A group of people gathered around to watch Vuong Khai devour his food like a starving wolf swallowing a tiger.
Anyone else, being stared at by so many people while eating, would definitely be mindful of appearances. But for Vuong Khai at this moment, all he wanted was to eat his fill—nothing more.
Nhan Ny Ny understood his situation. During the time she had been locked inside her home, instant noodles and stale bread were the only supplies keeping her alive. She had eaten until she wanted to puke, eaten until she felt like dying. So now, being able to enjoy the fragrant taste of real rice—it was undoubtedly a kind of happiness.
Phi Phi and Dinh Dinh stared in shock.
"Sis Phi Phi, has this uncle never eaten rice before?" Đinh Đinh asked in a whisper. During this period, she had been thoroughly "oppressed" by Phỉ Phỉ and now respectfully called her Sis.
Phi Phi whispered back, "Dinh Dinh, I think this uncle must be the reincarnation of plain rice—he really loves it."
"Oh, so that's how it is."
Dinh Dinh nodded in half-understanding. The apocalypse hadn't impacted her as deeply. Ever since moving into the Duong Quang complex, the children had been very well protected.
They hadn't experienced the utter despair that the adults had.
To the grown-ups, the Duong Quang complex was their final refuge—and their only hope of survival.
They treated this place as their home and each other as family, protecting it with all their strength. Most importantly, all of their hopes rested on one person—Lam Pham.
Anyone could leave the Duong Quang complex, but not Lam Pham.
That was the one shared understanding among all survivors here.
After a while…
Vuong Khai had completely cleaned out his bowl of rice. Doggi looked on in shock—What's with the master today? Just this morning he had happily eaten dog food with me. He looked so content.
"Sorry, I was just too hungry and ate a bit too much," Vuong Khai said sheepishly. Looking back at his behavior, he had definitely acted like a starving beast. At the time, all he could think about was devouring all the rice in front of him. No other thoughts—just hunger.
Lam Pham said, "No problem. Being able to eat is a good thing. Just make sure you're full."
To Vuong Khai, Lam Pham seemed extremely mysterious. Not the typical kind of mystery—but the kind that felt like a supernatural force.
"I'm stuffed… I've never felt rice taste so good in my life," Vuong Khai said with emotion, nearly brought to tears. Before, when life was easy and food was abundant, he had never found plain rice anything special.
Perhaps only when something is lost do we realize its true value. Only then do we remember how good it was.
The elder Vuong said, "Young man, you're a good one. Thanks to your work at the water plant, we've had access to clean water. That's all your doing."
Lam Pham nodded. He thought the old man was right. This guy might not look powerful, but being able to do something like that deserved respect. And Lâm Phàm had never been stingy with praise for others.
Besides his zombie-slaying skills, he didn't think there was anything special about himself.
"You flatter me. I was just a regular worker at the water plant. When I got stuck there with nothing to do, I figured I might as well do something useful. It wasn't anything worth mentioning," Vuong Khai replied modestly, blushing as if someone had mistaken him for a hero.
Elder Vuong said, "So modest! You call that 'just your job'? You probably saved every survivor in Hoang City. In the apocalypse, water is everything. Without it, no one survives."
At this point, Vuong Khai was feeling overwhelmed.
Did I just walk into a circle of fanboys or something?
He hadn't done anything earth-shattering, yet these people kept showering him with praise. Honestly, it made him want to stand tall with his hands on his hips.
Maintaining water quality and supplying clean water—sure, it had been dangerous at times, but it still felt like basic duties.
Lam Pham looked at him. "Do you want to move into Duong Quang Complex? I work part-time for Tan Phong Realty. If you're interested, I can help you find a place."
He sincerely hoped Vuong Khai would stay.
That way, he could keep him safe.
Not for any particular reason—just because the things this man had done made him worth protecting.
"Uh?" Vuong Khai's jaw dropped. He hadn't expected that.
Elder Vuong laughed heartily. "What Little Pham means is, if you want to stay here, he can help you get a place. Right now, Little Pham works in real estate for Tan Phong. He handles rental listings. The rent isn't too bad—around 1,600–1,700 a month. Even though it's the apocalypse, rent is still a thing, you know?"
"I… I think I get it," Vuong Khai muttered, dizzy.
Elder Vuong understood Lam Pham well—he didn't want him to speak too directly and confuse the poor man. As a former soldier, the elder admired responsibility and courage in people.
Vuong Khai might look average, like any other young man, even timid at times. But when things got tough, he stepped up—and that, Elder Vuong admired.
It reminded him of his youth, of a scared, stuttering comrade who, when the time came, had picked up an explosive and charged a tank.
That's when he learned: being afraid and being brave can exist in the same person. And when that person explodes with courage—it's awe-inspiring.
Lam Pham added, "There's a place I could recommend—Room 504, fifth floor. Rent's 1,400 a month. Pretty good deal."
"Is it cash or card?" Vuong Khai asked.
He didn't have money. Sure, his job had paid well, but he'd always lived alone, loved to drink and eat out with coworkers. Dropping 800–900 on a meal? Normal.
And don't even ask about foot spas with friends. Those added up too.
The guy was the poster child of the "living paycheck to paycheck" lifestyle.
"Either works," Lam Pham smiled.
Elder Vuong could see right through him. "Young folks like you, without a wife to manage your money, love spending recklessly. Tiểu Phàm, just deduct his rent from my account. He can pay me back when he gets his salary. He's still got a job, right? The water plant'll pay him eventually."
Vuong Khai was flustered.
Salary?
Elder, it's the apocalypse! Where's this salary coming from?
He was filled with regret.
If only I had saved a little. I've been wasting money like water, and now... not a dime left. Who would've thought you still had to pay rent in the apocalypse?
"Thank you, elder," Vuong Khai said gratefully.
Even though he didn't fully understand everything, seeing how calm everyone else was, he figured this must be the norm here. And if it's the rules, he'd follow them. No need to overthink.
"No need to thank me. Us old geezers can't help with much anymore—but we can still do what we can. Right, Old Chu?" Elder Vuong asked.
"Right, right," Old Chu nodded. Whatever the old bro says, goes.
Lam Pham said, "If there's anything else you need, let me know. We might be able to work together too."
He had a good feeling about Vuong Khai. Though they had just met, for some reason, he could sense that the man was both brave and kind.
A strange feeling.
But he didn't dwell on it.
Vuong Khai hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Pham-ge, do you have some kind of special way to deal with zombies?"
"Yup, I'm super strong. Everyone here knows," Lam Pham replied.
Vuong Khai looked at the crowd—they all nodded, especially Nhan Ny Ny, who nodded like crazy. Strong? That guy wasn't just strong—he was a monster.
Vuong Khai continued, "The water plant needs someone to inspect it every day, otherwise problems can easily occur. The water will become murky, full of muddy residue. I definitely can't handle that alone. So I was thinking—since Brother Pham can handle zombies, maybe you could go to the water plant with me around noon each day?"
"No problem," Lam Pham replied.
He had originally intended to rent the room to the other party. If they said they couldn't afford it, he would have allowed them to stay with an IOU and pay later. But since Old Man Vuong had proactively offered to cover the cost, then there was no issue at all.
At this moment, Tran Hac, Ly Mai, Nhan Ny Ny and the others began to see Vuong Khai in a new light. An ordinary man, yet one who evoked admiration.
Especially for Tran Hac—everyone has their own value. He too had to work hard to become useful. Even if the old man gave him incomprehensible books to read, he was determined to study hard and become self-reliant.
"I'll go prepare the things you need. You guys have a good talk with the old man," Lam Pham said and then left.
Inside the room.
Vuong Khai now knew the names of these lucky survivors. He also knew that they had been saved and arranged to stay here by Lam Pham.
"Old man, I want to ask—who exactly is Brother Pham? I feel like he's some kind of superhero." Vuong Khai asked the question that had been on his mind.
The old man chuckled and replied, "In every era, when danger strikes, heroes emerge. He is a hero. You are a hero. As for who he was before—it's not important. Heroes don't need an origin story. All we need to know is that the Sunshine Residence is our safe haven. It's the beginning of our hope. If we all work together, build up this community, and spread that hope outward—that's not just our wish, it's also Little Pham's wish."
Vuong Khai understood.
Tran Hac understood.
Ly Mai understood.
Nhan Ny Ny understood.
Everyone understood.
"Woof..."
The dog, Doggi, squatted on the floor and let out a low howl, as if signaling that it too understood.
Night.
Dark as pitch.
Lam Pham stood on the balcony with a cup of tea, gazing out into the night. The once bustling Hoang City was now desolate and silent.
In the Sunshine Residence, only the dim light from his room's desk lamp shone—a faint glow in the vast darkness of Hoang City.
The apocalypse had lasted for many days now.
He was gradually getting used to this life.
He no longer felt lonely, because other survivors were living nearby. He still wanted to try—to restore the city they had lost. And now, more people were joining him in that effort.
He was full of faith and hope.
"Are you all doing well?"
He asked into the darkness.
The only reply was a gentle breeze.
Back inside, he tucked in the sleeping Manh Manh with a small blanket and quietly lay down beside her.
Before falling asleep, he glanced at the system panel.
[Name]: Lam Pham[Strength]: 255 (Superhuman)[Stamina]: 155 (Superhuman)[Speed]: 146 (Superhuman)[Points]: 0
The system brought him no particular thoughts—it was just a series of numbers.
He didn't know how it came to be.
But he didn't care.
It was probably the reason he could deal with zombies.
"Hope often favors the prepared. This must be the motivation it gave me—to restore Hoang City."
He looked at Frostmourne, leaning in the corner.
Cool.
Very handsome.
It was his only weapon for self-defense.
Desert – Underground Base
"Data from the Dragon Palace and Galaxy Bases has been received and compiled," reported a woman in a white lab coat and glasses to a group of seated professors.
Inside the white-lit room, professors of all ages sat solemnly, staring at the screen.
"The Dragon Palace base killed a mutant zombie and retrieved a crystal from its head. Despite extensive testing, no benefits were found. One soldier volunteered to swallow the crystal for experimental purposes, but the result was disastrous."
"These are images from the internal body cam. As the crystal entered the body and merged with flesh, it caused internal boiling of blood. Within three minutes, the subject died from massive hemorrhaging. This proves the ingestion method is ineffective."
"The human body, as it is now, cannot withstand the crystal."
Image after image appeared.
The professors' expressions grew grave.
They had no answer to the zombie crystal issue.
The woman did not linger on this, instead moving on to more visuals.
"I compiled zombie encounters from the Dragon Palace and Galaxy Bases. Please look at the first image."
A giant zombie appeared on screen.
It stood between two to three meters tall, with muscular shoulders, thick arms and legs, and a powerful core.
"This is classified as a Strength-type zombie. It can throw a two-ton vehicle with ease. Its muscle density is extremely high. Regular bullets can only scratch the surface tissue—its bones remain unharmed."
Another image flashed.
A zombie similar to the spider-type Lam Pham once fought.
"This is a Speed-type zombie. Agile, it can run at speeds up to 150km/h—faster than a cheetah. Worse yet, it doesn't tire. Once it begins pursuit, escape is nearly impossible."
Hearing this, the professors' faces turned pale. Could humans even escape from such monsters?
"At the Dragon Palace base, three fully armed soldiers died fighting one. Without heavy weapons or armored vehicles, it's almost impossible to kill."
The woman calmly adjusted her glasses.
One elderly professor gasped, "With all this and no way to stop the zombies, and now they're mutating into even worse monsters… Do we really have any hope left?"
No one answered.
The room fell silent and heavy.
The woman continued.
Next Image:
A seemingly ordinary zombie. But its mouth could split open like flower petals.
"This is a Screamer-type zombie. It can emit 120 decibels—enough to cause headaches, dizziness, nausea. The scream attracts other zombies from far distances."
"A few days ago, it could only produce 100 decibels. It's now at 120. At this rate, it could soon hit 160—enough to rupture eardrums. That would make it even more dangerous than the previous two types."
"Its hearing is also far superior to ours."
A nervous professor reached for a cigarette but paused, stunned by what he saw.
After a long silence, he finally muttered:
"Do we really have any hope left?"
"How long can these scattered survivors… really hold on?"