C55 They Did Not Know the Value of Gold and Silver, and They Found a Distress Signal on the Forum.

Tang Bing's agility score was an impressive 37 points, outpacing even the world's sprint champions. Zombies, naturally slower than the average person, didn't stand a chance.

With his remarkable speed, he could avoid capture as long as he wasn't cornered.

At present, barring an encounter with a speed-type mutant zombie like the one he had just faced, or being completely encircled by a massive horde of zombies, Tang Bing could weave through the streets with ease, making the zombie-infested world seem deserted.

The thought of surviving on his own flashed through his mind. With his agility and the system's aid, he was confident that, with caution, he could make it in this zombie-ridden world.

But he quickly dismissed the idea. He couldn't abandon Qin Mengli, despite her clear rejection and the severed potential between them. Affection wasn't something he could switch off; he could only control his actions with rational thought.

Moreover, the reliance and trust Sun Meng and Zhao Dagang placed in him made it impossible for him to leave the group.

He was well aware that being too soft-hearted in this brutal apocalypse could lead to trouble. Yet, there were lines he simply couldn't cross. If he hadn't spent those days with Sun Meng and Zhao Dagang, his heart might have been lighter.

He aspired to follow the right path without being held back by so-called teammates, but he couldn't abandon the sense of responsibility that weighed on him.

Though he couldn't fully trust Sun Meng and remained cautious around Qin Mengli, Zhao Dagang had proven to be slightly more trustworthy than the other two. Still, he couldn't bring himself to leave.

Dodging the relentless pursuit of zombies, Tang Bing used his peak speed and various obstacles to lose them. He reached the factory just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

To his surprise, a zombie lay motionless atop the wooden barbed fence to the right of the factory gates. It appeared to have stumbled into a trap and was impaled. Struggling to crawl, it had also been skewered through the head, resulting in its demise.

Tang Bing scanned his surroundings with caution, ensuring no other undead roamed nearby before swiftly donning medical gloves and dragging the zombie's body out.

A zombie dispatched by a trap wouldn't yield any experience points for Tang Bing. Only a direct kill with his weapon would count. Even using explosives or setting the creature ablaze wouldn't earn him any points.

Still, he could scavenge what he could.

You've obtained five pieces of cloth!

The zombie was hardly a treasure trove, yielding a mere five cloth scraps. They were abundant in the factory, but something was better than nothing.

He quickly dumped the body in the street, doused it with gasoline, and set it ablaze before heading back into the factory without a backward glance. He only had the luxury to give the zombie a fiery send-off because the coast was clear.

"Bing!" No sooner had he locked the factory door behind him than Zhao Dagang came running up, beaming, "You're back!"

"What's up?" Tang Bing asked, eyeing him. "Something happen?"

"Bing, I've finished the map you wanted!" Zhao Dagang presented the notebook, "Every floor, every room, and all the furniture—I've got it all down, didn't miss a thing!"

Tang Bing accepted the notebook, flipping through it briefly before nodding in approval, "Excellent! Nicely done!"

"Heh, my old boss used to say I was a hard worker," Zhao Dagang said with a grin.

"Mm-hm!" Tang Bing was genuinely pleased with this sincere laborer. He reached into his virtual backpack and pulled out an exquisite silver necklace, "Here, this is for your hard work!"

"What's this?" Zhao Dagang examined the silver necklace, then compared it to the hefty gold one around his neck, blinking in confusion, "Bing, I've already got a gold one. I don't need this."

"That one's superior to your gold necklace," Tang Bing remarked, a bit exasperated.

"I prefer the gold one! It looks more luxurious!" Zhao Dagang cheerfully returned the silver necklace to Tang Bing.

"Luxurious?" Tang Bing was at a loss for words, "Alright, if that's what you like!"

"Hehe! Ms. Meng and Miss Qin haven't arrived yet!" Zhao Dagang chuckled, "Let's give them the silver necklace to wear!"

"You don't know what you're missing!" Tang Bing said, shaking his head in resignation.

"What have you brought for us?" Sun Meng's voice suddenly rang out from behind as they were speaking.

It turned out that when Tang Bing had entered the warehouse, both she and Qin Mengli had spotted him from the corridor window and had come down to greet him.

"Check this out!" Tang Bing said, presenting the silver necklace that Zhao Dagang had scorned to Sun Meng and Qin Mengli. "This guy doesn't appreciate the silver necklace; thinks it's not as good as the gold one. He has no idea what he's missing—this is several times better than the gold necklace!"

Indeed, it was superior to the gold necklace, especially in terms of attributes. But that was something he couldn't disclose to them.

"I'll take it!" Sun Meng's eyes sparkled as she snatched the silver necklace. She examined it closely, comparing it to the gold necklace around Zhao Dagang's neck, and then burst into a delighted laugh. "Big Brother Zhao, this silver necklace is finely crafted and far surpasses your gold one! Your gold necklace may be made of pricier material, but in terms of value, it doesn't hold a candle to this silver piece! This is a piece of fine jewelry, whereas yours is just a roughly made, inferior product."

"I just prefer gold necklaces! They look more luxurious!" Zhao Dagang dismissed her comment, fondly touching his own necklace.

"You don't know what you're missing!" Sun Meng echoed Tang Bing's sentiment before joyfully placing the silver necklace around her neck. "Big Brother Bing, is it okay if I keep this?"

Tang Bing had intended the necklace to boost Zhao Dagang's combat abilities, but he hadn't anticipated such ignorance. With a sense of resignation, he nodded. "If you like it, it's yours."

"Thanks, Bing!" Sun Meng beamed, her eyes crinkling with happiness.

As she twirled around with her new necklace, she caught sight of Qin Mengli standing next to her and her face flushed with embarrassment. "Mengli... I'm sorry! I completely forgot about you! Um... you..."

"I don't care for such cheap trinkets," Qin Mengli said flatly, giving Tang Bing a nonchalant glance. "Nowadays, you can walk into any jewelry store and pick out any diamond you want."

"I think it's quite nice!" Sun Meng's smile returned upon hearing Qin Mengli's disinterest. "Then it's settled—it's mine, right?"

"Whatever!" Qin Mengli glanced sideways at Tang Bing, then turned and slipped quietly into the factory building.

"Thanks, Bing!" Sun Meng joyfully fiddled with the silver necklace around her neck, sweetly expressing her gratitude to Tang Bing before bouncing off to catch up with Qin Mengli.

It was a close call with that mutant zombie; I nearly lost my life, Tang Bing reflected with a slight sigh. Neither Zhao Dagang nor Qin Mengli had any clue about the danger, but at least Sun Meng's appreciation offered him some solace. He didn't see the point in bringing up the mutant zombie; it seemed pointless.

"Bing, did you manage to find what you were looking for?" Zhao Dagang inquired with curiosity as he walked alongside Tang Bing into the building and up the stairs.

"Yes," Tang Bing nodded, "I got it."

"Where is it? Can I have a look?" Zhao Dagang's curiosity was piqued. Since Tang Bing's arrival, he hadn't noticed him carrying any sort of bag for his finds.

Tang Bing caught Zhao Dagang's inquisitive look and, after a moment's thought, pulled out the recently acquired smartphone from his pocket, "Here!"

"A phone?" Zhao Dagang paused, taken aback, "Bing, you spent all that time out there just for this phone? It looks second-hand..."

"It's an upgrade from what I had before!" Tang Bing replied with a slight smile, "Is there a problem with wanting to replace my phone?"

"Uh—no, not at all!" Zhao Dagang's face twisted into a puzzled expression, clearly skeptical of the response, but he wasn't one to pry too deeply. His curiosity lasted only a moment before he shifted the conversation, "Bing, while you were out, I was browsing the net on my phone and came across a distress signal. It was on that survivor forum you mentioned before."

"Why fuss over a distress signal?" Tang Bing responded nonchalantly, "That forum is meant for survivors to connect; it's flooded with pleas for help."

"But this one's different. The address in the message is at the plaza building, just about three kilometers from here," Zhao Dagang said, looking earnestly at him, "If we drive, we could be there in minutes. Bing, should we check it out, maybe rescue whoever's there?"

"The plaza building? Which one are you talking about?" Tang Bing's brow furrowed at the mention, "There are several buildings at the plaza!"

"Ugh, that person mentioned some specific traits, but I just can't remember them!" Zhao Dagang scratched his head in frustration. "My phone's dead, so I can't look it up. Bing, is your new phone charged? Maybe we could check the forums to find out where the survivors are!"

Tang Bing halted and gave Zhao Dagang a pointed look. "You think I'm some kind of messiah? There's a distress signal out there, sure, but if I don't respond, someone else will. Surviving is hard enough for us as it is; we don't have the luxury to worry about others. Forget about it and let's just focus on ourselves."

"But Bing, the majority of A City's survivors have fled to B City, seeking refuge in the military sanctuary!" Zhao Dagang pleaded, his face etched with concern. "If we don't help them, maybe no one else will. The people calling for help could die!"

"Do you even know if the person in need is male or female?" Tang Bing asked, his tone detached.

"I don't know!" Zhao Dagang admitted, shaking his head.

"Is it an elderly person or a child?"

"I don't know!"

"Is the person disabled or injured?"

"I don't know that either!"

"Do you know if it's just one person or a group?"

"I... I still don't know!"

"If you're clueless about everything, why bother at all?" Tang Bing's face remained impassive. "Three kilometers might not seem far, but do you have any idea how many zombies are out there? Believe me, the moment we drive out, we'll be swarmed! We'd be dead in an instant, so what's the point in talking about saving others?"

"But... it's still a human life!" Zhao Dagang insisted desperately. "Bing, you could get online and find out if they're male or female, or if they're injured. Get all the details! If we can't drive, we'll walk. You just walked a good distance yourself, right? There are so few survivors left; we should save any we can. Living people need to stick together to have the strength to fight off the zombies!"

Tang Bing stared at him, dumbfounded. This guy turned out to be quite the idealist.