Swiping through the forums, the number of posts was scarce. With the outbreak of zombies, anyone who could still get online at a time like this must basically treat the internet like home.
One post caught his attention.
"Zombie Apocalypse Erupts — Things You Need to Pay Attention To"
He found it quite practical and thought it might be useful.
"Hey folks, I'm a hardcore zombie apocalypse fan. I've got tons of money. A while back, I bought a mountain and hollowed it out, turned it into a secret base, all to prepare for doomsday. Turns out I was right. I've got everything here — food and water that'll last me a lifetime.
Of course, that's not the important part. The key thing is — based on my experience — there are certain things you must pay attention to if you want to survive."
"Right now, it's only the second day since the outbreak. Some people may not realize how critical food is. They think a small stockpile will last a while — but for how long? This zombie crisis could last for ages. Food and water will eventually become the most precious resources. Of course, I don't have to worry — I've got more than enough. But no, I won't be sharing with any of you."
"Nobody knows if water is still drinkable now. Water treatment plants are surely unattended. If a zombie falls into a water source, will the water become infected? That's a big unknown. Be cautious."
"If you're a female celebrity or just a good-looking girl, be careful when joining any groups. At this point in the apocalypse, all social order has collapsed. Many men will have... thoughts about you. Stay alert."
...
The poster had written a lot.
Lam Pham felt the guy actually made some sense. Thinking back, he didn't have that much food or clean water at home either. He should probably stock up later. The comment section was filled with people asking for the poster's location, hoping to live with him.
He read through a few replies:
"Big bro, I have a nice butt and fair skin. Can you tell me where you are? I wanna join you!"
"Oppa~ I'm 18, super pretty! I'm with my bestie. You can take us in, we'll be your first and second wives~"
"F*** you, OP! You got no heart huh? Flexing your supplies while the rest of us suffer? If I find out where you are, I'll feed you to the zombies myself!"
"Ignore that guy above. Keyboard warrior."
Lam Pham thought the thread had enough replies. There were clearly still many people alive.
So casually, he made a post of his own.
"Anyone up for a game of LoL?"
The comments exploded almost instantly.
"You outta your damn mind? You think this is the time for gaming?"
"OP, are you calm or just nuts? Wait... do you have a secret base too? If you do, please share, we're all human, help each other out!"
"Screw me, man. There's a zombie banging at my door for the past two hours. What the hell do I do? Please, someone tell me how to survive!"
He replied to the guy begging for help:
"I live in Sunshine Building, 2nd floor, Unit 2."
Lam Pham was willing to help others — especially those who truly needed it.
But the guy's response was...
"F*** off!"
Lam Pham sighed helplessly. I was being serious… why does nobody believe me?
Gradually, the number of replies to the thread dropped. Most likely, many of them had been eaten by zombies.
He tried to get a game going for half the day — no luck.
Looking at the clock, it was already 10 a.m.
Back before the apocalypse, this was how he usually spent his days off: playing computer games, ordering food, cooking by himself. It wasn't that he didn't want to go out, but he simply didn't know where to go.
Though he lived in Huangshi, his personality was more reserved. He was mostly a loner.
He'd never dated before — not because he didn't want to, but because no one had ever shown interest in him. Alone and self-reliant, he carved out his own little life.
Time to grab the cleaver and go buy groceries.
Opening the anti-theft door, everything outside was quiet — no movement at all.
The hallways and elevator were spotless.
If any neighbors saw this, they'd definitely praise him.
At the entrance of the complex, a plump woman stood with one leg slightly bent, head tilted unnaturally.
That back looked familiar — it seemed to be Auntie Wang.
"Aunt Wang, going grocery shopping too? Why are you just standing there?" Lam Pham called out politely.
His voice startled her.
She turned around abruptly — half her face had been chewed off, her flesh a bloody mess. One eyeball hung down loosely, and her pale, clouded eyes darted wildly. With a shriek, she lunged at him, completely consumed by primal rage.
"Ah…"
Lam Pham sighed, raised his cleaver, and with a whack, sliced her head cleanly.
[Zombie killed][Points earned: +1]
They were all familiar faces in the neighborhood.
Even if they'd turned into zombies, if they could live peacefully, he was willing to coexist.
Whether you wanted to be human or zombie — that was your choice. No one else had the right to interfere.
He carried Aunt Wang's body over to a nearby dumpster and tossed her in.
What let him kill zombies so easily wasn't just the sharp cleaver — it was also the strange strength in his body.
It felt just like chopping vegetables. No challenge at all.
The food market was near the residential complex — just a short walk away.
Lam Pham carried his grocery basket and strolled leisurely out of the neighborhood.
From the building next door, a pair of eyes peeked through the window. Seeing Lam Pham walk out with a cleaver, the person looked shocked.
"A-Ming, I just saw someone leaving the complex with a cleaver," said a young woman, looking around twenty-something. Her face was pale from fear, her eyes filled with panic — a result of the outbreak.
Inside the room, a man lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. He and the woman were a couple. When he woke up, everything had already changed. Peeking through the peephole, he saw terrifying zombies shuffling around, occasionally bumping into their door.
In a time like this, he realized: anti-theft doors were the greatest invention ever.
Hearing the girl's voice, A-Ming jumped up and ran to the balcony. He looked out, but only caught a glimpse of someone's back walking away.
"A-Ming, do you think our building is safe? Maybe there are no zombies?" the girl, Li Hong, asked hopefully, clinging to his arm.
"No way. If there were no zombies, then what's outside our door?" A-Ming's voice was low and tense. He was barely holding it together.
When everything started, he tried calling his family, relatives, and friends. Some calls didn't connect. Some did — but before he could speak, all he heard were blood-curdling screams on the other end.
He knew… it was his fault. His calls had drawn the zombies to them.
"The movies and TV shows lied to us," he muttered. "Why are these zombies so fast? In the movies they were slow and dumb — now they're super quick with freakishly sharp hearing."
A-Ming gritted his teeth. If they were the usual slow zombies, he would've grabbed a cleaver and rushed out by now.
He knew their weak point: the head. Chop it off, and they die. Cut anywhere else, and it's useless. You could hack at their arm, and they'd still lunge at you.
The streets outside were empty.
No zombies in sight. Even if there were some, they stood motionless inside storefronts.
Dazed. Mindless.
Those kinds of zombies were the best — peaceful, even.
In the distance came the sound of a car crash, followed by explosions and screams.
Must be some survivor trying to break out.
But Lam Pham figured their chances weren't good. That much noise would definitely attract the wrong kind of attention.
In the face of overwhelming numbers, even with a car, it was hard to escape.
Soon, the sounds of chaos faded.
Silence returned once more.