Duong Quang Residential Complex.
Lam Pham casually left the complex, walking along the silent streets. The scenery was still there, but the people were gone. The once lively streets now appeared desolate and empty, evoking memories of the bustling days before.
Back then, the streets were crowded with people, filled with laughter and chatter.
Now, it was all barren and silent.
"The stores by the roadside are really messy. This time, I'll buy a bit more food to stock up at home," he muttered, heading toward the supermarket.
He didn't want too much interaction with zombies—mainly because he found them unpleasant—but he wasn't afraid of them.
After all, with Frostmourne in his possession, he was confident in his ability to defend himself.
He kept walking.
Chirp chirp!
If you listened carefully, you could hear the sound of a bird chirping.
He spotted a small bird lying on the ground, struggling to flap its wings and stand up.
"Poor little bird," Lam Pham said.
He gently picked up the small bird. Looking up, he noticed a nest in the tree. A quick thought told him that the poor bird must have just hatched and accidentally fallen out.
"You're really lucky to have met me. If it were someone else, you might've ended up roasted on a skewer," he joked.
Climbing the tree, he carefully returned the bird to its nest before jumping down and dusting off his hands. It was just a small act of kindness—something anyone with a bit of goodwill would do naturally.
If you listened closely, you could hear the gentle chirping of the birds above.
It seemed like they were saying:
"Thank you, kind human."
He chuckled.
At the Supermarket.
Entering the supermarket, he found the place even more chaotic than before. He had no idea what had happened after he last left.
Pushing a shopping cart, he wandered through the aisles.
In the apocalypse, the foods that preserved best were instant noodles and frozen foods. Fruits, vegetables, and meats had long since spoiled with time.
Passing through the snack section.
Chips, chocolates, and "Fat Otaku Happy Water" (soda).
"So much junk food," he muttered.
He glanced at the snacks but didn't intend to buy any. Though he had a job and a seemingly decent salary now, he had a Manh Manh to support. Saving money was the better choice.
After all, baby formula and diapers were expensive.
Suddenly—
He heard a sound.
A zombie appeared.
Normally, he wouldn't react much to seeing a zombie. Ever since the apocalypse began, he had cut down many unfriendly zombies.
However, this one was different—it was wearing a police uniform.
"A real police officer uncle, huh? Probably came to patrol the supermarket, checking for shoplifters," Lam Pham joked to himself.
He didn't attack.
Instead, he quietly waited.
"Officer uncle, I pay for my purchases. I'm a good person," he said sincerely.
He didn't want any misunderstandings.
Surely a sharp-eyed police officer could tell that he was a law-abiding citizen—even in the apocalypse, he paid for goods and waited at red lights even when there were no cars.
Roar!
The zombie saw Lam Pham but didn't lunge at him like other zombies. Instead, it sniffed the air, staggering slowly toward him.
Lam Pham stood still.
He chose to trust this police officer zombie, at least for now.
Of course, if the zombie really tried to attack, Lam Pham was confident he could dodge and defend himself before it even reacted.
Sniff sniff sniff!
The zombie kept sniffing, as if trying to catch some scent.
"Do I smell or something?" Lam Pham wondered, sniffing his clothes. Nope, they were clean.
"Officer uncle, I'm just buying some dumplings, wontons, and other groceries. I'll pay properly, not steal a thing."
"I usually love helping people too—like if I see criminals, as long as I can ensure my own safety, I'll help catch them and hand them over to the police."
He mumbled on.
If any other survivor saw this scene, they would definitely scream: What the heck... Is this guy mentally ill? Talking to a zombie? And so seriously too?!
But even more shocking—
The zombie didn't bite him.
Maybe it couldn't catch his scent.
The police zombie wobbled past Lam Pham, continuing forward.
"Goodbye," Lam Pham waved.
Whoosh!
The zombie turned its head suddenly and stared at Lam Pham, sniffed the air again, then kept moving, ignoring him.
"Looks like I was wrong before—not all zombies are hostile," Lam Pham thought.
Thinking back to the zombies he had killed before, he reassured himself: No, those ones were definitely hostile. No mistake.
After thinking it through—
He continued shopping.
A while later.
He pushed his cart to the cashier, scanned his items, and paid normally. Nothing out of the ordinary.
He didn't buy too much this time.
Carrying a bag full of groceries, he cheerfully headed back toward Duong Quang Residential Complex.
As he left the supermarket, he ran into the police zombie again.
Nodding politely, he didn't expect the zombie to walk right up to him and sniff again.
"I have my receipt! I paid!" Lam Pham waved the small receipt, showing proof.
Maybe the police zombie understood.
It staggered off.
Watching its retreating back, Lam Pham felt a strange sense of security. Inspecting the same place multiple times—such diligence would leave no room for criminals to escape.
What kind of criminal could evade this level of scrutiny?
The cool breeze brushed past him as he walked down the road, glancing up at the sky. Maybe it was an illusion, but the sky seemed even bluer, even more beautiful.
Maybe it was because there was no more industrial pollution.
Breathing deeply, he felt refreshed.
Suddenly—
He stopped.
"This looks like a government building," he noticed.
A flagpole stood in the distance, the national flag hanging limp and dusty.
He thought for a moment.
Walking over to the flagpole, he carefully wiped the dust off the flag.
"Sigh, damn apocalypse," he muttered.
After a while, the flag looked clean again.
He raised it high.
Saluting the flag, a solemn thought crossed his mind:
Do you think it's just a piece of red cloth? No—it represents twenty-eight years of revolution and the sacrifice of twenty million lives. No matter what, even in the apocalypse...
He wanted the flag to fly freely in the wind, symbolizing that even in the end times, hope must persist.
As long as they worked hard enough, humanity would surely overcome the apocalypse and restore the glory of the nation.