Room 603.
"Little Pham's ideology is really solid."
Old man Vuong was extremely impressed. Speaking of little Pham's strength, it was truly formidable. Looking back through history, those ancients with absolute power – which one didn't declare themselves king or hegemon, using absolute strength to suppress everything and form their own faction?
If little Pham truly had such thoughts.
In the current apocalyptic environment, this group of elderly people would be worse off than pigs or dogs. How could it be like now, where they could enjoy the fresh morning air and eat delicious white rice porridge?
Impossible, absolutely impossible.
"Old Chief, can he really handle it?" Co Hang asked.
Old man Vuong said, "Trust him. He can do it."
If Co Hang had asked him this question before, the old man would have definitely rolled his eyes – you ask me, who should I ask? But now, he had calmly accepted this situation.
Don't treat little Pham as an ordinary person.
He's a super-soldier, okay?
Co Hang said, "Old Sir, I saw twenty or thirty zombies couldn't even get close to him."
Vuong Khai, picking his nose, said, "Bro, what twenty or thirty? My Bro Pham even carried me while flying! I turned my head for a look – holy crap, at least several hundred, maybe over a thousand zombies."
Although he hadn't personally witnessed the flying scene.
But last night, he kept replaying the situation in his mind. The more he thought, the more shocked he became, the more terrifying it felt. If he had been a bit braver then and opened his eyes, he could have seen the whole picture.
Co Hang's mouth dropped open.
Flying?
Is this cultivation?
The more they talked, the more mythical and exaggerated it sounded.
At this moment.
Grandpa Tu entered the living room. "What are you bunch of old men doing gathered here? Don't cause trouble. All of you, hurry up and leave."
"Old friend, how is the girl's situation?" old man Vuong asked, feeling quite helpless inside. This wretched apocalypse was truly unfair to pregnant women. What was once a perfectly fine, happy event had been turned into this by the end times.
Although he wasn't very familiar with this matter, he knew the risks involved. It definitely wasn't as simple as one plus one equals two. If any complication arose, given the current situation, it could truly be fatal.
Grandpa Tu said, "I asked her about her previous hospital check-up reports. No major problems. But until the very end, nothing is certain. Go, hurry outside, don't just wait around blindly here."
Old man Vuong deeply respected his old friend. He leisurely got up, telling everyone to disperse, leaving the womenfolk here. His old friend and Luong Yen were both experienced. In their era, childbirth wasn't an easy matter either.
His old friend was a military doctor, different from current doctors. To be a military doctor, one needed expertise in various fields. Although the equipment was lacking and the environment wasn't good, judging by his old friend's vast experience, it should probably be fine.
Room 504.
They gathered in Vuong Khai's room.
"Where did that girl's man go?" Old man Vuong asked.
Co Hang said, "Ran off. Left with other survivors."
Old man Vuong sighed, "Ai, young people's love these days... it's really hard to put into words. Flying their separate ways when disaster strikes... especially when the girl is carrying his flesh and blood. If this were in the past, it would be... Ai, let's not talk about it."
Hearing this, Vuong Khai said fiercely, "What kind of dog-sh*t man is that? If I had a wife and encountered this kind of situation, we'd either live together or die together. Dying together, that's the happiest."
Old man Vuong nodded, "Little Boss, your view is very good. It's just a pity you don't have a wife."
Vuong Khai mocked himself, "Old Sir, forget a wife, I don't even have a girlfriend."
Watching this old man and young man casually banter made Co Hang clear his head. Shouldn't they really be asking about Lam Pham's situation outside? Or ask if he needed help? Although they couldn't fight zombies head-on, using the advantage of high ground, they could still pose some threat to the zombies.
Co Hang asked, "Old Chief, how do you all live here?"
"Old man Chu, you tell the young man."
He wanted to give Old man Chu the chance to interact, hoping old man Chu could connect more with the young people. The apocalypse was already terrible; if one remained heavy-hearted for too long, it wasn't good for the mood and could easily lead to problems.
Old man Chu was a quiet person, not talkative, but the most hardworking when focused on a task. He was quite willing to tell the young man about life here.
"Nothing special about how we live, just like normal life. Old man Vuong and I gave our bank cards to little Pham. If we lack anything, we just need to say the word, and he'll run errands and shop for us."
"We also grow some vegetables out back. Although it's not much, occasionally we can eat something fresh."
"Here, we must follow the community rules. Shopping requires payment. No money means working. For a better life, bravely charge forward! Charge! Charge! Charge!"
He and his old wife really liked this kind of life.
It didn't feel vastly different from normal times.
In peacetime, he and his wife would also stroll around the community downstairs, chat with people, drink some tea, play chess. As for going out, apart from shopping for daily necessities, they rarely left the residential area.
It wasn't just him and his wife hoping the community could be maintained.
He believed the people living here felt the same.
...
Upstairs.
Grandpa Tu began arranging things. With enough hands, she was the main midwife, Luong Yen was the assistant midwife, and Ly Mai and Nhan Ny Ny were responsible for assisting and handling unexpected situations.
"Ny Ny, you're a young lady, you don't understand these matters. Grandpa will give you a task: boil water, adjust the water temperature, ensure warm water is available. Can you handle this?" Grandpa Tu asked.
She knew that young ladies nowadays hadn't experienced certain things. Assigning them to critical steps could easily lead to problems.
Nhan Ny Ny solemnly assured, "Grandpa Tu, rest assured, I can definitely do it well."
"That's good then." Grandpa Tu smiled.
The survivors brought back by little Pham were really all very good. Take this young, beautiful girl in front of her – she liked her very much. Sensible and polite.
Inside the room, Luong Yen stayed beside Duong Tue, gently holding her hand, "Hang in there, don't lose heart. Everyone is helping you. You must have faith in yourself. You and the child still have a bright future, understand?"
Women waiting to give birth, especially during dilation, endure extreme pain. Particularly after the fifth centimeter, the pain increases continuously.
In a hospital, anesthesia could be administered.
But the current environment didn't allow it; she could only endure by force.
"Mm."
Duong Tue nodded, enduring the pain. After her husband abandoned her and the child, her spirits were very low. But with the company and encouragement of the several 'nai nai's, she gradually recovered her state of mind. Without too many thoughts, just that no matter what, she had to give birth to the child.
Perhaps the apocalypse was indeed bad.
But the child had the right to see the world.
The community entrance.
Lam Pham looked at Frostmourne in his hand. Under the sunlight's illumination, it shimmered with a silvery-white light.
"Truly beautiful."
After admiring the artifact for a moment, he continued observing the surroundings.
Work must be taken seriously. As the security guard, he had to ensure Duong Quang's safety. Absolutely could not let a situation happen where a thief wheeling an electric bike passes by, and he just smiles and greets the thief.
If he encountered such a situation, he would definitely catch the thief and take him to the security room, make him look at the itinerary of the so-called Brother Zhou the Tile-Pattern Thief – caught for stealing electric bikes, underwent re-education and reform, opened a barbecue stall after getting out. Although the stall closed down, he still started his own business and never touched an electric bike again.
Time passed, second by second, minute by minute.
He turned his head, quietly looking at the apartment building floors.
"Hasn't it started yet?"
Hearing no sounds, seeing no zombies, indicated it truly hadn't started yet.
He had already prepared for a big battle with zombies earlier. Of course, before the big battle, communication was necessary. Use the simplest words to tell the zombies, "Someone is having a baby, can you please not be like this?" If they didn't listen, he would use Frostmourne in his hand to protect Duong Quang's safety.
The wind swept clean.
A plastic bag by the roadside was blown by the wind, dancing gracefully, as if twisting a proud body.
He watched earnestly.
Then he stood up, walked over to the plastic bag, bent down, picked up the gracefully dancing, unrestrained bag, and disposed of it.
Returning to the gate, he sat for a while. Thinking that waiting was also a waste of time, it might be better to grab a book and read.
Passing the gate post, he entered the community, went home, and found a book on his bookshelf.
This book had extremely high literary quality; it was difficult for any other book to rival its quality.
"Su Dat Khac and His Three Hundred and Sixty-Five Girlfriends"
Returning to the community entrance.
He sat there quietly.
To read, one needed to calm their mood; this way, one could perfectly immerse themselves in the story.
Rustle, rustle!
In the quiet surroundings, only the sound of pages turning could be heard.
"Su Dat Khac's life is truly colorful." Lam Pham sighed, perfectly immersed in the story within.
Not long after.
The sound of an engine approached.
Lam Pham looked up and saw a black SUV drive past the community entrance. Immediately after, the car reversed back, as if surprised that in the apocalypse, someone was actually waiting outside.
This black SUV had undergone special modifications. A layer of steel plating was welded onto the exterior, along with many sharp spikes. If this were peacetime, it would definitely be stopped by the traffic police uncles.
Driving this kind of car on the road, who were they trying to kill?
The car window rolled down. A young man with dyed brown hair held a shotgun, the muzzle aimed at Lam Pham sitting at the entrance. It seemed like he was aiming, about to pull the trigger for a kill, but then he chuckled and lowered the shotgun.
"Hey! What are you doing?" the brown-haired young man asked.
He was quite shocked, not expecting to encounter such an oddball. Everyone else was hiding indoors avoiding zombies, but this guy was impressive – actually brought a chair outside to sit and read.
What was he up to?
He couldn't quite figure it out. The number of zombies on this road was extremely low; one could even say it was hard to spot a single one. Perhaps the zombies were hiding in buildings or corners, but for there to be none on the street was undeniably strange.
Being asked, Lam Pham smiled and said, "I'm reading a book."
Although the other person had just aimed the gun barrel at him, he wasn't angry. In his view, the person must be mentally strained by the apocalypse, mistaking any movement for a zombie. Therefore, he could understand.
"Ha ha ha..."
There were four people in the car in total.
Hearing this, they immediately burst out laughing, looking at Lam Pham as if he were dim-witted.
Lam Pham said, "Your car is very nice."
The brown-haired young man said proudly, "Nonsense talking. Paramount Marauder armored vehicle, an essential tool for going out in the apocalypse. Cost several million. After modifications, worth tens of millions."
He was a rich second-generation kid, liked buying all sorts of luxury cars. If asked what he was most proud of, it was buying this Paramount Marauder, which he usually never drove. The price wasn't high, it just looked domineering. But compared to those supercars, this vehicle was ultimately a bit lacking.
But now that the apocalypse had arrived, this was his mobile fortress.
Over six meters long, two and a half meters wide, nearly three meters high. It could withstand 7 tons of TNT. Every aspect of its design was for dealing with complex environments. Even if zombies dared to block the front, they would be swept under the chassis.
"Really rich." Lam Pham said with a smile.
This was the mount of a wealthy person. For Lam Pham, with his current salary, he probably couldn't afford such a car even if he worked his whole life. But even if he could afford it, he wouldn't plan to buy it. A car didn't need to be expensive; liking it was enough.
"Big Brother Hao, look at this community's iron gate, it's clearly been repaired. Do you think there are supplies inside? Should we go in and snatch the supplies?" a man sitting in the back whispered.
Since the apocalypse began, they had followed big brother Hao and survived until now, relying on this apocalyptic fortress and the shotgun in big brother Hao's hands. They hadn't encountered major problems. Even when facing zombies, they just rammed through recklessly, directly carving a bloody path.
The brown-haired man, Big brother Hao, sized up Lam Pham, then glanced at the dilapidated community. "No need. Such a rundown community, what supplies could it have? Looking at his situation, it's not easy either. Carrying a chipped sword, reading a book at the community gate – definitely mentally unstable. When we arrived just now, a few zombies were chasing from the end of the street. Getting out of the car now isn't a wise choice."
Hearing this, the three people in the back couldn't help but give a thumbs up.
" Big Brother Hao's brilliant insight."
" Big Brother Hao is awesome."
Before the apocalypse, they hung out with Big Brother Hao, eating well, drinking heavily, indulging in wine and women every day. Don't even mention how exhilaratingly satisfying it was.
Being praised made Big Brother Hao feel rather pleased.
Lam Pham walked towards the vehicle. Big Brother Hao rolled the window up slightly, leaving a gap only large enough for a handgrip at most. It wasn't cowardice, but caution was best. In the apocalypse, anything could happen.
"If you have no business here, please leave quickly. There's a pregnant woman here who might give birth soon. Childbirth involves painful screams, which might attract zombies. It would be better for you to leave first," Lam Pham reminded them.
He didn't ask if they needed to rent a room.
Because he found the people in the car didn't seem very good, not fitting his standards for good neighbors.
The people inside the car heard Lam Pham and found it strange again. There were many weird people, but this was the first time encountering this particular kind of weirdo.
"Ha ha ha..."
"Aiya, I can't stand it anymore! What this idiot says is just too funny!" the woman in the back burst out laughing.
Idiot?
Lam Pham heard very clearly.
That wasn't a nice word.
"Miss, please show some respect," Lam Pham reminded, hoping she would understand some manners.
This is basic courtesy between people.
"Miss? Your damn whole family are misses!" the woman in the back shouted angrily. She was fearless before, and naturally even more so now.
They had the mobile fortress.
Big Brother Hao still had the gun.
Who could make them afraid?
In the apocalypse, killing didn't require taking responsibility; act as one pleases. This was a thought common among many survivors facing the end times.
Just as Lam Pham was about to say something more.
From the car window in front, something extended out, pressing against his head.
"Do you know what this is?" Big Brother Hao asked.
"Yes, it's a shotgun," Lam Pham said calmly.
He didn't have any thoughts of panic or fear just because the other person pointed a shotgun at his head.
"Do you believe I'll blow your head off with one shot?"
For Big Brother Hao, the change the apocalypse brought him was that money was useless, many pleasures couldn't be enjoyed. But under apocalyptic conditions, he could enjoy pleasures he couldn't before.
That was: do whatever he pleased, whatever he wanted.
He could treat people like prey to play with. When he'd had his fun, he'd blow their head off with one shot. Watching their head explode like a watermelon – don't even mention how exhilaratingly satisfying that feeling was.
However... when they heard Lam Pham's words.
The whole group was stunned.
"According to our country's criminal law, Article 128, illegal possession or private hoarding of firearms or ammunition is punishable by imprisonment of up to three years; if the circumstances are serious, the punishment is imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than seven years."
"Given your current situation, I believe it is relatively serious. I hope you can realize your mistake and turn back."
Lam Pham advised, seriously educating the other party on the law.
Guarding the community, waiting for the newborn in the interim, and also being able to educate the lost people in the apocalypse about the law – he felt this was an extremely meaningful matter.
He wasn't inflexible.
The apocalypse arrived. Zombies run rampant. One's own safety is threatened; holding a gun to protect oneself is understandable. But pointing a gun at an ordinary person, at a friendly, normal citizen – that's not a good thing.
Encountering this kind of situation, one must speak up to stop it.
"What did he say?" Big Brother Hao showed a confused expression, looking at the group behind him.
"He said Big Brother Hao, holding a gun is illegal."
"Illegal? Your Big Brother Hao, am I breaking the law?" Big Brother Hao asked, feigning shock.
"Our Big brother Hao, forget holding a gun, even if he shoots your head off, no one would dare say it's illegal," the people in the back laughed.
"Ha ha ha..."
The mocking sounds reached Lam Pham's ears.
Lam Pham shook his head, expressing regret over this. They were truly too crazy, not embracing an ideal state towards the apocalypse. Evil arrived, and instead of resisting evil, they drifted along with the current, growing stronger alongside evil.
Adding several more layers of despair to the already desperate apocalypse.
Immediately.
Big brother Hao's expression turned cold. He gently waved the shotgun in his hand. "Now, kneel for me, cup your ears, tell me you're scared, beg Big Brother Hao not to shoot, and I'll..."
Swish!
It was as if time had stopped.
Big Brother Hao hadn't finished speaking when he felt his hand become empty. Looking down, the gun in his hand had vanished into thin air. Looking closely again, how could he imagine the gun was now in the other person's hand?
"How is that possible?"
Big brother Hao's mouth gaped open as if he'd seen a ghost. He looked at Lam Pham, unexpectedly finding Lam Pham holding the gun, gazing at him calmly. Terrified, he stomped on the accelerator. The armored car whooshed and sped off into the distance.
Lam Pham watched the receding vehicle.
Shook his head.
Didn't pursue.
No need.
He had more important things to do, namely guarding the community, waiting for the newborn to appear.
"Regarding this shotgun, after finishing up here, I'll hand it over to the police station. Firearms can protect oneself, but also harm others. That group just now... not good."
Lam Pham walked towards the gate. Glancing sideways, he saw several zombies limping restlessly in the distance, seemingly heading this way.
He didn't pay much attention.
Nor did he provoke the zombies.
If the zombies came near him, he would communicate properly with them. If communication failed, he could only rely on Frostmourne in his hand for self-defense.
Of course, he knew communicating with zombies might be a bit troublesome.
Unless he encountered that zombie wearing a uniform.
He placed the shotgun in a corner, sat on the chair, crossed his legs, and flipped through the book before him. Being able to read a book he enjoyed in such a quiet environment was a very happy thing.
Having just done a rather good deed also improved his mood.
Reading with a wonderful mood allowed for better immersion.
Inside the armored car.
"Big brother Hao, why did we leave just now?"
The woman sitting in the back asked. She hadn't expected something like that to happen. That was their only shotgun. The shotgun wasn't used to kill zombies, but to threaten other survivors. Encountering other survivors, holding the shotgun could exert immense pressure on them, thereby allowing them to do whatever they wanted.
Just a while ago, they drove to wait outside a supermarket, not wanting to take risks themselves, so they wanted to see if any other survivors would sneak out with supplies.
Unexpectedly, they really did wait until someone appeared.
Hao ca, without hesitation, stomped the accelerator, directly ramming them. Then he brought the gun, got out, bang bang, fired a shot to eliminate the person. That scene made their blood boil with excitement. Snatching supplies was just that quick, completely without difficulty.
Reaping the fisherman's benefits.
Even if the gunshot attracted zombies' attention, it didn't matter. Their armored car was a mobile killing machine; any zombie would be crushed into meat paste by them.