You were supposed to hoard supplies, why the heck did you hoard zombies!

"Your lips are cracked."

The woman obviously didn't believe his words, and her eyes were filled with worry.

Her gaze stayed fixed on the man's face.

"Drink it."

Seeing that he couldn't refuse, the man could only take the cup and sip it a little, but then he handed it back to his daughter who was playing with a bottle beside him.

"Come on, Fei Fei, drink this water."

"Stop playing."

"Mommy isn't drinking?"

After taking the cup, the girl immediately looked up at the woman on the mat, her clear big eyes filled with questions.

"Fei Fei, be good, Mommy has drunk already."

"Drink up."

The woman gave the man a reproachful look, then patted their daughter's head, her helpless face instantly softened with indulgence.

"Oh."

It was only then that the girl obeyed and lifted the cup.

The couple exchanged a glance, each of their faces showing a mix of heartache and worry, yet they could only sigh heavily.

"How is this going to end?"

"Damn the government."

The man leaned against the wall, and it seemed as if he could see his former self before his eyes again.

There wasn't much money.

But it was enough to keep the family well-fed and watered. Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire

Occasionally, they could even take a trip to other cities in Shen Zhou with his wife and daughter.

At that thought, he couldn't help but punch the wall, causing the wooden board to shake with a creaking noise, scaring his daughter into turning pale.

"What are you doing?"

"What if you scare our daughter?"

The woman, who had just regained some energy, immediately hugged the daughter to comfort her, her voice still sounding very hoarse.

The man quickly apologized several times, but soon he leaned back against the wall and sighed again.

Tourism?

To hell with tourism!

Had they not come to this godforsaken place for a trip, would his family have encountered such a disaster?

But then his mind quickly went back to the broadcast he had heard in the car.

The entire country had fallen.

The government had started calling on the citizens to fend for themselves, what did that mean?

It meant that the situation was out of control.

And the lack of any news for the last six months only confirmed it.

What should he do?

His wife had fallen ill and needed medicine.

To stay alive, their family still needed food and water.

Where could he get that?

The nearby factory had stopped hiring, reportedly for some time to regroup.

Elsewhere it was either filled up or slim pickings, with dozens of people vying for one position every time.

And even if he did get picked, he couldn't do the work.

His wife needed someone to care for her.

What was he to do?

Was he really going to do like the others, dump his sick wife or child at the dump to be eaten by wild dogs?

He couldn't do it.

The man got up again to feel the woman's forehead.

The temperature had dropped a little but was still quite hot.

One pack of medicine was far from enough.

She needed more.

Not just medicine, her body needed nutrition to recover.

Long-term consumption of steamed buns made from who knows what mixed powders had left everyone in the room thin and pale.

Moreover, it seemed she hadn't eaten anything today either.

At that thought, the man felt a surge of bitterness in his heart.

Just then, he suddenly noticed the bottle in his daughter's hand.

It was a gift from the merchant he had met today.

A reward for being a guide.

That group appeared to be visiting here for the first time, and several members of the team were surprised when he mentioned the name of this place.

And it seemed they had brought a lot of food to sell.

Food...

"Fei Fei, stay home and take care of Mommy."

"Daddy will be back soon."

The man touched his daughter's face—once smooth and tender, it was now yellow like wax and a bit rough.

That was peeling caused by a long-term lack of vitamins.

A sharp pang of sadness hit his heart again.

Even for the sake of his own daughter, he had to give it a try!

————————

The room was very antiquated.

Peeling plaster revealed the white lime underneath.

Zhang Ye lifted his finger and gently rubbed the dark area in the corner of the wall, frowning as he asked,

"Is it still leaking?"

"They charge for this dump?"

Peng Yue, who had just returned from outside, heard this and couldn't help but smile, then said,

"Most of the houses here have owners."

"Li Wanhao?"

Zhang Ye immediately asked.

"Mhm."

Peng Yue nodded his head.

He then walked towards the window, pursed his lips in that direction, and gestured for Zhang Ye to look outside.

Peng San and Peng Si, who had been in front of the window, immediately stepped aside, revealing a view almost entirely comprised of two- and three-story self-built houses.

"All these belong to Li Wanhao."

Peng Yue said as he walked a few steps forward, his facial expression complex, with admiration, disdain, and mostly, mockery.

"To be precise, they belong to the government of Wanhao District."

As soon as he finished speaking, a snicker arose from somewhere in the room.

"The government?"

"He's worthy?"

The one laughing wasn't Zhang Ye, but Gao Feng, who had come over with him.

The woman lounged on the sofa, her long legs wrapped in jeans crossed over each other, projecting an allure that seemed greater than usual.

Yet the expression on her face was one of utter contempt.

Her words were filled with irony.

Zhang Ye threw a nut into his mouth and revealed a helpless smile to Peng Yue, signaling him to continue.

Peng Yue didn't show any displeasure on his face.

He knew that Gao Feng's ire was not directed at him.

In fact, from the moment she entered the gate of this place, the woman had been off, and this kind of remark wasn't her first.

Seeing that Gao Feng had no intention of continuing, Peng Yue then proceeded to say,

"Li Wanhao used to be a village chief."

"Later on, he went into business and is said to be a representative of the residents of Jiangbei District."

"Oh?"

"Heh."

"No wonder."

Zhang Ye chuckled upon hearing this.

In Shen Zhou, there is a phenomenon where some people, once they have money, strive to worm their way into government, and becoming a representative of the residents is nothing new.

"So by that logic, is Li Wanhao also an official wannabe?"

The people in the room burst into laughter at once.

A businessman wanting to be an official?

Perhaps it would be feasible elsewhere, but in Shen Zhou, that would be a bit more challenging.

Yet the wealthy still pursued it tirelessly.

Everyone was accustomed to it.

Unlike the teasing expressions on the others' faces, Peng Yue's bore a touch of graveness.

"This place doesn't just have a government, but also a sub-district office responsible for the resettlement of outsiders who are survivors…"

"A supervision bureau in charge of market management…"

"A security bureau tasked with maintaining public order…"

"A hospital…"

As he spoke, his tone shifted completely.

"Do you remember those numbers we saw when we arrived?"

Zhang Ye nodded; at the time, he had even asked the person who temporarily guided them, it seemed to be for the purpose of counting the survivors' households, right?

"That's right, it's the household registration."

"The Wanhao District government registers every survivor living here, categorizing them into different levels according to their residential areas."

"Survivors of different levels have different rights and benefits."

"This area below us is the slum of this place."

"Also known as the poverty district."

Hearing this, Zhang Ye's eyes were filled with surprise.

It sounded quite plausible.

Interesting.