26

"This thing is all metal. I am afraid that the finished product might be too heavy or light. Want to try?" Yan Fei's gaze swept up and down the piece of metal.

Since Luo Xun had never worked solely with metal, he was unsure of the final weight. However based on the weight of the part in his hand...

"It should be fine if its lighter by a third. I won't be able to use it properly if it is too heavy."

"Well then." Yan Fei took the piece of metal, the other hand placed on top. The piece of material became one third lighter.

Luo Xun brightened in excitement at the surprising scene while holding the finished part. "This should be okay."

He looked to see Yan Fei's slightly tired looking face and hurriedly put the parts away. "That's all for today, wait until tomorrow to regain some strength."

Luo Xun was unclear if physical injuries had any direct impact on abilities. Anyway better to not let Yan Fei get too tired, better a thin but constant trickle of effort.

Yan Fei did not argue with him, smiled and handed over the remaining material in his hand. Luo Xun touched the pillow and fell asleep after working all day and cooking food for tomorrow.

Yan Fei laid on his side during the night, the room was well sealed so people could not see into the house. The sound of breathing on his left was heavier than before, obviously Luo Xun was tired.

Yan Fei silently closed his eyes after blinking in the darkness. He sank into dreams while listening to Luo Xun's breathing.

The first day of assigned work, if there were no special cases, the place would be the same. The army had repeatedly stressed this the morning before. So early next morning in front of the building they climbed back into the same numbered truck, just like the day before. Cold wind blew all the way to the wall building site.

Luo Xun found the place he worked at yesterday. With this kind of non-technical work, once familiar the speed of completion naturally increased.

Luo Xun occasionally bought hot soup due to the cold but the rest of his food was his own. His food was clean and nutritionally balanced, better than the given provisions. It was also convenient since Luo Xun cooked some meals in advance for Yan Fei.

After four days of hard work, his allocated section of wall had reached the required height. He was given another section once an engineer inspected and cleared his work.

A lot of new people entered the district in the past two days. However he also heard that the number of people in the small high-rise area were less than in the two older northern districts since those areas were more densely populated. So many people had been lost in the disaster.

The east cottage area was most brutally affected. The migrant workers of A-city lived there, most were small business owners or wholesale sellers, white collar workers. The doors and windows of Ping Feng district were not secure, high density and a disorderly narrow courtyard.

After the disaster there would be no place to hide. For poorer city workers, there would be a few people crowded into a few square meters of room.

Despite Wang Duo's superficial righteousness, he was actually an insatiable gossip who inquired about any news. The residents of Ping Feng district were almost completely wiped out, less than 10 people were rescued.

It was originally filled with dilapidated houses within the security perimeter so the army pushed for reconstruction. This sounded familiar to Luo Xun, he knew a place that had been transformed into a residential area with compact floors and seven storey high buildings but did not know the precise location after the apocalypse.

That evening, when Luo Xun returned home from work, Yan Fei gave him a big surprise.

"It's finished?"

Luo Xun's face lit up with a smile as he took the slightly heavy crossbow. Yan Fei had made all the parts and assembled them. Luo Xun's drawings were proven to be very accurate, no problems with the proportions. Yan Fei followed the attached and clearly marked assembly instructions. He had correctly followed the steps given.

Luo Xun lifted the crossbow and aimed at his usual target. With a *poof* the force of the bolt was comparable to his excitement.

"Good, no issues." Otherwise the wall would end up peppered with holes!

Yan Fei smiled and picked up the drawing. "I think the crossbow is still a bit bulky, do you want to make a smaller design? A smaller crossbow would hold less ammo and be less lethal but would be lighter and more convenient to carry."

"If you have free time." Luo Xun naturally had no opinion, he had desired this amazing metal crossbow but feelings had not been enough before.

"Don't worry...right if its smaller you can carry one with you later to defend yourself if your powers run out."

The use of abilities seemed linked with spiritual power, using too much could lead to being run dry.

Yan Fei raised an eyebrow, he knew about this? Was there a psychic somewhere who said that? He did not continue ruminating on the topic.

"I'll make them slowly when I'm able. Today I'll stand up and walk around for a bit."

"Hey! What's the hurry? It takes 100 days for bones to heal." Luo Xun stared wide eyed.

This beauty contrary to his appearance had an unexpectedly short temper.

"...Washroom."

These two days, Luo Xun was not a home during the day. The home had a night pot but Yan Fei really did not want to use that thing. Especially if he had to do number two. Yan Fei had to wait for Luo Xun to come back before be could go to the bathroom.

As for using diapers? What nonsense, he was no longer dizzy! It had been enough while in a coma.

"I hurt my chest, not my legs!"

"There's still a fracture! Try to be as careful as possible, in case the injury gets worse."

Luo Xun stared at Yan Fei, he had never seen such an uncooperative patient. If Yan Fei had broken his leg, would he have hopped on one foot to the washroom?

Luo Xun skipped the issue, collected his things and helped Yan Fei to the washroom. Back in the room Luo Xun remembered the previously taken photos on his phone.

"See here, are these the people who hurt you before?"

The picture showed the men and women that were on the truck the first day.

Yan Fei sneered, "Ah, that's them, how were they? They didn't cause any trouble for you?"

"They've been looking for some trouble but could not find a single target."

Working on site with army soldiers, even if they wanted to make a fuss they were unable to. Li Tie, Han Li and Luo Xun always acted together, safety in numbers to avoid trouble. Everyone knew that people selected soft persimmons to pinch (take advantage of the weak).

The man named Xu looked to be of mixed descent, he had a tiger tattoo along his jaw. Such people would see the wind and set the helm (be flexible and take advantage of the situation). Saw people, followed societal conventions, saw zombies, killed them.

They would have been looking for trouble by stealing points, those with the goods did not dare say anything. Luo Xun and the others looked like university students but at that age young people were often the most hot-blooded. Once provoked they would rage, drawing bad attention from the soldiers.

"That's good." Yan Fei said with hooded eyes. Luo Xun could not decipher his thoughts.

For the first time doing something, the speed would be slow, but the second and third times would become faster.

Yan Fei spent a full four days to make the first crossbow. Two days later Luo Xun came home and was surprised with a pile of spare bomb ammo and the hand crossbow which was third of the original crossbow size.

"So small?"

It was small and delicate but packed quite a punch. Luo Xun quickly tested lethality and range. Although not as effective as the bigger version, it was enough for self-defense!

Yan Fei proudly smiled. "You can use this crossbow for self-defense. I don't know how effective it will be against zombies, but against people...definitely no problem."

Absolutely no problem! As long as the distance was close enough, the hand crossbow would definitely hit the target. Apart from not being loaded with gunpowder and having a shorter range, this weapon was no different than a handgun.

Against primary zombies and regular people, one well-aimed shot would be enough.

"What do you think of a crossbow with a better projectile? The lethality would be higher."

With no way to vent energy, Yan Fei had shifted his attention to improving these things. Luo Xun looked at Yan Fei, if he could really make that kind of ammo, maybe ordinary people could deal with a secondary zombie as long as they were prepared.

"I'll check to see if I can make some sort of design plan."

Luo Xun felt like he had really picked up a treasure this time! What of cooking everyday? What of helping Yan Fei wash and go to the washroom? What of giving up half his bed?

Look at his new crossbow! Look at the damage! Incomparable to wood!

Started December 7, completed December 29. The wall was unexpectedly built in one month, according to the gregorian calendar.

The trench outside the wall was dug deep, the walls fortified and thickened. By this point the number of residents in the security zone had reached about 30,000! With such a large number of people, the labor force naturally increased a lot.

In addition to the original army troops, the population had not yet reached saturation point and most of the fortifications had been constructed.

Since the population had reached a certain level, troops were no longer responsible for allocating homes. Several buildings had been emptied and new arrivals were collectively placed in the empty halls. Thirty percent of the southwest rooms were vacant, which were rented by leasing with food or points.

Those who were rescued before, such as Han Li and the others, would also need to pay some points after a few years to keep their living environment. However if one wanted to move rooms? It would be the same as others and required food or labor rent.

After the wall was completed, the flattened Ping Feng district needed to be rebuilt. Thus there were the inevitable tasks of going out to collect supplies and rescue trapped people. The military had many search and rescue staff sent out but it was not enough for the situation in the urban area. All were stretched thin with later security zone construction and other objectives.

A-city, north base.

"What is this thing?"

A few people surrounded a strangely shaped carcass, the remains of a human form twisted so that little of its original appearance remained.

"This is one that destroyed a team...a monster."

"Just one of them!? A ten people team completely wiped out by one zombie!?"

"Yes, it happened suddenly, the monster was mixed in with primary zombies, so..."

"...Is it the only one? Or are there others..."

"In fact it was the soldiers who did not pay attention to this. The zombie was stronger then normal and faster too."

"At present...just for now..."

There was silence and no one spoke for a while.

"Well, let the scientists check to see what caused the second mutation. Hope it was an exception, not an...evolution."

Luo Xun sang while busy cooking in the kitchen. Yan Fei sat on the sofa in the living room, playing tug of war with Puppy using a piece of rope.

A fracture sounded like a serious injury but in fact was not too big of an obstacle. Mainly because Yan Fei's injury did not hinder movement and in general people would not touch his torso. Yan Fei was young and quick to recover, along with an ability, he got out of bed and wandered around the house within a week.

At first he stayed on the second floor but usually stayed away from the balcony. The first time Yan Fei went to the living room, he was surprised by all the boxes almost piled to the roof. There was also a sofa, as he walked around he found things were piled around everywhere!

He opened the balcony curtains to reveal some potted plants but Yan Fei only recognized some high grade flowers amongst the crops. It was not clear what the final plant would end up being. Though he discovered some garlic, leek and other plants, obviously the source of the vegetables that appeared on the table each day at home.

Who the hell was Luo Xun? This pile of things in his house and the stuff on the balcony, all the water and so on, where did it all come from?

Although he had doubts in his mind, he was savvy enough not to demand answers. The atmosphere between the two was currently harmonious and he did not want to provoke anything by pointing out issues.

Even if he asked Luo Xun, he may not tell the truth. So Yan Fei would rather wait until Luo Xun would tell himself, if he was willing to speak, he would listen. Since they first time they met, seeing Luo Xun's fully equipped appearance, Yan Fei speculated that Luo Xun had rapidly reacted to the apocalyptic situation. Not too many wandered outside on the streets to collect any sort of supplies.

Luo Xun was in the kitchen making dumplings since it was New Years. The security zone was the same as usual but the people's festive atmosphere eased off some tension. Even Luo Xun who had been busy with outside fortifications now had time to make more elaborate meals.

The dumplings had two types of stuffing prepared: pork green onion shrimp and mung bean paste fillings. The shrimp and green onion were well frozen in the freezer. It would be a rare luxurious celebration this year.

The lively melody in the kitchen was a performance by a cook in high spirits. Yan Fei looked up at the kitchen door, his hand held the rope too loosely. The puppy rolled over twice and hit the couch behind her, the other end of the rope dangling from her mouth. She stared at Yan Fei.

Yan Fei thought got a bit and did not grab the rope to play another round with the puppy. He instead stood up and went into the kitchen.

Luo Xun wore an apron. In front of him, two bowls of stuffing, a chopping board and a plate were on the table in front of him. He took a dumpling wrapper, loaded it with stuffing then closed his hands and squeezed to mold a dumpling.

Luo Xun's dumpling skills were honed during middle school, then during his time as a freelancer as well as in his own kitchen. Over time he learned many cooking methods. Only the noodles were not made with white flour but made from a variant species that had a hint of diesel taste.

The base kitchen only cooked special things for Chinese New Year, even then there were no flour dumplings, at most some type of wheat noodle.

Luo Xun's movements were very brisk, his mouth slightly curved. He radiated a warm feeling that set people at ease. It seemed like a feeling of home, something Yan Fei had never actually felt, belonging to a family.

*Ha, ha* The puppy waited for a long time but Yan Fei was ignoring her. She threw down the rope and ran into the kitchen, tongue lolling. Luo Xun heard a noise and turned to the doorway to see a large and a small figure leaning against the door frame. Puppy wagged her tail.

Luo Xun was startled. "Why did you come over here?"

"See if you want any help."

"Help?" Luo Xun glanced in puzzlement. "You can wrap?"

"Uh...a little."

Not guaranteed the dumpling would break apart while boiling.

"...Can you?"

"...It will be slower."

Compared to Luo Xun's speed, in the time Yan Fei made one, Luo Xun would have wrapped seven or eight.

"You can sit on the couch and wait." Luo Xun gave a side glance. "Young master~"

With a handsome face, a pair of unblemished hands and injured with a fracture, Luo Xun did not dare use this 'young master'.

"...I can try, really." Yan Fei felt his type was despised and he needed to prove himself.

"You recuperate for now. I'll teach you for the next lunar year celebration."

Luo Xun rushed to use up the dough and stuffing since the finished dumplings could be frozen. Then even if there was no time to cook at home, there would be some ready made food.

"Next lunar year?" Yan Fei's eyebrows quirked and his mouth curled with slow realization.

Next lunar year? Chinese New Year? A nice thing to do, his heart warmed with expectations.

"Okay then." He wanted to add something but now there was no reason for him to stay in the kitchen.

He had just walked in, this had not been well planned.

"By the way, who came looking for you?"

"Oh, that was a few university students and officer Ding, the one who registered them."

Since they did not enter and returned directly to 1601 opposite them, Yan Fei did not know what they were up to.

"The officer said to wait until after New Year's day to go out of the safe area to collect supplies."

Thus Luo Xun had time and decided to make more dumplings today.

"Out of the safe zone!?" Yan Fei's heart tightened. "Collect what materials?"

"There are so few supplies in the safe zone that there's a shortage of everything. In fact, there were not that many people in the army. There were not enough to settle funerals and organize staff to build various facilities. House rent would be collected after the New Year. With the lack of resources in the safe zone, residents could use any previously collecte materials to redeem points." Luo Xun casually explained.

The current base point exchange system was not perfected, just a prototype. However it would be the basic system used for a long time, at least until the base had the capacity to be self-sufficient. No, it would be more accurate that it would slow down once there was nothing left to collect.

The kitchen was suddenly quiet for a while until Yan Fei opened his mouth.

"I will go with you."

"No need." Luo Xun did not look up and did not see Yan Fei's angry expression.

"We set on the fourth and your injury still hasn't fully healed. We did just speak with the local doctor. Although you have been recovering quickly, it is best to rest for at least a month...what's wrong with you?"

Luo Xun was half finished when he looked at the doorway to see Yan Fei's handsome face with a dark atmosphere, eyes sparking dangerously. Many women would have swooned at the sight.

"I am not that delicate." There was no need for him to stay at home all day, as if a single touch would cause him to break!

"...I...of course not." Luo Xun became aware that his words had hurt Yan Fei's self-esteem. He paused for three seconds then hurriedly explained.

"You've almost fully recovered, there is no need to venture out now for a short trip. I know the place we're going to very well, a material market to the north. I went there the first day of the apocalypse and did not see any zombies. Lieutenant Ding said that the place had been cleared by the army so there is little danger. We'll be going there to get some needed materials..."

"What are you going to take? Why do you need to go there?"

Yan Fei listened to Luo Xun and pointed out key points that were not clearly explained.

Luo Xun paused his dumpling wrapping and smiled. "They came to me because I use solar equipment."

"What?"

"Aren't there a few panels outside on the balcony windows? I placed them myself to absorb sunlight to convert into electricity. Some of the troops knew about the equipment but not the mechanics and came to ask me."