Phuong International Complex wasn't far from here.
Look over there—the tallest building was the Phuong International Complex, one of the most luxurious residential areas under the Hoang Corporation.
The price per square meter was shockingly high.
Based on his previous salary, even if he worked his entire life, he probably couldn't afford a single small room in there.
He looked up, full of admiration, but without a trace of envy. Others could live inside because they earned it through their own abilities.
Besides, he now had a place of his own too.
A good mindset to have.
"It takes thirty minutes to get to Phuong International Complex from here."
The route was definitely full of danger. There were too many zombies, and he feared he wouldn't be able to fend them off.
He left the broker's office.
"Boss, let me borrow your electric scooter for a bit. I'll return it to you later," Lam Pham, who was somewhat familiar with the handsome shop owner, asked politely.
He had been educated well—when borrowing someone's belongings, it was important to ask. If the owner didn't want to lend, you couldn't force them.
Fortunately, the owner was nice and didn't refuse, meaning he was willing to lend it.
Riding the small Emma-brand electric scooter, he sped forward.
The road was cluttered with abandoned cars, many of them flipped over. Inside one of the cars in the middle of the street, a zombie was banging against the windows, unable to get out.
The wind brushed across his face—it felt surprisingly nice.
Along both sides of the road, inside shops, were scattered zombies. When no one was around, they appeared docile, but once they spotted a target, they turned disturbingly agile.
Beep beep!
Lam Pham pressed the horn and maxed out the scooter's speed.
Roar!
Zombies hiding in nearby shops heard the sharp sound, and burst out, ferociously chasing after Lam Pham.
"Hey! You zombies keep chasing me like this—you better train more or your bodies won't be able to handle it!" Lam Pham shouted while riding, glancing back.
Suddenly, a zombie jumped out in front of him. Its body leaned forward, mouth wide open, roaring as it lunged toward him at high speed.
There were stragglers ahead and a horde behind—a full-on zombie chase.
With one hand, he drew his sword and slashed down in one clean motion—whoosh! A hideous zombie head flew into the air, drawing a beautiful arc before falling to the ground.
On both sides of the street stood tall buildings, and naturally, there were survivors.
People who still lived now would cautiously peek out when they heard noise on the street, observing the situation. They had mostly lost hope in the world.
Staying alive was a form of torment.
However, seeing that scene just now, they were stunned.
"Holy crap! Who is that guy? He's actually riding a scooter through the streets!"
"Signal him! Let him know we're here!"
"Don't be reckless. You think he can really escape on an electric scooter?"
Some wanted to call for help, but others knew—there was no way he'd make it. In the end, he'd be torn apart by zombies, dying a miserable death.
A long while later...
Lam Pham looked back. At some point, the chasing zombies had vanished.
The surroundings fell silent once more.
"This is the Phuong International Complex… wow, it really is unbelievably luxurious." Standing at the entrance, he glanced around. The environment inside was leagues above where he used to live.
He parked the scooter to the side, surveyed the area, then turned his gaze toward the grand entrance before slowly walking in.
As he passed the security booth, he stopped. In high-end communities like this, registration was typically required for entry.
Although there were no guards now, he still filled in the guest book—he didn't want to cause trouble for others. That, in his eyes, was already a great form of respect.
He picked up a pen and wrote in the logbook:
Name: Lam PhamGender: MaleID Number: 3209 23200806092 338Visit Time: …
He looked up at the wall clock inside the booth and wrote down the time.
Host: Tran Cuong, Building 3
After registering, he handed the book back, then entered the complex, searching for that building.
"Building 3, Building 3..."
He looked up, searching for Building 3.
"This one is Building 8. That means Building 3 must be farther inside." As he moved deeper into the complex, it felt like walking into a luxury resort—lush flowers and greenery everywhere, the landscape truly stunning.
Not far away was a fountain and flower pond, though there were several bloodied corpses floating inside, giving off a foul stench that ruined the view.
He didn't disturb anyone. A poor guy like him entering a fancy place like this couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.
"Found it."
He looked up. The sign for Building 3 appeared.
"Mr. Tran said he'd be on the rooftop… that's the very top, huh. I wonder if the elevator's still working. If not, I'll have to climb."
Lam Pham looked up. It was over thirty stories tall—really high. But since he finally found someone willing to give him a place to stay, no matter how high, he had to climb.
Creak…
A zombie wobbled slowly from the corner.
Though covered in blood, it was obvious this used to be a beautiful woman. She wore a delicate-looking necklace that dangled down to her chest.
She was wearing high heels—likely twisted her ankle while running, so her gait looked strange.
Her head was tilted, black blood dripping from her mouth, long black hair covering half her face.
As soon as she saw Lam Pham, she growled and charged at high speed.
Her chest bounced with each step. Her thin clothes barely concealed anything, occasionally revealing flashes of skin.
Slash! Slash!
Without emotion, Lam Pham raised his sword and cleanly decapitated the female zombie.
Thud thud thud…
The severed head rolled along the ground, finally coming to a stop with gray, terrifying eyes staring directly at Lam Pham.
[Zombie killed][Points earned: +1]
Lam Pham shook his head. He never wanted to hurt anyone. Even if they had turned into zombies and were no longer human, they still had a right to exist.
But regardless, attacking others was unacceptable.
In a situation like this, it was simply self-defense.
He didn't stop and walked toward Building 3.
There was an electric gate, locked. On the ground lay a key—someone must've tried to get inside but didn't make it and was dragged off by zombies. The dark blood on the floor said it all.
He opened the door and entered.
The elevator was still working. He entered, swiped a card, and ding!—the panel showed "Floor 3." It only allowed access to its assigned floor.
Unfortunately, that meant he had to take the stairs.
The hallways were quiet. Each floor had windows that let in sunlight, brightening what would've otherwise been a dark corridor.
But come nightfall, the place would be pitch-black and eerie.
Luckily, he didn't run into any zombies. Eventually, he reached the door to the rooftop.
It was blocked by a metal gate.
"Mr. Tran, are you there?"
Lam Pham lightly knocked on the door, keeping his voice low to avoid startling the other person.
But what he didn't know was…
Behind that door, something utterly inhumane was taking place.