C118 They Built a Cement Mixer and the Search Team Expanded(2)

In the city, there were stores dedicated to selling fertilizer, and Tang Bing had spotted several during his trips in and out of town. In these times, even if survivors stumbled upon a fertilizer shop, they wouldn't consider hauling it away as supplies. They weren't like him, lacking a gaming system to make use of such things!

If he could just find some more seeds, he could live off the land and avoid the hassle of scavenging for food in the city. Plus, he'd be able to clear out space in his virtual backpack for other valuable materials and loot.

"Bing, breakfast is ready!" Sun Meng called out as he pondered over the coffee seedlings. When she caught sight of the seedlings by the fence, and the coffee plants in the field, she exclaimed in surprise, "Wow! Bing, you started a garden? That's impressive! What are these plants?"

No one had noticed the farmland by the fence last night due to the darkness. This morning, Lin Leyan and Sun Meng had been preoccupied in the kitchen and hadn't stepped outside, so their ignorance was understandable.

"These aren't vegetables," Tang Bing replied, turning to face Sun Meng.

"What are they, then?" Sun Meng crouched down, examining the seedlings up close. She quickly stood up, covering her nose, and made a face of disgust. "Ugh, it smells!"

"Of course it smells—it's been fertilized!" Tang Bing chuckled.

"Ew, Bing, you're terrible for not warning me sooner!" Sun Meng playfully punched his chest, feigning annoyance.

Tang Bing laughed and shrugged. "My fault? I didn't tell you to get down there and sniff."

"Are you still talking back?" Sun Meng pretended to be mad, punching him a few more times, though her light taps were anything but forceful. She looked adorably indignant.

"Okay, okay, I admit it's my fault!" Tang Bing conceded, turning away. "Let's eat now; we've got plenty to do later!"

"Wait for me!" Sun Meng quickly followed behind.

Lacking a dining table, Lin Leyan fetched a cardboard box from the car, unfolded it, and spread it flat on the ground. She then placed several small cushions around it for seating.

The meal was a lavish spread: four dishes, one soup, a large pot of porridge, and an assortment of canned meats—a feast by any standard!

Zhao Dagang, Liang Hui, and Qin Mengli joined the others, and the six of them gathered in the spacious hall to quietly savor their breakfast.

As the meal was winding down, Zhao Dagang finally spoke up, "Bing, are we heading to the city together today? You mentioned yesterday that we needed to pick up some furniture..."

"Yes!" Tang Bing affirmed with a nod. "But first, we need to transfer all the supplies from the bus into the house. Let's all pitch in and unload everything as quickly as possible!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, understanding the task at hand.

"So, should the four of us women stay behind?" Liang Hui inquired in a soft voice.

The other three women turned to look at her, awaiting the answer.

Tang Bing surveyed the group, pondering for a moment. "Here's the plan! Starting today, I'm restructuring our team. We definitely need someone to stay home, but four is too many. Some of you will need to come with me, and we'll rotate in the future—no one is exempt. I won't have you sitting idle. In this world, every team member must be capable of defending themselves! Since you've already considered this and were prepared to venture out before, I trust you won't oppose this decision, right?"

The expressions on the women's faces were strained, but there were no objections.

During the five days Tang Bing was away, they had done a lot of thinking and ultimately resolved to venture out. So when Tang Bing brought it up, they were somewhat ready, just not for such a swift transition.

After a few minutes of silence, Sun Meng broke the quiet, "Bing, I agree! I'm ready to join you outside today!"

Seeing Sun Meng step forward, Qin Mengli's eyes flickered with unease, prompting her to quickly add, "I'm in too! I want to go with you. But... but you must ensure my safety!"

Tang Bing glanced at Qin Mengli, silently chiding her for stating the obvious. If I'm taking you out, of course I'm going to ensure your safety! Did she really think I'd let them march to their doom?

"Bing, count me in too!" Liang Hui volunteered eagerly, her hand shooting up. "But we're all pretty vulnerable, you'll need to keep a close eye on us!"

"Tang, I'm not going, am I?" Lin Leyan asked, her face etched with concern. "Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to keep up. I'd just slow you down, wouldn't I?"

Tang Bing took in Lin Leyan's plump figure and nodded in agreement. "Teacher Lin, it's best you stay put for now. But with the situation as perilous as it is, you'll need to commit to shedding some pounds."

"Absolutely! Absolutely!" Lin Leyan exhaled in relief, secretly dreading the thought of being coerced into joining the outing. It wasn't fear that held her back; she knew that in a crisis, she'd lag behind and either be left for dead or hinder the group.

The woes of the overweight were truly inescapable!

"Alright, here's the plan," Tang Bing said, addressing the group. "We only need two people to stay behind. The area I've picked is secluded, making a zombie encounter highly unlikely. Still, we can't afford to be complacent. Those staying behind should avoid venturing beyond the fence unless I'm with them. And while human zombies might be scarce out here, we could still run into some of the animal variety, which are far more dangerous. So, stay indoors and keep the doors and windows locked to prevent any of these creatures from getting in! Given Teacher Lin's current condition, she won't be included in the search teams for now. Qin Mengli, Sun Meng, and Liang Hui will rotate duties. As for who's heading out first..."

As Tang Bing's gaze settled on each of them in turn, Qin Mengli, Sun Meng, and Liang Hui tensed up. They were a mix of excited and scared, their emotions swirling in a complex dance.

After giving it some thought, Tang Bing finally spoke up, "Here's the plan! Since it's our first day, we need the most familiar and well-coordinated people to handle the household chores. Liang Hui, you and your daughter will stay home today. Qin Mengli and Sun Meng, you'll join me, Zhao Dagang, and the other two as we head into the city. We're just going to the outskirts where there are fewer zombies, so you can relax a bit."

"Got it, Bing!" Sun Meng inhaled deeply, placing her hand over her heart and patting gently, her nerves visibly on edge.

Qin Mengli wasn't faring much better. The rapid rise and fall of her chest betrayed her anxiety.

Despite having prepared for an outing the day before, they hadn't actually encountered any zombies. Today, they would be coming face-to-face with the undead, and with their limited combat abilities, they wouldn't be much help.

Once everyone had their assignments, we quickly finished breakfast and worked together to transfer the supplies from the bus into the hall. Teacher Lin and Liang Hui, who stayed behind, were in charge of moving the supplies up to the third floor.

With the bus emptied, Tang Bing began inspecting everyone's gear.

Lin Leyan and Liang Hui, who remained at home, along with everyone else, were kitted out in full scrap iron equipment. It was heavy but offered necessary protection, so Tang Bing didn't need to go over that with them.

The equipment checked out fine, so next, he tallied up everyone's weapons.

Zhao Dagang was equipped with a mace and a pistol, Qin Mengli with an iron sword and a pistol, and Sun Meng had only an iron sword.

Sun Meng seemed a bit displeased, probably because she was the only one without a pistol. Even though she might not know how to use it, feeling left out was understandable.

Noticing her discontent, Tang Bing casually pulled a pistol from his virtual backpack and handed it to Sun Meng.

"Bing?" Sun Meng's face lit up with surprise.

"Take it," Tang Bing said, placing the gun in her hand. "Since we're all going out to scavenge, it's crucial that everyone is as well-equipped as possible. Dagang and I have been out several times, so whether it's a mace, iron sword, or firearm, we can handle it. You two are just starting, so there's no pressure. But before we leave, you'll need to learn how to use the pistol to avoid friendly fire. Each of your guns has only six bullets, and without silencers, they shouldn't be used recklessly. Got that?"

"Got it!" Zhao Dagang and the other two responded in unison.

"Alright! Qin Mengli, Sun Meng, let's start with how to disengage the safety and then move on to firing the weapon!"