C75 The Girls Who Had Not Been Saved Questioned Tang Bing's Decision.

Gazing out from the factory building, the supermarket was once again overrun, the zombies swarming and claiming it as their own.

The foul stench of decay drew the nearby zombies into a frenzy. Tang Bing had previously succeeded in drawing the horde away, only for the blood from a student to coalesce into a formidable lure.

"We need to find a way to distract these zombies, or we won't be able to scavenge for supplies anytime soon!" Tang Bing mused, frustrated by the mounting complications. He regretted his earlier decision—if only he had restrained himself from killing. Eliminating someone of little consequence might have been psychologically satisfying, but it had only brought more problems.

Tang Bing realized he hadn't been cool-headed. He could have avoided killing, intentionally missing his shots to scare them off. That way, the blood wouldn't have attracted the zombies.

What did it matter how other survivors treated women? He hadn't intervened to save the female survivors, and killing a wrongdoer brought no advantage—only more trouble for the team.

He resolved that next time, unless absolutely necessary, he would refrain from killing. Unless, of course, someone meant him harm—then he'd have to strike first.

One error could escalate into a greater crisis. He wasn't alone; he had to consider those who depended on him.

The allure of blood to zombies was alarmingly strong. Tang Bing was relieved that when Zhao Dagang and Qin Mengli were injured, he had quickly bandaged Sun Meng's wounds, containing the bleeding and preventing the scent from spreading. Otherwise, the factory might now be overrun with zombies.

Shaken by the close call, he recalled why Sun Meng and the others had stocked up on sanitary pads. Turning to address the women, he said, "You ladies, if you're on your period, you must be extra cautious! You've seen firsthand how sensitive zombies are to the scent of blood. If we want to keep the factory safe from a zombie breach, we need to be smart about it."

Discussing such a matter in front of the four women made them uncomfortable, but Tang Bing's point was valid. Having witnessed the zombie outbreak, they knew that survival meant heeding his warning.

Teacher Lin and Liang Hui, mother and daughter, couldn't shake off their unease about Tang Bing's history of violence. They were too apprehensive to speak or even make eye contact with him, their minds a whirlwind of anxiety.

Initially, they had seen Tang Bing as a kind-hearted, helpful man and a capable leader. But the revelation that he had killed several people in the post-apocalyptic world left them shocked. He was a murderer, his hands stained with blood. Despite understanding that he likely bore them no ill will, they couldn't settle their nerves, plagued by a mix of worry and fear. The presence of a real killer among them was an immense psychological burden.

Qin Mengli and Sun Meng, on the other hand, were somewhat more at ease, thanks to their prior experiences with Zhang Tao and his group. They also learned from Zhao Dagang that Tang Bing had initially intended to rob supplies and had attempted to trade female survivors, whom they had coerced, for weapons, treating the women as mere commodities.

As women themselves, Mengli and Sun Meng were naturally disturbed by the act of killing. Yet, they could understand Tang Bing's motives and didn't see a major fault in his actions. They were also relieved that their group was free of such vile behavior. Given Tang Bing's strength and arsenal, they knew that no one would dare oppose him if he commanded.

"Bing, why didn't you rescue those female survivors? They're in such a dire situation," Sun Meng questioned, having overcome her initial reservations. "With your and Zhao's capabilities, especially with guns at your disposal, it should have been straightforward. Those poor women are probably enduring terrible abuse just to scrape by with a little food."

"Exactly," Qin Mengli chimed in, agreeing that they should have helped. "We should assist others when it's within our power to do so."

"Are you all just looking for something to do?" Tang Bing, not wanting to rehash his previous explanation to Zhao Dagang, interjected with a frown. "Instead of this, focus on unloading the supplies from the car! Most of those items are for you women. I've done my part by bringing them back. Now divide them up and stow them away quickly!"

When Tang Bing spoke with such authority, the women fell silent and sprang into action. They hurried downstairs, quickly retrieving their needed feminine products from the "shopping train." After discussing the distribution, they packed the items into large plastic bags and carried them upstairs to their rooms.

"Bing, the zombies are gathering again! What's our move?" Zhao Dagang peered anxiously toward the noisy supermarket before turning to Tang Bing for guidance.

"We can't abandon the supermarket; it's packed with supplies," Tang Bing said, his brow furrowed as he surveyed the scene outside. "The rice alone could sustain us for a long time! But drawing the zombies out is a gamble with our lives. Once or twice, we might manage, but if we keep at it, one mistake could be fatal."

"Bing, we can't afford to lose you; you're the backbone of this team!" Zhao Dagang paused, then offered, "How about I give it a shot? I can drive out and draw the zombies away. If something happens to me, it's not as critical. With you here, the team will feel secure."

Tang Bing gave Zhao Dagang an unexpected look, touched by his trust and willingness to sacrifice for the group. But he shook his head. "Luring the zombies is too risky for anyone but me. It's not that I doubt you, but even if you succeed in drawing them away, there's no guarantee you'd return. And you have feelings for Liang Hui, right? You need to stay alive to pursue her! My real concern is that even if we manage to distract the zombies time after time, unforeseen events or other survivors could draw them back, encircling us again. The city center, while rich in supplies, is also teeming with danger—and the likelihood of encountering mutant zombies seems to be increasing..."

"Bing, I'm lost. Can you break it down for me?" Zhao Dagang looked puzzled.

Tang Bing let out a sigh. "What I'm saying is, the city center is great for scavenging supplies and resources, but it's incredibly dangerous. It may not be the best place for us to settle down—it could threaten our lives at any moment. In our situation, the best spots for survival are the more secluded areas with fewer people and pets."

"Bing, are you saying we have to move?" Zhao Dagang pondered, "But what about our future food and supply needs?"

Tang Bing reflected for a moment, "My thought is to find a spot that's secluded yet accessible. It doesn't necessarily have to be a village or town; even a wilderness location would do. But it must be both remote and accessible. That way, we won't constantly face hordes of zombies like we do now. If there are any zombies, they'll be isolated wanderers, which are much easier to handle. Plus, with good access, we can drive into town anytime to scavenge for supplies."

"But Bing, scavenging for supplies would still be dangerous," Zhao Dagang expressed his concern. "And what about the four girls? Without the protection of high walls, they could be in danger at any moment!"

"We can build houses and walls," Tang Bing replied calmly. "Cities were built by humans! Any place can become a town with people in it."

"That's easy for you to say!" Zhao Dagang countered, shaking his head. "We don't have any architects or bricklayers among us. I'm just a laborer; I don't know the first thing about building houses or walls."

Tang Bing considered the mysterious system he had access to, which allowed him to create bricks in the furnace as long as he had enough clay—and clay was plentiful in the wilderness. Even more crucially, he could endlessly construct barbed fences from the wood they gathered. Clearly, it was the ideal location. So he responded, "I can handle building houses and walls. The real issue is transportation. Our sports car and the old clunker we found can't fit everyone at once. Splitting into two cars doesn't sit right with me. If we're going to relocate, we need to find a larger vehicle first—something like the bus we had before or the trucks used by those survivors."

"I'm not opposed to the idea," Zhao Dagang mused, "but it's been tough finding a stable place to settle. The girls might just be getting used to it. Suddenly shifting to a remote spot in the suburbs, facing the elements—it might be hard for them to accept at first. And moving our supplies won't be easy! The most critical issue is finding a clean, uncontaminated water source."

"Indeed, we're facing a multitude of issues!" Tang Bing conceded, agreeing with Zhao Dagang's assessment. "But we can't just sit around and wait for the end, can we? Remember how A City's military sanctuary was overrun? The sheer number of zombies in the city was horrifying. Can you honestly say that we won't face a similar tide of zombies here? What would we do if that happened?"

The mere thought sent a shiver down Zhao Dagang's spine, and he quickly grasped the gravity of their predicament. "So, Bing, looks like we have no choice but to move, huh? But what about our supplies..."

Tang Bing mused to himself, I've got a virtual backpack – supplies are the least of my worries. Right now, it's stocked with enough food and water to last everyone for six months to a year. And we can take all the resources here with us when we leave.

Plus, with the system's capabilities, I can test water sources anywhere, which is invaluable for locating uncontaminated, clean water. My real concern is how to set up a new camp and erect protective walls without revealing the system. How to transport and access all the supplies without raising suspicion is the tricky part. These challenges have been on my mind for a while now.

The repeated zombie sieges in recent times have highlighted the struggle to survive in the city's heart. I'm resolved to relocate to a safer area, but executing the move is a significant challenge. If it were just me, there'd be no issue at all – I'd do as I please. But leading a team requires caution. Above all, I must keep the system's secrets from the others.