the water pipe, he took an outdoor mesh hammock and hooked it onto the beam, reinforcing it from all sides to ensure stability, preventing it from swaying. This device would also help stabilize the shooting for Guan Yuanfeng.

It was so hot that Guan Yuanfeng, watching Zhou Yun from behind, saw him drenched in sweat. The thin linen shirt clung to his broad shoulders and narrow waist, outlining his strong and energetic back muscles.

Zhou Yun moved swiftly and soon had the water pipe in place. Turning around, he smiled down at Guan Yuanfeng from above. “The water can be turned on now.”

Guan Yuanfeng went over and turned the faucet to its maximum. Zhou Yun looked down for a moment, then gestured with his hand. “The water flow is smooth.”

Guan Yuanfeng noticed that when Zhou Yun raised his hand, the shirt became translucent, clearly revealing his muscular arms. He once again felt that, without Zhou Yun, it would be much more difficult for him to move around relying solely on his electric hook.

He glanced at the bow in his hand, which was the most suitable weapon for his current condition—provided by Zhou Yun. Otherwise, he would only have the long knife left, the electric hook, and a three-pronged spike.

He checked his weapons: bow and arrows, steel claws, and slung the bow across his back, the long knife at his waist. He then looked up at the ladder, trying to find a suitable point to leverage. His weight, combined with the prosthetic leg, was too much for Zhou Yun to carry him up, so he had to figure out how to climb up by himself.

But Zhou Yun leapt nimbly off the ladder, walked over to the cart, and started selecting tools. “Wait a moment, this ladder isn’t convenient. We’ll have to come here often, so I’ll install a fixed ladder, which will be more convenient for you. Anyway, we need to wait until the water is fully set up.”

Guan Yuanfeng didn’t quite understand. “What kind of fixed ladder?”

He then saw Zhou Yun run to the nearby greenhouse, quickly bringing out a power strip, plugging it into the power supply, and then took out an electric lifting, retractable folding ladder from the cart. He climbed the A-frame ladder and began installing it.

Guan Yuanfeng realized that this ladder was wider and more stable.

Once Zhou Yun had quickly installed the ladder and connected it to the power supply, it started to automatically extend from top to bottom, gradually forming a wide, stable staircase that could accommodate two people walking side by side.

Guan Yuanfeng: “…”

This was like magic! Who would have such an electric ladder at home? It even looked brand new!

Zhou Yun, dripping with sweat and wearing a pleased expression, ran down the ladder and tested its stability. “Wait a little longer. No problem now. It’s a super-strong, thick wall-mounted ladder made from titanium-magnesium alloy. It’s rust-resistant, with hydraulic assistance and hinges. It can support up to 1,000 kilograms. You and your wheelchair can easily go up.”

Guan Yuanfeng asked, “How did you have this at home?”

Zhou Yun replied, “My mother had rheumatoid arthritis and couldn’t go up and down the stairs, but she was stubborn and insisted on gardening upstairs. One day, she fell and broke a bone, which led to her hospitalization. I was working away at the time and couldn’t quit right away, so I customized this to install in the second-floor attic. But after buying it, she was diagnosed with cancer and never came out of the hospital. I had to quit my job and go back home.”

Guan Yuanfeng: “…” He felt guilty. “I’m sorry.”

Zhou Yun waved his hand. “It’s fine. It’s been a long time.”

After the long-lasting apocalypse, emotions from the peaceful era had been washed away and faded by time.

It wasn’t just himself. Many people in the apocalypse had become emotionally distant and indifferent.

Because every day could bring life or death, the only thing they could do was let go, live for today, and death might even be a form of relief.

Zhou Yun pushed Guan Yuanfeng up the ladder, and Guan Yuanfeng once again admired how meticulous Zhou Yun was. He was truly exceptional in both his ability to act and his attention to detail.

It took a lot of time to install the elevator. The water had been flowing for over an hour, and Guan Yuanfeng saw that a shallow layer of water had already covered the entire restaurant floor.

Zhou Yun asked, “This is the safest place. The zombies can’t get up. Do you see where the zombies are, within your range?”

Guan Yuanfeng searched for the optimal range and finally confirmed it was near the middle island. “This spot is good. The dog can run around in circles, and the zombies won’t easily catch it.” He glanced at Comet.

Zhou Yun said, “No need for the dog. Wait a moment.”

He quietly went downstairs, and after a while, Guan Yuanfeng saw Zhou Yun return with a drone, quickly operating it and tying a large bag to the drone.

Guan Yuanfeng smelled the blood and some unpleasant odor and immediately felt something stir. “What is it?”

Zhou Yun said, “Chicken blood. When the drone reaches the position, you just need to shoot through the bag.”

Blood was an essential component of the zombie trap, and when combined with synthetic human scents, it could effectively lure zombies. As a former researcher, Zhou Yun had worked on similar projects and had even made many traps himself.

But now, the necessary ingredients for the traps had only just begun to mutate, so they couldn’t make them yet. For now, they would use chicken blood.

Guan Yuanfeng knew Zhou Yun didn’t want Comet to get hurt, but he had to admit this was safer. After all, they were facing an enemy they had never encountered before.

Zhou Yun carefully piloted the drone towards the middle island, slowly flying to the side of the island, where it hovered and stopped, signaling Guan Yuanfeng.

Guan Yuanfeng drew the bow, aimed steadily at the red plastic bag, and let go. “Whoosh!”

The arrow flew like the wind, piercing the plastic bag. “Whoosh!”

The pig’s trotters, mixed with chicken blood, fell down, and the smell of blood quickly filled the air. Zhou Yun had just heated the pig’s trotters in the microwave, and combined with fresh chicken blood, the rich aroma and the warmth from the meat were irresistible to the zombies with an instinct for hunting living creatures.

The sound and intense smell quickly reached the zombies wandering near the fish tank. It moved with a speed that was astonishing, though it hesitated for a moment because of the fruit, but the smell was too alluring for it to resist.

It slowly stepped into the water, its speed clearly slowed, but still much faster than an ordinary beast.

Guan Yuanfeng was a bit startled and thought to himself that if they really let Comet lure the enemy, they might not be able to make it out unscathed.

The zombies had quickly entered range and were heading toward a few pieces of pig’s feet. Guan Yuanfeng aimed at its forehead and watched as the zombie finally stopped and reached out to grab the pig’s feet to gnaw on, releasing the bowstring.

“Whoosh!” “Whoosh!” “Whoosh!”

He fired three arrows in quick succession!

The first arrow accurately pierced the zombie’s skull, entering through the ear. The zombie quickly turned around but was soon met by the second and third arrows, which entered through the brow and face.

It seemed to lose its source of strength and collapsed stiffly, water splashing everywhere.

The first battle was a success!

Zhou Yun controlled the drone, circling around the interior and exterior, even checking the kitchen. After confirming there were no zombies, he first turned off the water.

Then, he set up a simple ladder, lowered it down, and let Comet go first. He was about to carry Guan Yuanfeng down, but Guan Yuanfeng shook his head. “You go collect the fish first. The wheelchair is inconvenient. Once you modify the ladder, I’ll come down.”

Zhou Yun noticed that his green camouflage shirt was completely soaked with sweat, his face pale. He guessed that, in this hot weather, these actions had drained Guan Yuanfeng’s strength, and it was a heavy burden on his body. However, Guan Yuanfeng was strong-willed and clearly wasn’t going to admit it.

Zhou Yun was worried that Guan Yuanfeng might suffer from heatstroke. Since neither the fish nor the zombie bodies would run away, he supported him back to the ladder and helped him back to the room, turning on the air conditioner to cool him down.

He then poured a bottle of Huo Xiang Zheng Qi water into some water for him to slowly drink and brought over the chilled mung bean and seaweed sugar soup from the fridge for him to drink as well. Seeing his complexion gradually improve, Zhou Yun went over to count their spoils.

Guan Yuanfeng watched as Zhou Yun busied himself all day—turning on water, installing the elevator, extracting blood from the chicken, setting traps, going up and down. Except for shooting arrows, almost all the physical labor was done by Zhou Yun. Yet, he remained energetic and full of vitality, showing no signs of exhaustion.

He seemed quite excited, his eyes shining when talking about eating fish tonight. Although his words were simple and steady, his expression couldn’t hide his excitement. He moved lightly, full of energy.

—–

In contrast, Guan Yuanfeng had only shot a few arrows and was already dizzy, physically drained, and struggling to continue.

Even in reconnaissance and setting tactics—his area of expertise—he was no match for an ordinary doctor.

He had never felt like such a failure, and as he closed his eyes, the faint pain from his severed limbs reminded him that even this level of activity was too much for his body to bear.

In the end of the world, could someone like him still survive?

What Guan Yuanfeng didn’t know was that Zhou Yun was oblivious to his self-doubt and self-loathing. After all, Zhou Yun had awakened his powers, and both his mental and physical strength were far superior to ordinary people. Plus, with a whole wall of sea fish and the zombie bodies they had just eliminated, he was incredibly excited.

He grabbed a sharp knife and returned to the dome restaurant, gazing at the seafood tanks filled with lively shrimp, fish, crabs, and shellfish. His eyes gleamed with excitement.

If he could get a few water-type crystal cores, he’d be in luck!