C96 The Sound of a Gunshot Suddenly Appeared in the Library.(2)

Initially, Tang Bing opened the minimap, which allowed for zooming in and out. He maximized the map, and the virtual interface displayed the building he was in and all the surrounding structures and streets with crystal-clear precision. It was an incredibly intuitive satellite positioning map, with images that were nearly identical to reality. Every building was labeled with its name—police stations, post offices, supermarkets, apartment complexes, factories, and banks were all clearly marked, making it easy to identify each one and its contents at a glance.

The streets were meticulously detailed as well, and even when zoomed out, the map showed every mountain, river, lake, and field near the suburbs with great precision.

This was fantastic!

Tang Bing was thrilled. With this map, he wouldn't have to stress about future moving plans. A simple search on the virtual map would reveal the most ideal living spots—places far from the zombie-infested city center, rich in resources, and supremely safe.

In the future, when he needed supplies, he could use the map to locate the nearest spot, significantly cutting down the search time.

However, he only had the map for City A. Once he left its bounds, he'd be back to square one. If only he had a national or even a world map, he'd never have to worry about getting lost again. He'd become a walking, personal satellite map, never to lose his way!

But it seemed his luck had run out. After searching the other floors, he found nothing of use, just materials left from dismantled furniture and appliances.

On the fourth floor, in the bedroom, he stumbled upon a safe.

Following his routine, he stripped the room of furniture and appliances, leaving behind only the solitary safe.

Tang Bing looked everywhere but couldn't find the key. It was likely with the homeowner, who was probably still wandering out there somewhere.

Without the key, the immovable safe was a source of frustration.

Tang Bing considered giving up but was too curious about the safe's contents. After trying numerous methods, he discovered that a goat-horn hammer was surprisingly effective at breaking it open.

The safe had a durability of nearly 3000 points, and each strike of the hammer inflicted around 30 points of damage. He'd have to hit it at least a hundred times. Tang Bing didn't mind the effort. The only downside was the soreness in his hands from the relentless hammering.

Despite the challenge, he persevered and, with a final effort, managed to break open the safe using a goat-horn hammer.

You've obtained a gunpowder blueprint!

You've obtained 58 handgun bullets!

You've obtained 35 casings!

You've obtained 43 bullet tips!

You've obtained a standard automatic pistol!

He was genuinely surprised to find that the safe contained a blueprint, a handgun, and ammunition!

Tang Bing couldn't believe that a regular family would own a handgun and bullets. He suspected these items were spawned by the system and wouldn't normally be there. It seemed they only appeared when he intervened, with the system's assistance.

Possessing the gunpowder blueprint would significantly boost your survival capabilities! Required materials for crafting: 1 coal, 1 nitrate powder. Prerequisite: a chemistry station.

Gunpowder is undoubtedly a critical ingredient for manufacturing bullets and explosives, making it an indispensable resource.

With gunpowder at his disposal, he could produce more bullets for his silenced pistol, ensuring more opportunities to use it. Manufacturing casings and bullet tips in the furnace was straightforward, so that wasn't an issue. As long as he had sufficient scrap copper and lead, plus enough gunpowder, he could continuously produce bullets to sustain his battles.

Securing 58 bullets relieved some of his stress. His previous stockpile was nearly depleted, but with this addition, he could last a while longer.

The ordinary pistol wasn't needed for now, so he stowed it in his backpack.

Having scored some valuable items from the residential building, Tang Bing grew hopeful about finding more safes. With numerous affluent homes and apartments in the vicinity, he was sure to uncover additional safes containing the much-needed blueprints, firearms, and ammunition.

Considering the move, he anticipated encounters with zombies, and the likelihood of needing his gun was high. Bullet consumption was a concern, so he had to be fully prepared. The last thing he wanted was to run out of ammo and be left to fend off zombies with just a mace.

The virtual map allowed him to scrutinize the surrounding buildings clearly. By zooming in, he could identify which ones were more opulent, increasing the chances of finding a safe. This strategy was sure to lead him to more safes! Today, he was determined to scavenge diligently and stockpile as many firearms supplies as possible.

Back on the second-floor balcony, Tang Bing saw that more than a dozen zombies had gathered below, all drawn by the noise of his safe-cracking antics.

The racket from bashing the safe with the goat-horn hammer was probably the only downside; the sound was just too loud, easily attracting nearby zombies.

Luckily, he had already drawn the main horde away earlier, so the threat from this smaller group was manageable.

Using the grappling hook to descend to the doorway, Tang Bing swung his mace, charging at the closest zombie and knocking it down with a single blow. He then exploited his agility to take down the rest, using hit-and-run tactics like flying a kite.

After looting the area, he quickly retrieved his grappling hook and headed to the neighboring mansion, scaling the wall to get inside.

While searching, the sudden roar of a vehicle speeding by caught his attention.

"A survivor?" Tang Bing hurried outside at the sound but saw no car; it must have already passed.

He paused, glancing back at the mansion's interior. He had just found another safe in the bedroom that might hold valuable items.

The survivor's car had sped off too quickly to tell where it was headed. And it wasn't as if every survivor encounter meant joining forces, right?

After a moment's thought, Tang Bing decided to ignore the other and resumed his work on the safe with the goat-horn hammer.

Twenty minutes later, he cracked it open.

[Blueprint for the Thunder Gun obtained!]

[13 units of gunpowder obtained!]

[Sniper rifle barrel obtained!]

[30 shotgun shells obtained!]

[15 handgun bullets obtained!]

[30 sheets of paper obtained!]

[13,960 yuan obtained!]

The safe did not disappoint, yielding another blueprint along with various ammunition and parts!

The blueprint revealed that the Thunder Gun was incredibly powerful, requiring 1 unit of plant fiber, 10 units of gunpowder, and 10 sheets of paper to craft, with a workbench as a prerequisite.

More potent than an iron pipe bomb, the Thunder Gun promised to be a formidable weapon of mass destruction—a significant boon for Tang Bing.

Everything else was pretty standard, but the sight of the sniper rifle barrel got him excited all over again.

To create a complete sniper rifle, you need to assemble the barrel, stock, parts, and magazine. But first, you must learn the blueprint for making a sniper rifle!

Unfortunately, Tang Bing hadn't learned the blueprint for the sniper rifle, nor had he even searched for it. Otherwise, he would have definitely built one. How thrilling would it be to snipe enemies? Killing from a distance, unseen, was far easier than taking down zombies up close.

Lost in his exhilarating thoughts, a burst of gunfire from the factory abruptly brought him back to reality.

His heart racing, he dashed out of the mansion without a second thought, leaving his umbrella behind as he bolted through the rain toward the factory.

Upon arriving, he found the iron gate wide open and an unfamiliar van parked outside.

From a distance, he could see seven or eight armed men, all strangers, standing by a bus loaded with supplies. They appeared to have taken Teacher Lin Leyan and Liang Hui hostage and were attempting to hijack the bus full of resources.

On the second-floor landing, Zhao Dagang, Sun Meng, and Qin Mengli were in a standoff. The two women, Mengli and Sun Meng, were visibly terrified, seeking refuge behind Zhao Dagang, who was brandishing a pistol and fiercely berating the intruders. It must have been him who fired the earlier shots.

Yet, Zhao Dagang hesitated to take aim, for Lin Leyan and Liang Hui were in the captors' grasp, creating a tense deadlock between the two sides.