C49 Tang Bing Was so Angry That He Scolded Qin Mengli.

"Wait up for me!" Zhao Dagang exclaimed with excitement, dashing back to his room in a flash.

Tang Bing and Sun Meng exchanged a look, both wearing expressions of confusion.

In about four or five minutes, Zhao Dagang emerged from his room, cradling a flat cardboard box, and approached the workshop door with a grin.

Tang Bing vaguely remembered the box; it was among the items Zhao Dagang had brought from the supermarket. He hadn't paid much attention to it at the time and was clueless about the contents of the sizable package.

"Bing, I've got it!" Zhao Dagang strode into the vacant room and set the box down on the floor.

Both Tang Bing and Sun Meng peered down and were surprised to discover it was a toy remote control airplane, still unassembled.

"A toy?" Tang Bing glanced at the airplane parts in the box, then back at Zhao Dagang, his gaze brimming with questions.

Equally perplexed, Sun Meng stood by, awaiting Zhao Dagang's explanation.

With a chuckle, Zhao Dagang met their inquisitive stares and cheerfully explained, "I snagged this off the supermarket shelf. It's a pricey little gadget! The instructions claim it can soar up to 300 meters once it's put together."

"You're thinking about playing with remote control airplanes now?" Sun Meng stared at Zhao Dagang, incredulous, "Brother Zhao, what's going through your mind?"

"Ms. Meng, I've been fascinated by airplanes since childhood!" Zhao Dagang looked up and responded, "But my family couldn't even afford the cheapest toy plane. So, when I saw this high-end, pricey remote control plane at the supermarket, I just had to take it. And now, it turns out to be the perfect solution to our problem!"

"Solution? You think playing with a plane is going to draw all the zombies away?" Sun Meng asked, exasperated.

"Exactly!" While Sun Meng was at a loss, Tang Bing caught on immediately, "This remote control plane might not be able to carry off all the clocks and phones in one go, but it can certainly dispatch them sequentially! If we can just attract the few hundred zombies at the main entrance, we'll have plenty of opportunities to escape our predicament! The real question now is, how far can it fly? Or rather, how far can we control it?"

"I remember it said so on the packaging!" Zhao Dagang hastily flipped the cardboard box and pointed at the lettering, exclaiming, "Right here, the control range of this remote-controlled airplane is around 100 meters!"

"100 meters?" Tang Bing pondered briefly with his eyes closed, "That'll do!"

"Bing, what's your plan?" Sun Meng's face lit up with joy upon hearing Tang Bing's words.

Zhao Dagang leaned in eagerly, watching him with bated breath.

Tang Bing rose to his feet and cautiously peeked through a slit in the curtain, eyeing the structure behind the factory. "We've got an apartment building at our rear, no more than 100 meters from the perimeter wall. It's close, but if we can draw the zombies by the gate over there, we'll have a chance to slip in and out. By tossing these clocks and cell phones onto the apartment's rooftop, the noise should attract most of the zombies in the area. That should shift the horde in front of us to the rear."

"If we can get those thousands of zombies to cluster behind us, we'll only have to deal with a limited number when we come and go—as long as we're careful," Sun Meng said, her eyes sparkling. "Fantastic!"

"Absolutely! Dagang, you've really come through for us this time!" Tang Bing said with a grin, "Our dilemma looks like it's about to be solved!"

"Hehe," Zhao Dagang scratched his head, a sheepish grin on his face.

"It's too bad the toy plane can only fly about 100 meters. If it could go a few kilometers, drawing the zombies even farther away, we'd be in the clear," Sun Meng mused with a hint of disappointment.

"The range on that toy plane is pretty impressive as it is!" Zhao Dagang said as he gingerly unpacked the box. "You'd need a model airplane to meet your expectations. Those are incredibly pricey and you won't find them in a supermarket—only a specialized model store would carry them."

"We shouldn't get too greedy," Tang Bing chuckled, "The toy plane we have will serve our purpose. If we can lure the zombies out and pair it with a large quantity of gasoline... Well, I doubt it would be able to carry that much."

"Bing, why would we need so much gasoline?" Sun Meng inquired, puzzled.

"My initial thought was to draw the zombies to the apartment building, then douse the ignition points with gasoline and set it ablaze. The fire would engulf the entire building, and the gas canisters in the kitchens would detonate one by one, wiping out an astonishing number of zombies," Tang Bing explained. "But there are a couple of issues. First, the toy plane can only carry a small amount of gasoline at a time. To get enough, the battery probably wouldn't last. Second, even if it were possible, it's not feasible. We're less than 100 meters from that building, and there's a tangle of wires in between. If the fire spread along those wires, we'd have no way to stop it. Getting caught in the blaze ourselves would be disastrous!"

"Yes!" Sun Meng nodded vigorously. "Our poles are connected to theirs. Even with the power out, the fire can still spread. And with the explosion being so close, it could send debris flying into our factory building! So, we're just going to draw the zombies over, right?"

"Exactly!" Tang Bing agreed. "That's the plan! Dagang, put the plane together quickly. We're on a tight schedule!"

"Uh..." Zhao Dagang blushed at the request. "Bing, I gave it a try yesterday... It's too complicated for me. I couldn't manage it..."

"You couldn't put it together?" Tang Bing was at a loss for words. "Isn't there a manual?"

"I followed the manual, but it just didn't come out right!" Zhao Dagang admitted sheepishly, scratching his head. "Bing, could you help me out? You're much sharper than I am."

Sun Meng stifled a laugh behind her hand. Poor Zhao Dagang really wanted to play with the remote control plane but just couldn't get it assembled. And now he had to turn to Tang Bing for help, which, combined with his comical expression, made the situation irresistibly funny.

"Go ahead and laugh, Ms. Meng," Zhao Dagang said, a bit mortified. "I'm not the brightest bulb."

Tang Bing shook his head and took the paper box from Zhao Dagang.

He didn't think Zhao Dagang was dim-witted at all; in fact, sometimes he was smarter than the rest. Certainly, Qin Mengli and Sun Meng didn't have the same level of intelligence as Zhao Dagang. They weren't as slow as him, but when it came to survival, their cognitive abilities paled in comparison to his.

Assembling a toy airplane for the first time, Tang Bing found the manual quite clear, detailing the position and function of each part. The task didn't seem too daunting.

With Sun Meng and Zhao Dagang looking on, Tang Bing spent about half an hour and successfully put together the remote-controlled airplane. After installing the battery, he proceeded to test-fly it.

The plane soared smoothly under his control, making a few laps around the room.

"Bing, let me have a go!" Zhao Dagang's eyes sparkled with anticipation as he reached out eagerly for the controller.

Naturally, Tang Bing obliged and passed the controller over to him.

"Awesome! I've always wanted to try out a plane like this!" Zhao Dagang joyfully maneuvered the remote-controlled airplane around the room, ecstatic, "This is so much fun! I've always wanted to get one, but I never had enough money."

"Brother Zhao, let me have a go! I want to try it too!" Sun Meng, unable to contain her excitement, eagerly reached out for the controls.

"Hold on, just a little longer!" Zhao Dagang, clearly smitten with the airplane, wasn't ready to give it up just yet.

"Come on, just for a bit! Brother Zhao, don't be such a miser!" Sun Meng pleaded as she followed him around, "Please! I want a turn!"

Watching their playful antics, Tang Bing chuckled and shook his head. If it weren't for the apocalyptic world outside, this scene might not seem so incongruous.

"What's all this noise about?" The commotion must have reached Qin Mengli as she stepped out of the room. She approached with a frosty demeanor, "Can you keep it down? If you attract the zombies, we're all in danger!"

Interrupted by Qin Mengli, Zhao Dagang and Sun Meng ceased their frolicking. They glanced at her stern expression and set the remote-controlled airplane aside.

"Mengli, you're not upset, are you?" Sun Meng approached with a grin, taking her hand.

"What's this? A toy?" Qin Mengli eyed the airplane with a look of disdain, "How can you be in the mood for toys at a time like this? We're surrounded by thousands of zombies, and even stepping outside is risky! Aren't you the least bit concerned?"

"This isn't your concern!" Tang Bing's expression soured upon seeing Qin Mengli's displeasure, "Go back to your room and mind your own business. I'll handle any problems."

"And how will you handle it? By playing children's games here?" Qin Mengli retorted with a scoff.

"I don't need your advice on how to handle things," Tang Bing replied icily, "Dagang!"

"Yikes!" Zhao Dagang was startled by the icy vibe in the room and quickly straightened up.

"Hand over the drone!" Tang Bing demanded, his expression stern. "You've had your fun. If you keep at it, there won't be enough battery life to complete the mission!"

"Right away!" Zhao Dagang hastily passed the controller and the drone to Tang Bing. "I'm done playing."

"Me too," Sun Meng murmured from the side.

"Everyone, head back to your rooms and rest. There's not much else happening today," Tang Bing instructed, glancing at the trio. "I'll handle the remaining tasks. You all can leave it to me."

"Sure thing, Bing," Sun Meng replied, quickly turning to exit amidst the tense air between Qin Mengli and Tang Bing.

"I'm heading back to my room too!" Zhao Dagang couldn't stand the frosty exchange of glares between Qin Mengli and Tang Bing. Both he and Sun Meng made it a point to steer clear of the two, who were clearly at odds.

Once Sun Meng and Zhao Dagang had retreated to their rooms, Tang Bing picked up an alarm clock and tied it beneath the drone with a piece of string. He tested the drone's lift-off to see if it could carry the clock. It worked, but the string was too tight, which might make it difficult to release the clock mid-flight. The tension needed a slight adjustment.

Looking up, Tang Bing noticed Qin Mengli still standing in the doorway, watching him with a frosty gaze. Recalling her harsh rejection, he couldn't help feeling bitter and snapped, "Why are you still here? Don't interfere with my work!"

With a huff, Qin Mengli shot him a glare and turned on her heel to leave.