"Old Zhao was hit and killed by a truck, and I was forcibly taken onboard by the truck driver. Oh, only later did I find out that the driver was the director of this factory. To call him my savior wouldn't be far off. If it weren't for him, I probably would have... heh heh."

Lin Junfu shook his head with a silly smile, his smile layered with myriad emotions.

"After that, we sped all the way, witnessing sporadically several incidents of monsters gnawing on human flesh along the way. At the time, because of Old Zhao and Old Zhang's affairs, I was completely bewildered and didn't think much of anything else. But now that I think back, it's fortunate that my mind was foggy back then. Otherwise, getting off the car impulsively to rescue would have led to being killed and assimilated by zombies, a matter of time."

"Perhaps Director Wang also sensed my heavy blow, so along the way, he often talked to me, trying to ease my concerns by sharing his own observations and experiences in the city."

"According to him back then, he originally went into the city to pick up goods from a subcontractor, but upon entering the city, he discovered towering flames and blaring sirens, chaotic crowds running everywhere, screams and cries everywhere. So he immediately dismissed the idea of continuing and quickly turned the car around to return."

"Under his persuasion, my state of mind gradually recovered from guilt. Then I followed him to the factory, which is right here."

"After arriving at the factory, we encountered similar situations as on the highway. To prevent the recurrence of tragedy, for the first time in my life, I killed people, heh heh, killed three at once..."

Slightly self-deprecating, Lin Junfu downplayed the details of his killings, nor did he elaborate on his feelings afterward. But to these survivors who have had similar experiences, it truly was a case of silence speaking louder than words. Especially the fear and helplessness after killing for the first time, it instantly surfaced in their minds.

"Due to our inability to communicate with the outside world, we thought it wise to stay in the factory and wait for rescue. But after almost a week with no signs of help, we realized the crisis might be far more severe than imagined."

"As for why I warned you about the danger on the highway and advised you to leave, that's because some time ago, we sent people out to scout the situation, but... four went, only one returned. Had that one not abandoned the car and run fast, he might have..."

Lin Junfu didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was obvious.

"They perished on the highway, attacked by hordes of zombies. But you mentioned not encountering zombies at first, this issue..."

With a helpless shrug, Lin Junfu also felt something was amiss. After all, if they had encountered a small number of zombies, it would be understandable, but the sudden disappearance of hordes, it's just a bit...

Choosing not to dwell, Lin Junfu continued:

"Since that failed exploration, we've been completely isolated and stranded. Beyond that, we faced another crisis later on, a crisis that almost... destroyed this place."

"It was about half a month ago, I'm not too clear on the exact date, but it was after the outbreak. Many villagers fleeing from surrounding villages gathered here. We knew our resources and capabilities were limited and couldn't supply for so many people, but seeing those pitiful folks in distressful situations, we couldn't just leave them to die!"

"So at the time, we took in anyone who came. Over time, the population here peaked at 30 people, until that night, until that disaster struck..."

Staring blankly at the flames before him, Lin Junfu remained motionless, his darkened face slightly pale.

After a moment, he slowly raised his head, "You've seen the factory buildings here; it's a connected, self-built structure with almost no partitions inside. Given our population, we adopted a dormitory-style sleeping arrangement used by troops, primarily for convenience and secondly for safety. But who would have thought that this way of sleeping sowed the seeds for the spread of disaster!"

"It was a rainy night, quite cool, so after enduring the heat for a long time, we all slept very deeply. Probably in the middle of the night, someone suddenly screamed, and the entire factory district erupted into chaos!"

"Caught off guard! The men were stunned! The women were screaming. By the time we turned on the lights, the floor was already soaked in blood."

"No one knew when the tragedy began! No one knew how long it lasted! All in all, that night five of us perished! Five people, comrades!"

With a painful swipe across his cheek, Lin Junfu attempted to take a puff of a cigarette, but the burnt out stub offered no light. Ultimately, he could only exhale a couple of defeated sighs, scanning the group with his eyes before continuing:

"Do you know why Dazhuang was hard on you this afternoon? Do you know why he's suspicious and isolating you? It's because, on that very night, he witnessed his wife and child being devoured clean by zombies! And that zombie was the outsider relative we took in!"

At this point, Wang Qiang's heart suddenly trembled, clearly not expecting Dazhuang to have clashed with him for such a reason.

For a moment, a dejected sense of guilt flooded over.

How could I call him a dog! How could I say he was a dog relying on power! What the hell am I!

"So, since that incident, we tightened our management protocols. Any newcomers seeking refuge had to undergo quarantine! Sadly, after that tragedy, few have come seeking refuge!"

"Later, when we sent people to the village for supplies, we found that it wasn't because no one was coming, but because the village was already..." Lin Junfu slightly shook his head, sighing, "The village had no survivors left!"

For Tang Xiaoquan and the others, Lin Junfu's helplessness resonated deeply, as they had been living in this city of death for almost a month.

"As for later, due to losing personnel each time we ventured for supplies, we eventually had to change tactics, relying on chance with a walkie-talkie."

"To be honest, when we received your signal, we were truly excited, thinking it was a rescue organization, but..."

"Heh heh~" Perhaps realizing the inappropriateness of his words, Lin Junfu immediately corrected, "However, your arrival did, in some sense, alleviate our immediate crisis."

At this, the survivors' expressions turned inexplicably complex. Hu Xiaodong, being direct, asked, "Mr. Lin, what do you mean by 'alleviate your immediate crisis'?"

Clearly, Hu Xiaodong did not believe their supplies alone could significantly assist the factory.

But...

Lin Junfu, however, simply waved his hand and stood up, offering an irrelevant explanation, "There's no rush with this matter. You've had a tough journey, eat first, leave the cleanup for later, and rest early. We'll discuss everything in detail tomorrow!"

With that, not waiting for the survivors to respond, Lin Junfu swiftly stepped out of the room, disappearing into the thick of the night.

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