Pushing the door open.
Warm sunlight enveloped them. For them, who hadn't seen the sun in so long, it was a little uncomfortable, yet their bodies transmitted a signal of pure comfort.
It was a natural longing for the sun.
Lieu Na raised her hand, reaching for the sky as if trying to catch the rays of sunlight, thinking of what Ton Nang had just said: greet the new future.
That's right.
This was the life they had always been searching for.
"Hello."
Lam Pham walked up to them, greeting them with a smile. They were a group of survivors who had endured hardship, not Awakeners, just ordinary people. To have lived until now, who could imagine what they had been through?
He hadn't expected Ton Nang to come here.
But it made sense. If Ton Nang hadn't come here, how would they have ever met him? Ton Nang, after leaving Hoang City, had truly done many meaningful things. At the very least, many people had been saved because of him.
Lieu Na and the others looked at the man who had appeared before them.
He was the one from the Zombie Pictorial, the person full of miraculous hope.
Lieu Na said to herself, "Is all of this real? I'm not dreaming, am I?"
Lam Pham said, "It's not a dream. Everything is real."
His voice was exceptionally gentle.
He wanted them to know that what they were seeing was no illusion—a genuinely good life had arrived.
"Ton Nang, thank you," Lam Pham said.
Ton Nang smiled. "Thank me for what? I just made a random phone call. How have things been lately?"
"In what aspect do you mean?"
"What other aspect could there be? Hoang City, of course."
"Very good. Everything is developing in the best possible direction. Everyone's life is very happy. The basic infrastructure has been completely laid out. The communication range is very wide; the signal, with Hoang City as its center, extends for several hundred miles."
This was all due to the restoration of basic infrastructure.
It was the result of the efforts of countless signal corps soldiers. If not for their repetitive daily efforts, how could there have been such a result?
"Very good. Have you found the Mutant organization yet?"
"No, they're hidden very deep. There's been no progress so far. Now with the appearance of Kim Phu Thien, it makes me a little more concerned. He can devour the flesh and blood of Awakeners to steal their abilities. I worry that an incomparably terrifying existence will appear in the future."
Hearing Lam Pham say this.
Ton Nang blinked, as if to say, You just quietly show off, and I'll quietly watch you show off. Although that was the case, he would still play along appropriately. After all, showing off alone is quite dull and boring.
"Oh really? Just how incomparably terrifying could it be?"
"A very terrifying existence. More terrifying than a Creator."
"So you're scared?"
"Not scared, I'm worried."
"Is there a difference?"
"Yes. If I were scared, it would mean I might not be his opponent. But if I'm worried, I'm worried about the harm he will cause to the Awakeners wandering outside."
Ton Nang was silent.
Very good. Such an explanation, after careful thought, seemed to have no flaws.
At this point, Ton Nang didn't want to say anything more to Lam Pham.
Everything that needed to be said had been said.
"I'll hand them over to you. Hieu Hieu and I are leaving."
Ton Nang's plan was to take Han Hieu Hieu to see the world, to travel across the beautiful mountains and rivers of the motherland in the apocalypse. It seemed like a pretty good idea, despite the existence of unpleasant things like zombies.
But it didn't matter. The beauty of the scenery was not something that zombies could affect.
"Wait a minute." Lam Pham stopped Ton Nang, observing him carefully. "Your ability seems very powerful now."
Ton Nang didn't hide it.
"Really? If I had to define it, I would say I am invincible below the level of a Creator."
He had not slacked off during this time.
He had been constantly improving his abilities. His situation was different from Kim Phu Thien's; the latter's abilities were stolen, while his were awakened from within himself.
Lam Pham asked curiously, "And above the Creator level?"
Ton Nang laughed. "You really think too highly of me. How could I be a Creator's opponent? If I met a Creator, I'd definitely have to cover my head and run for my life."
Lam Pham looked at Ton Nang, who was truly composed. Whether this was true or not was no longer important. He knew that the power Ton Nang had awakened was very strong, not as simple as he made it sound.
"Alright, go on. See you later." Ton Nang waved and left with Hieu Hieu.
Lam Pham watched them leave until their car gradually disappeared into the distance, then he turned to the others.
"Let's go. I'm taking you home."
The word "home" stirred complex emotions in Lieu Na and the others, an indescribable impulse. This was truly the beginning of a new life.
As they left.
Lam Pham intentionally glanced back at the villa.
He smelled the scent of blood.
But that wasn't important. What was important was that Lam Pham chose to trust Ton Nang.
...
"Your organization sent just you to find me? Where's that arrogance from just now? Where did it go?"
Kim Phu Thien splayed his five fingers, grabbing a Mutant's head and lifting him straight up.
"Let me go!"
The Mutant he had captured was beaten black and blue, covered in blood.
His name was Truong Van, one of the 'perfect' Mutants.
Under the organization's orders, he had started searching everywhere for Kim Phu Thien. He never expected to actually find him. Upon their first encounter, he hadn't chosen to notify headquarters.
Instead, he thought he could capture Kim Phu Thien alone and study his situation properly.
He was extremely confident in his own strength, believing he could definitely capture the other man. But who could have known that Kim Phu Thien's strength would far exceed his imagination?
Thus, the current situation had come to pass.
"Haha, let you go? How could you have such a foolish thought? When you first appeared, didn't you tell me to surrender without a fight? That if I didn't obey, you would twist my head off? So now, do you still have that kind of strength?"
Kim Phu Thien's eyes toyed with him mockingly.
The feeling of power was truly exhilarating.
His whole body felt at ease.
He knew that he was definitely not Lam Pham's opponent right now, so he had been acting in a very low-key manner, slowly increasing his strength. After his strength had reached a certain level...
He would seek revenge on Lam Pham and let him know just how terrifying the price was for killing his older brother.
"If you kill me, you won't escape! Our organization will definitely find you!" Truong Van growled in fury, but he was now just fish on a chopping block, at the mercy of his killer.
"Haha..."
Kim Phu Thien's eyes grew cold. Without another thought, he opened his mouth and, with a wet sound, bit down on Truong Van's neck.
Tearing away a large chunk of flesh and blood.
"Ahhh..."
Truong Van screamed惨, the intense pain making him feel like he was about to faint.
He wanted to mutate, to completely transform into a monster and find a chance to live.
But the genes in his body were completely out of his control.
No matter how desperately he roared, they remained indifferent.
Gradually.
Truong Van's aura weakened, and finally, he fell silent, without any sensation at all.
"Is the flesh and blood of a Mutant useful to me?"
Kim Phu Thien felt the changes within himself and was surprised to find that his power and abilities had received a slight boost. His mood couldn't help but brighten. He never thought that Mutants were also Awakeners.
He casually tossed Truong Van's corpse aside like a piece of trash.
He looked at the satellite phone in his hand.
And dialed directly.
"Truong Van, what is it?"
A voice came from the other end of the line.
Kim Phu Thien said, "Oh, so his name was Truong Van. A very gentle and refined name. It's just that his personality was a bit arrogant. A pity, he'll never have the chance to be arrogant again in this life."
"Who are you?"
"Who am I? Aren't I the Kim Phu Thien you've all been looking for?"
After he stated his name.
The person on the other end of the line clearly stood up, as if they were discussing something with someone nearby. Then, a female voice came through the phone.
"Hello, Kim Phu Thien. I am one of the people in charge of the Mutant headquarters. I think we can have a good talk."
"What is there for us to talk about? If you want to capture me, can't you send someone a bit more powerful? Though, this guy's taste was really not bad. I quite liked it."
The female leader's expression at headquarters turned ugly. She knew Truong Van was dead and had been devoured by the other party, but now was not the time to worry about such things.
"No, we can talk. To be honest, our ultimate opponent is Lam Pham of the Hoang City Sunshine Shelter. You admit that, don't you?"
"I admit it, but so what?"
"I think we can cooperate."
"Cooperate? With you?"
"Yes. Your ability is very strong; you can steal the abilities of other Awakeners or Mutants. But even so, in the future, you will not be Lam Pham's opponent. You should know how terrifying his power is."
"So?"
"So I think we should cooperate, uncover the secret you hold, and create the strongest collective. Only then will we have a chance to fight against Lam Pham. I know you probably won't agree to such a request, but this is our only chance."
The female leader held a deep fear of Lam Pham's strength. The more she understood, the more she feared. Could such an existence be achieved by a human?
Absolutely impossible.
But so what? Because such a terrifying existence had truly appeared.
Hearing her words, Kim Phu Thien couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"What kind of thought process were you having to say these words to me? Don't you find it hilarious?"
Kim Phu Thien truly never expected that she would propose to uncover his secret to create the strongest collective. What a joke. He didn't need more 'strongest' individuals; he only needed himself to be stronger.
"It seems our cooperation is temporarily impossible."
"That's right, you're correct. It's definitely impossible."
"I hope you can keep the phone. When you've thought it through, you can call us. Our offer of cooperation will always be open."
The female leader could only try to stabilize him for now.
The secret he held made it impossible for them to remain calm.
That greedy desire engulfed their entire minds.
Click!
Kim Phu Thien hung up the phone. He originally intended to crush the satellite phone, but on second thought, he decided against it. He kept the satellite phone on him. Perhaps one day, when he was bored, he could chat with the people from the Mutant headquarters and pass the uninteresting time.
...
Nighttime.
Vuong Khai and Quan Hao were in Lam Pham's room.
"Brother Lam, our Sunshine Shelter currently has a total of 9,058 survivors. Among them, the elderly and children make up less than ten percent. The rest are all young and middle-aged adults," Vuong Khai reported on the shelter's situation. To have developed to this extent was already very strong.
In the entire apocalypse, there might not be another place like the Sunshine Shelter.
"Only just over nine thousand people? That's too few," Lam Pham lamented. He had already tried his best to rescue survivors, but the entire post-apocalyptic world seemed so desolate. Besides zombies, it was incredibly difficult to find living people.
Vuong Khai said, "Brother Lam, you've already tried hard enough. To be able to save so many people and provide them with a safe zone is truly great."
Although that was true, for Lam Pham, it was still far from enough.
He hoped to save even more people.
"I'm just doing my best," Lam Pham said.
Quan Hao said, "Brother Lam, right now, except for the children, everyone has their own task. The elderly have been arranged with simple tasks, like planting various vegetables, things they are good at. It's just that the number of children is really too small. For the future inheritance of civilization, I feel there should be more hope."
The so-called hope was the children.
Lam Pham agreed. The main reason why the number of children and the elderly was so sparse was that they were the truly vulnerable groups in the apocalypse.
For one out of a hundred to survive the apocalypse was a miracle.
"How are the relationships among everyone?" Lam Pham asked.
"Sigh, don't even mention it. Falling in love is a very normal thing, but everyone is very secretive about it. If they weren't caught, no one would ever say anything. Take Old Chung for example. They've been together for a while now, living together, but there's still no reaction from her belly." Quan Hao was very helpless. "I even suggested he go find the old Chinese medicine doctor, Doctor Hua, and get some medicine to try. Not only did he not think to thank me, he even wanted to hit me."
Hearing Quan Hao say this.
Lam Pham blinked. Well now, isn't that clearly saying Old Chung is either infertile or has kidney deficiency?
The fact that he hadn't been beaten yet...
Was truly a testament to Old Chung's deep love for Quan Hao.
Vuong Khai said, "You clown, what on earth were you thinking, saying that to Old Chung? Old Chung is very strong now, you know. With one punch, he could demolish a building. For you to actively provoke him like that, I really don't understand."
"What Brother Khai said is right, but I was just showing my concern," Quan Hao said, aggrieved.
Lam Pham stroked his chin, lost in thought. A flash of inspiration struck him, and a very good idea came to mind.
"I've thought of a solution. I think we can hold a matchmaking event, and let the women choose the men they have a good impression of."
Vuong Khai and Quan Hao were a bit stunned, but after careful thought, it seemed like a pretty good idea.
Vuong Khai said, "I think it could work."
Quan Hao said, "I don't see a problem with it. Especially me, I want to give it a try too. It would be nice to have someone as a companion in the apocalypse."
Lam Pham clapped his hands. "Alright, then it's happily decided. I'll leave this matter to you two to handle. No problem, right?"
Vuong Khai and Quan Hao glanced at each other, then beat their chests with solemn vows. "Don't worry, we guarantee we'll do a good job."
They were quite interested in this matchmaking event.
Whether they could finally find a partner would all depend on this.
...