Chapter 1: Ungrateful Betrayal
"Our food and water can last at most another week!"
In a school warehouse at Jiang City University, a group of people huddled together, their faces grim.
The older man among them, a middle-aged fellow wearing gold-rimmed glasses, continued,
"To keep everyone alive, we have to send someone out to scavenge for food and water!"
"That's why I called this meeting—to pick someone..."
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, their faces etched with dread and fear.
The middle-aged man was the school's dean, Du Zhi Ming.
The rest were students who had survived.
"But Teacher... the world outside is crawling with zombies! Going out there is a death sentence!" a petite, cute female student said softly, her voice trembling with terror, fragile and pitiful.
"Are we just supposed to sit here and die? I agree with Teacher Du!" A handsome young man decked out in branded sportswear shot to his feet, his tone domineering.
This was Chen Kun, the school's infamous rich playboy—always the center of fawning attention.
"Chen Shao's right! I agree with Teacher Du too!" a scrawny male student chimed in, gazing at Chen Kun with sycophantic adoration, the picture of a total simp.
Everyone knew Chen Kun came from money, with a general for an uncle in the military. In this apocalypse, the army might be their only salvation.
Sticking with a connected rich kid like him meant a better shot at survival.
They all knew who to grovel to now.
"In that case, let's pick someone!" Du Zhi Ming adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his voice brimming with authority.
Silence fell over the group.
No one wanted to volunteer.
They were all inexperienced students, clueless about survival.
Deep down, everyone knew the truth.
Going out meant death!
It wasn't scavenging—it was a sacrifice to conserve the warehouse's rations!
After a long, tense pause, following Chen Kun's pointed stare, all eyes turned to Xiao Yi, who sat silently alone in the corner.
"We're all rich kids with no survival skills. Only Xiao Yi's from the sticks—a bottom-feeder used to hardship. He's the perfect one to go foraging!" Chen Kun sneered disdainfully at Xiao Yi.
"Chen Shao's spot on! Xiao Yi pigs out the most, drinks the most—one guy's ration equals two people's! If we all ate like that, we wouldn't last a week!" The scrawny guy kept bootlicking Chen Kun while throwing shade at Xiao Yi.
He'd completely forgotten how tearfully grateful he'd been when Xiao Yi had saved their asses!
"I agree with Chen Kun too. Xiao Yi's the burliest here, eats like a horse—'to whom much is given, much is expected,' right?" The stunning school beauty Ling Xue Ya, with her killer figure, spoke arrogantly.
As hands shot up in support of Chen Kun's motion, Xiao Yi's heart turned to ice.
When the zombie virus hit, he'd been the one to open the warehouse door, letting them hide inside and sharing his food and water. Without him, they'd be zombie chow by now!
And now?
These ungrateful bastards were griping about his appetite, pushing him to his death!
The human heart was more vicious than any zombie.
After days together, Xiao Yi had finally seen humanity's true colors.
If heaven gave him another chance, he'd never show mercy again!
"Ahem!"
Du Zhi Ming cleared his throat imperiously. "Since most agree with Chen Kun, Xiao Yi, you'll go scavenge. Any objections?"
He fixed Xiao Yi with a stern glare, his tone brooking no argument, radiating unchallenged authority.
As the school's dean, he was used to lording over students. In this little group, he naturally saw himself as the boss.
No one defied him!
"But... this warehouse and all the food inside were originally Xiao Yi's... If he hadn't taken us in, we'd probably be zombie food by now..." The fragile, cute girl Tang Ning Ning murmured in quiet protest. She didn't dare speak up louder—she wanted to live too, didn't want to get booted out to die.
"Hmph! If you're unhappy, go with him!" Ling Xue Ya snapped coldly. "A useless bimbo like you is just wasting food anyway!"
"Then why don't you go forage yourselves? Chen Kun, you're so badass—why not you?" A burly guy who'd stayed quiet until now stood up in rebuttal. "Xiao Yi saved us, and now we're kicking him out? Isn't that inhuman? What makes us better than animals?!"
"We're voting—majority rules, got it? If you've got a problem, tag along with him!" Chen Kun scoffed dismissively.