C12 They Had a Great Harvest from the Corpse, so Where Should They Return To?

"What are you doing?" Sun Meng asked through her sobs, as she watched Tang Bing squat down and rummage through Yang Fei's body.

"I'm checking for anything useful," Tang Bing replied, glancing up at her before continuing his search.

To his surprise, killing Yang Fei had yielded 50 experience points! A living person's experience was worth five times that of a zombie. It almost seemed to incentivize murder.

But on second thought, it did make sense. Zombies were rampant, and survivors were scarce. The value of something rare is inherently higher, so it stood to reason that a survivor's experience points would be greater than a zombie's.

Still, Tang Bing wasn't the type to kill survivors without cause. The world was already overrun by zombies; there was no need to add to the chaos by senselessly attacking one's own kind.

He wasn't naive enough to blindly trust other survivors, though. He might not want to kill, but that didn't mean others wouldn't want to kill him.

Tang Bing refused to become a mindless murderer, killing for resources when it wasn't necessary. Nor did he want to be a martyr who wouldn't defend himself. In this world, saints didn't last long.

System notification: You've found a lighter!

System notification: You've found paper money!

System notification: You've found nine coins!

System notification: You've found a workbench blueprint!

System notification: You've found leather gloves (Excellent)!

System notification: You've found canned beer!

System notification: You've found leather shoes (Excellent)!

Who would've thought? Killing a survivor not only netted a high experience gain but also a wealth of spoils.

The lighter would come in handy for starting fires.

The cash and coins totaled 609 yuan. Six hundred-yuan notes and nine one-yuan coins. Tang Bing wasn't sure of the currency's worth in this zombie apocalypse, but since the system counted it as loot, he'd keep it in his backpack for now.

With the workbench blueprint, he could craft many items! Required materials: 25 iron bars, 20 mechanical parts, one wrench, one claw hammer, and 50 pieces of wood.

The tool table was self-explanatory—a platform for crafting tools, likely capable of producing various items. But first, he needed a smelting furnace to process the iron bars.

The leather gloves (Excellent) offered six points of defense, a 3% warmth bonus, and a 1% damage increase for bladed weapons.

Quite the find! They offered double the defense and an additional 2% warmth compared to his current pair. The bonus to bladed weapons was curious, given that Tang Bing wielded a fire axe, not a bladed weapon. Still, an upgrade was an upgrade.

The canned beer restored 15 points of stamina, 3 HP, and 5 points of hydration, regenerating 2 stamina points per second for 50 seconds.

Stamina recovery? Tang Bing hadn't paid much attention to this attribute. It turned out to be the blue bar that depleted during combat or labor—essentially, physical energy. It required rest to replenish. This canned beer could restore stamina, then? So, drinking it meant one could bounce back from exhaustion swiftly?

The leather shoes (Excellent) provided 3 points of defense, a 1% increase in movement speed, and 3% additional warmth.

Another gem. The 1% boost to movement speed might not be significant, but the defense and warmth were certainly improvements over his old sneakers.

As Tang Bing searched, Sun Meng's tears gradually subsided, though she continued to sniffle, avoiding a glance at Yang Fei's body. After a silent wait, she turned away from Tang Bing and the corpse, her voice quivering, "Did you find anything?"

Caught off guard by her sudden question, Tang Bing responded, "Just a lighter and a bit over 600 yuan."

"Are you going to bury him?" she inquired.

"Bury him?" Tang Bing gave her a bewildered look. "Do you think that's possible? We don't have the means, and he tried to kill me. Why should I handle his last rites?"

"Then, at least get a body bag to contain him. It'll start to smell if left out..." Sun Meng dabbed at her tears.

"Do you even understand our situation?" Tang Bing asked, frustration evident as he stared at the back of her head.

"But we should respect the dead..."

"Respect, my foot!" Tang Bing retorted sharply. "Do you have any idea how those zombies outside will react to the scent of blood? They'll be drawn to it, even from seven or eight floors up. And you want to bag the body? Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Is that how it works?" Sun Meng gasped, still not turning around.

Tang Bing felt a mix of annoyance and helplessness at her ignorance. "Just take these food supplies back to the cafeteria. I'll handle the body and clean up the blood here."

"Block him for me—I can't bear to look!" Sun Meng choked out, "You shield his body, and I'll drive the car away."

Tang Bing couldn't help but doubt Sun Meng's claim of being an intern nurse. Surely, she must have encountered a cadaver or two during her medical studies, right? If he, a regular guy, wasn't scared, why was she so terrified?

Still, he reminded himself, she was a young woman, and despite his suspicions and wariness, he felt compelled to offer some protection. Shifting his stance, he obscured Yang Fei's body from view and assured her, "Okay, it's safe now."

With her face buried in her hands, Sun Meng sobbed and cautiously peeked through her fingers. Once she saw that Tang Bing had indeed hidden the corpse from sight, she breathed a sigh of relief, grabbed Yang Fei's modified car, and dashed for the elevator.

"Hold on!" Tang Bing called out, remembering the zombies he'd encountered in the elevator upon waking. He sprinted after her.

Seeing Tang Bing approach rapidly, fire axe in hand, Sun Meng's heart raced with fear. She froze, her body shaking and tears streaming down her face.

Tang Bing understood the horror she must have felt witnessing Yang Fei's death, likely casting a dark shadow over her perception of him. Nonetheless, he approached the elevator and cautioned, "Be careful inside the elevator. Make sure it's clear of zombies before you enter."

He pressed the down button, and soon the elevator arrived with a ding. The doors slid open to reveal an empty cabin.

Relieved, Tang Bing instructed Sun Meng, "Quick, take everything to the sixth-floor cafeteria. Lock all doors and windows, and wait in the kitchen. I'll handle the body and then check the other rooms."

Sun Meng, avoiding his gaze, pushed the cart with Yang Fei and their scavenged supplies into the elevator and hit the button for the sixth floor.

"Stay alert when you exit the elevator. Observe carefully before stepping out. If there are zombies, shut the door and come back to this floor," Tang Bing added. He didn't want to lose her—she was the only other living person he could talk to.

Once Sun Meng descended, Tang Bing got to work. He dragged Yang Fei's body to the window and looked down before tossing it out. The impact from seven or eight stories up was loud, and the scent of blood set the ground-level zombies into a frenzy, swarming the body for a feast.

This should distract the zombies at the stairwell for a while, Tang Bing thought, but he couldn't relax just yet. Blood still stained the corridor.

He fetched a bucket of water from the nearest restroom and mopped vigorously. The contaminated tap water wasn't for drinking, but it would do for cleaning. Besides, with antibiotics on hand, he wasn't worried about infection.

Tang Bing scrubbed meticulously, knowing any lingering blood scent could attract zombies once their current meal was gone. It was crucial to minimize the risk of them breaking through.

After wiping up the blood and flushing it down the toilet, he was nearly done when the elevator chimed again. Dropping the mop, he gripped his fire axe, ready for anything.

It was Sun Meng, returning empty-handed. His brow furrowed in annoyance, he asked, "Didn't I tell you to stay put in the cafeteria?"

"I was scared..." Sun Meng mumbled, nervously twisting her arm.

"You're scared of being alone, but not of me, a killer?" Tang Bing retorted sharply.

Sun Meng looked up, meeting his gaze, and shook her head. "I'm more afraid of being by myself. I feel safer with you."

Tang Bing couldn't fathom the logic. Qin Mengli was the same, and now Sun Meng. She had been so petrified by his actions earlier, avoiding eye contact like a frightened little creature. Yet here she was, seeking solace in his presence.

Yet, just like that, she claimed she felt more secure with him than on her own. It baffled him—hadn't she been by herself just a couple of days ago?

What was she really up to?

Despite his confusion, Tang Bing wasn't concerned. Given his sharp reflexes, he knew that as long as he stayed alert, Sun Meng wouldn't stand a chance against him, even with a surprise attack. With this in mind, he nodded and confidently said, "Alright, stick with me then!"