Episode 21
1137 Words
Take a shower, you i***t!
In a construction site still in the throes of development, a faint flicker of fire appeared from within. Were there people staying overnight inside?
In the midst of this pitch-black night, the weak glow stood out conspicuously...
"It seems we can only continue to observe the situation tomorrow..."
Having failed to locate a usable vehicle before nightfall, Adam, Ling Ao, and the mother-daughter pair had no choice but to seek refuge in a seemingly safe construction building for the night.
Of course, the workers who had turned into zombies had already been dealt with, all at the hands of Adam alone. Why was he exerting himself so diligently?
Isn't it obvious? How could he allow such an easy and safe opportunity to earn points to slip into someone else's hands? After all, every zombie was worth a point!
"Leave it to me; I can't keep bothering Brother Ling Ao with this sort of work. He needs to conserve his strength and energy for more perilous situations!"
Adam explained to the three, and Ling Ao smiled and nodded in agreement. As for the mother-daughter duo, they offered no opinions; in their eyes, Ling Ao was the focus, while Adam was merely an incidental outsider.
Faced with this scenario, Adam merely scoffed to himself, unconcerned. To him, these three were merely tools to be utilized; he had no intention of forging a bond with them. In the event of danger, he would undoubtedly prioritize his own escape.
The chosen place for their overnight stay was a partially constructed factory area, comprising four or five workshop buildings along with an administrative building likely intended for office use. The construction had been halted mid-way due to the viral outbreak.
After spending over an hour neutralizing all potential threats, Adam rejoined Ling Ao and the others. His efforts not only earned him a substantial number of points but also significantly altered the trio's attitude toward him.
"You're not entirely useless after all!" Especially the headstrong Shangguan Ya.
In response, Adam merely offered a foolish grin...
A disagreement arose regarding their overnight accommodations. Adam suggested the spacious and well-ventilated workshop, while the willful Shangguan Ya insisted on the administrative building.
The reasoning was simple: the workshop had no constructed walls or windows and would be frigid at night, while the administrative building was nearly complete and boasted numerous rooms and living supplies.
They even discovered a stand-alone power generator, which could provide warmth and light. Miaoyun Yao agreed with her daughter's suggestion; after all, she was a woman...
However, Ling Ao expressed his preference for Adam's suggestion, advising that they should sleep in the workshop as it would allow for early detection of any danger and provide ample space for escape. The administrative building posed far greater risks; although the zombies in the vicinity had been cleared by Adam, one could not disregard unexpected threats.
In the end, despite Shangguan Ya's sulking glare at Adam, Miaoyun Yao conceded. Before darkness enveloped the area completely, the group managed to find some supplies in the administrative building.
They uncovered canned food and a few electric cookers, allowing them to enjoy a warm meal, as neither Adam nor the trio had had a proper meal for quite some time.
The night was shrouded in darkness, despite the generator, so Adam and the others gathered some wood to burn for light and warmth.
The remaining task was to wait for the dawn to break. According to their agreement, Adam was to keep watch during the latter half of the night, while Ling Ao took the first shift. The mother and daughter could rest peacefully.
"I... I want to take a shower..."
When Shangguan Ya, blushing and somewhat bashful, expressed this desire, Adam felt an overwhelming urge to hurl the steel rod in his hand at her!
What time was it to be thinking about showering?! Did she still see herself as the pampered young lady from a wealthy family before the outbreak?
"Ling Ao, I recall that the administrative building has been mostly renovated, so perhaps it even has a bathroom..."
To Adam's surprise, the usually composed and rational Miaoyun Yao would also voice such a thought—perhaps she herself wanted to take a shower?
Indeed, for men, going ten days or two weeks without a shower was bearable, especially in winter...
But for women who cherished beauty, a daily shower was essential; some would even bathe multiple times a day. Since the outbreak, the past few days had been nothing but fleeing for their lives...
Who had the luxury to think about bathing? The two naturally beautiful women did indeed look a bit haggard. Now that they were finally in a safe location, with the facilities to bathe, their desires could no longer be suppressed.
Adam scoffed at this; in a world turned upside down, who knew if they would see the sun tomorrow? Surviving was the utmost priority; only a fool would waste time on bathing!
"There... should be one," Ling Ao replied awkwardly. Logically, he did not support this line of thinking at such a time, yet he had his own difficulties...
In the end, the mother-daughter pair truly went to take a shower, leaving Adam and Ling Ao on guard. Although conditions were less than ideal, they managed to heat some cold water to bathe in, nearly causing Adam to burst out laughing...
"Sorry about this," Ling Ao glanced apologetically at Adam.
Perhaps it was Adam's proactive approach to eliminating zombies that earned him Ling Ao's recognition, or maybe his decisive actions made Ling Ao regard him as a valuable ally. Ling Ao's attitude toward Adam now resembled that of acknowledging him as a companion.
"Women, I understand..." Adam smiled without saying much. In truth, he wanted to express that in this new world, traveling with two women who remained oblivious to the situation would inevitably lead to danger. If it were him, he would have abandoned these two, who only consumed resources and hindered his progress.
However, after some consideration, he thought it unnecessary to voice this; offending them would bring no benefit. Besides, he could tell that Ling Ao had feelings for Shangguan Ya, which perhaps explained why he had continued to protect the mother-daughter pair.
The distant sounds of water and the women's laughter reached his ears; the pair were indeed enjoying themselves. A picture of a beautiful mother and daughter playfully splashing water crossed Adam's mind but was quickly dismissed—this was not the time for such thoughts.
The night passed in tension without incident; there were no zombie attacks, and everything remained secure and smooth.
As the first rays of sunlight broke over the horizon, Adam awakened the still-sleeping mother-daughter pair and the ever-alert Ling Ao.
"Let's continue... continuing from yesterday..."
- Writer
