"I have a plan. MDR watches the stairwell. HK, with a silencer, clears zombies in the neighbor's apartment. They might have food."
"If MDR's shots attract more zombies, HK, fire a frag round outside at a point to draw them away, then assist MDR in clearing the hallway."
"Once we secure enough food, we can systematically clear the building and gather resources."
"Looks like the most effective plan currently. Commander can stay here and await our return."
HK416 nodded.
Lux agreed. Both HK416 and MDR were skilled Tactical Dolls. If he joined, he might just get in the way.
Leaving him behind also reduced their burden of protecting him, simplifying operations.
His only weapon at home was a small fruit knife, insufficient to kill zombies. He'd avoid combat unless necessary.
Lux knew that overestimating oneself leads to disaster.
"Commander, take these tactical headphones. You can relay operational commands to me and MDR anytime."
HK416 handed him a headset with a microphone from a travel bag by the sofa.
Under her guidance, Lux quickly learned to use it properly.
"My neighbors are a middle-aged couple. At least two targets—don't be careless."
Lux reminded her. This known information might help.
"Understood. Operation begins. Stay safe; we'll return soon."
HK416 moved to the door, MDR's playful demeanor replaced by professional seriousness.
Lux carefully closed the metal door after seeing them leave.
"MDR is in position. No threats in the hallway."
MDR's voice reported through the headset.
"Copy. Maintain vigilance."
Lux replied, peeking through the peephole, anxiously watching HK416 enter the neighbor's apartment.
Time passed slowly. His heart raced; he wanted to check on HK416 but feared disturbing her.
Half an hour felt like forever until HK416's pleasant voice came over the headset.
"Commander, I've checked all rooms. In the living room, there's a dried bloodstain, likely from 24 hours ago. This room is now confirmed safe."
"Th-That's great… why did it take so long? I was worried sick."
Lux wiped sweat from his forehead and relaxed.
"Apologies. To ensure safety, I had to inspect under beds and inside wardrobes. Five minutes is the absolute minimum."
HK416's voice sounded apologetic.
"F-Five minutes? Felt like half an hour…"
"Yes. Including reporting, six minutes and forty-three seconds have passed."
"Sorry, I was too impatient."
Lux felt embarrassed; he had been too nervous.
"I smelled romance in the air. Just say you were worried about 416's safety."
MDR's teasing came over the headset.
"Shut up! Guard your stairwell."
HK416 said coldly.
"Hehe, so fierce."
MDR muttered.
"Commander, I found a kitchen knife that could serve as your self-defense weapon. Should I bring it back?"
HK416 asked again.
"I'll come over myself. I also need to collect resources via the system."
Lux opened the metal door and approached the neighbor's apartment. MDR was guarding the stairwell professionally.
Seeing their professional poise reminded Lux they weren't just beautiful girls—they were elite Tactical Dolls.
Inside, HK416 met him and guarded him with her weapon.
Entering someone's apartment under abnormal circumstances gave Lux a faint thrill of lawlessness.
The owners had likely joined the zombie horde outside, so he felt no moral hesitation.
He placed his hand on the neighbor's 60-inch wall-mounted LCD TV. Instantly, it vanished. A mocking system voice sounded in his mind.
[Complete 60-inch used TV, 40 resource points]
"Used…"
Lux was speechless. This TV was only a couple of years old, but in the system's 206X context, it was considered used—reasonable.
[Silver jewelry, 30 points]
[Copper electronic parts, 20 points]
Through a series of exchanges, Lux roughly understood the system's resource table.
It seemed that any modern appliances, no matter how advanced now, were classified as used or discarded items in the system, so their prices weren't very high.
Basic resources, like gold, silver, and copper, had higher exchange values.
If he could find a metal-rich mine and exploit it, Lux might make a small fortune.
But that would require more labor… and he certainly wouldn't make his cute, beautiful Tactical Dolls do the mining.
That meant that to get rich, he'd need to recruit other survivors to establish a base.
Lux was starting to form a vague plan for future strategic goals.
After clearing all items exchangeable for resource points, he now held 700 points.
A single ration of self-heating combat food cost 30 points in the system. Honestly, he couldn't bear to spend points on such basic supplies.
For now, it was more efficient to search for food himself.