C136 The Water Was Met with the Zombie Mouse and the Comedy Was Passionate!(2)

"The electricity's fine!" Tang Bing couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated with his teammates; they weren't exactly the most reliable bunch. But at least they kept him from feeling alone, and honestly, he found their company quite relaxing.

"That's a relief!" Sun Meng exclaimed with a smile, patting the empty chair beside her. "Bing, come join us for a bit!"

"Tang Bing, why don't you take a break?" Qin Mengli suggested gently, glancing at Sun Meng. "You've been working hard all day; it's tough."

Tang Bing shook his head; he wasn't one to sit idle. "You all go ahead! I need to step out and chop some trees to bolster our defenses."

"Do you need a hand?" Zhao Dagang offered, standing up eagerly.

"No need, I've got this. Keep watching TV," Tang Bing replied. "Just keep an eye on the time—I'm looking forward to dinner!"

"We won't delay!" Lin Leyan assured him quickly. "We've got it under control."

"Alright then!"

Tang Bing made his way outside, surveying the area before choosing the relatively flat eastern side to begin his work.

His task wasn't to fell the trees and then laboriously split them; a swing of his fire axe yielded plenty of wood, while steadily reducing the tree's durability.

Different trees had varying levels of durability. The older the tree, the sturdier it was, and the more wood he could harvest. Once fully chopped, the trees would topple and vanish, their wood already stowed in Tang Bing's backpack.

Naturally, each felled tree also provided a sapling, which he could plant directly into the ground—a nod, perhaps, to the importance of forest conservation.

After gathering a substantial amount of wood, Tang Bing returned home and crafted several hundred barbed fences at his workbench. He managed to install two layers outside the wall, though the wall's vast size meant he needed many more fences.

Despite feeling that two layers weren't entirely secure, the encroaching dusk meant he had to stop for the night. Tomorrow's task would likely involve adding several more layers of barbed fences around the perimeter, ensuring no zombies could get too close.

Finally done with his tasks, Tang Bing could at last take a breather.

Lin Leyan and Sun Meng had dinner ready, inviting everyone to gather around the dining table in the hall.

"Come on! How about we watch a gunfight movie?" Zhao Dagang suggested, picking up a DVD before starting his meal.

"A gunfight? Let's watch a comedy instead!" Liang Hui retorted, pulling out a different disc from the TV cabinet. "This one!"

"Another comedy?" Zhao Dagang sounded deflated. He turned to Tang Bing, "Bing, don't you think a gunfight would be better? What's your take?"

"I'm indifferent," Tang Bing replied, feeling somewhat resigned. Internally he mused, "Trust you guys to be so unreliable. Here I am, pondering how to bolster our defenses against a potential zombie sneak attack, and you're all debating movie genres..."

"Don't be indifferent! Bing, let's go with the gunfight, yeah?" Zhao Dagang pleaded.

Liang Hui snatched the disc from his hand with a huff, "If you want to watch that, go to your room! We're all set on a comedy here!"

"Exactly! What's so great about gunfights?" Sun Meng chimed in, laughing. "Watching a comedy together is so much more fun, right Bing?"

Tang Bing just shrugged, not bothering to engage further.

Despite Zhao Dagang's protests, the unanimous decision of the four women overruled him. He had hoped for Tang Bing's support, but Tang Bing was more focused on his meal, showing no interest in the debate.

As they ate, Tang Bing watched the group laugh and dissect the movie's plot. They shared hearty laughs at the funny moments and silent tears at the moving ones. To Tang Bing, this camaraderie felt surreal, as if he had stepped back in time, before the apocalypse.

After dinner, an exhausted Tang Bing retreated to his room and checked the water temperature in the bathroom.

The water heater worked splendidly, providing just the right temperature.

Now, with the exception of not having a toilet, the bathroom was complete.

Following a soothing hot shower and changing into fresh clothes, Tang Bing climbed into bed, feeling refreshed and content.

I had just closed my eyes for a bit when a sudden knock at the door jolted me awake.

I dragged myself out of bed to open it and there was Sun Meng, freshly showered and in new pajamas, waving at me. "Bing!"

"What's up?" I asked, a bit annoyed. "You've got a TV and a computer. Go watch a movie or play some games in your room. I need to sleep! There's work to do early tomorrow."

"What time is it, anyway?" Sun Meng barged into the room, tugging at my elbow. "Bing, we've got the LAN set up. Come on, join us for a game?"

"Just play on your own!" I thought to myself, not sharing their carefree spirit. An internet café, really? With zombies possibly lurking outside, ready to make a meal of us?

"Don't be such a loner, Bing! Just a quick game! It won't take long," Sun Meng implored.

"I really don't feel like playing. You guys go ahead," I sighed, nudging my unreliable teammate back through the door and promptly locking it behind him.

A couple of hours later, I was rudely awakened by another round of insistent knocking.

Feeling grumpy, I checked the time – it was exactly nine at night. Opening the door, there was Sun Meng again. "What now? I was asleep! Didn't I say I have work tomorrow? Can't you let me be?"

"Bing, I can't sleep!" Sun Meng barged in, pulling out a DVD from behind. "Would you watch a movie with me?"

"That'll just keep me up even longer!" I said exasperatedly. "Why not ask someone else? Liang Hui and the others can keep you company."

"Liang Hui and her mom are watching a horror flick. I'm too scared to join them!" Sun Meng quickly shook her head.

"What about Qin Mengli..." I started to say but stopped myself. Sun Meng and Qin Mengli were practically at each other's throats; expecting them to watch a movie together was a stretch.

"Bing, please! Just one movie. Once it's over, I'll head to bed," Sun Meng begged.

"Can't I just watch it by myself?" Tang Bing grumbled, clearly exasperated. "I'm exhausted!"

"But... I'm kind of scared!" Sun Meng pleaded with him, her eyes wide with fear.

"You're such a pain!" Tang Bing snatched the DVD from her hands, quickly glanced at the cover, and scoffed. "The Village's Laughing Corpse, a comedy? What's there to be scared of?"

"It's still a horror film, though!"

"Then why not pick something that isn't a horror flick?" Tang Bing was at a loss for words.

"But the synopsis is so intriguing!" Sun Meng tugged at his sleeve, her voice a soft entreaty. "Please, Bing, can't you just sleep and let me watch on your computer next to you? I feel so much safer with you nearby."

Tang Bing was inwardly groaning at the hassle but couldn't bring himself to refuse such an adorable request. "Fine! Watch it, but keep the volume down. I need to sleep."

"Thank you, Bing! You're the best!" Sun Meng beamed, closing the door behind her. She booted up the computer, popped in the DVD, and after starting the movie, she dragged a chair next to Tang Bing's bed and settled in.

Shaking his head at her silhouette, Tang Bing burrowed under his covers and shut his eyes.

Twenty minutes or so passed, and just as he was drifting off, Sun Meng's voice, laced with panic, pierced the haze of sleep.

What now? Annoyed, he opened his eyes and was about to scold her for the noise when he caught sight of her. Sun Meng's hands covered her face, her ears flushed a bright red, as she squirmed in her seat, peeking through her fingers at the computer screen.

Curious, Tang Bing followed her gaze and was met with the sight of the movie, now halfway through, displaying scenes decidedly not for children. The intensity of the scene on screen was such that even he found himself captivated, unable to look away, and he felt an unmistakable reaction stirring within him.

"Bing... how did it turn into this?" Sun Meng, realizing Tang Bing was awake and seeing his dumbfounded expression fixed on the screen, became flustered. "I... I had no idea the movie was like this..."

Tang Bing didn't glance her way, his gaze fixed on the screen without so much as a blink.

Sun Meng's cheeks flushed. She couldn't bring herself to watch the steamy scene in the movie with Tang Bing there, but his goofy look made her stifle a chuckle. "Bing, who knew beneath that serious facade you're quite the rascal!"

His face reddened at her words. "Stop talking nonsense! It just caught me off guard. You like these types of films?"

"I do not!" Sun Meng's face turned even redder, and she playfully swatted at him with the quilt. "Quit it with the wild accusations. I had no idea this comedy... had such scenes..."