"Young man, have a cup of tea. My humble abode is rather simple, I'm afraid it has made a fool of me."
In the hall of Villa Number One, an old man poured a cup of tea for Wang Yu.
Wang Yu sat on the sofa, looking at the white-haired but energetic old man opposite him.
"Although it's not as luxurious as the other 14 villas here, your master seems very unusual."
The old man, though advanced in age, was remarkably robust. He sat up straight, his posture unyielding.
He must have come from a military background.
And with his well-defined features and sword-like white eyebrows, he must have been quite handsome in his youth.
The white-haired old man chuckled kindly, "What's so different? They're all ordinary people, with two arms and two legs. Facing tens of thousands of zombies, it's a dead end for everyone."
"I'm just like them, trapped in these expensive, dilapidated houses, barely clinging to life."
Wang Yu glanced at the steaming teacup on the coffee table, then withdrew his gaze.
He continued to ask, "May I know your name, sir? And what business do you have with me?"
The old man sighed faintly, "I'm just a coarse fellow, not worthy of the title 'sir.' You can call me Old Man Han."
What he had said earlier was merely an attempt to appear profound.
He wanted Wang Yu to inquire further so he could casually reveal his military background.
But Wang Yu seemed to have seen through his intentions and didn't ask further...
So the old man had to change his strategy and said, "Young man, the fact that you were able to suddenly take over the entire Haichen Garden from Jia Xuewen shows you are no ordinary person."
"Do you know why someone like me, who appears so ordinary, can occupy Villa Number One?"
Wang Yu pondered for a moment, "Because of your child?"
The old man nodded, "Yes, but not entirely."
"I joined the army at 17 and served in the South China Sea navy for a while. I earned some merits and saved some money."
"My son is the current director of the Haixin City Police Department. He and his wife contributed half of the funds, along with my lifetime savings, to buy this villa."
"Originally, it was agreed to be for my granddaughter, but after they bought it, neither of them moved in, saying they were too busy and it was too far away. They didn't have the time."
"Instead, they let an old man like me live in this luxurious villa, saying it lacked life without anyone living in it."
Wang Yu was a little speechless.
If this isn't bragging, what is?
Saving some money was enough to cover half the price of Villa Number One?
That's at least twenty million?
Damn it, even serving a lifetime in the navy wouldn't yield that much money!
"The Police Department Headquarters is in Longhua District, which is a bit far from here, about an hour's drive," Wang Yu casually remarked, as if continuing the conversation.
"Old sir, it would be best to get straight to the point. I don't think you're someone who likes to beat around the bush."
The old man laughed heartily, a little embarrassed, "Indeed, I've never liked beating around the bush."
"Then I, this old man, will be direct. Young man, although I don't know what exactly happened in Jia Xuewen's villa."
"After the power went out there, I observed the situation with night vision binoculars. I saw you jump down from the second floor with two women in your arms, without bending your knees upon landing."
"That's very unusual! I've seen quite a few martial arts experts, and some of them are skilled in Qinggong, but nowhere near your level. Later, I saw your people carrying out bodies."
"Although I don't know how you managed to eliminate Jia Xuewen's dozens of men in just ten minutes, the fact that you could do it proves you are very capable."
"Now, in this time of national crisis, my son is the Director of the Police Department, and you..."
"Hold on, hold on!" Wang Yu interrupted the old man, "You're not going to ask me to save your son and serve him by fighting zombies, are you?"
Wang Yu didn't want to be put on a pedestal to undertake some mission to save the citizens; that wasn't his business.
The old man shook his head, "No, no, you've misunderstood."
"Misunderstood?"
Wang Yu looked at the old man with confusion. What national crisis, you have strength, wasn't this the usual progression to convince oneself to serve the country loyally?
The old man continued, "I've spent my whole life in the army, so I've seen all sorts of people."
"From the moment I met you, I knew you were ambitious."
"And then?" Wang Yu suddenly became interested.
This old man wasn't following the usual script.
"A wise man emerges in troubled times. A strong individual like you might be a destabilizing factor in peaceful times."
"But this world is just right for you now. I have a premonition that you can lead many people to survive."
"So, I thought, if you're interested in the weapons and personnel of the Police Department, I can have my son listen to you."
"Oh?" Wang Yu was a bit surprised, "Have my son listen to me? Your son is a legitimate government official. Wouldn't it be better for him to command the firearms and personnel?"
The old man sighed, "Precisely because of his position, he is not suitable."
"In times of chaos, strong measures must be taken. I, this old man, have been through it all. I've saved people, killed people, and commanded people."
"So I know better than him what kind of person is truly suitable to lead others in this chaotic era."
Having said that, he shifted his gaze from the window to Wang Yu.
"As I said, this old man may not be as capable as you in other aspects, but I am quite good at judging people."
"I believe that in the whole of Haixin City, there is no one more suitable than you."
Wang Yu fell silent, not because he was embarrassed by the old man's praise.
But because he couldn't believe the old man saw things so clearly, understanding the situation with such insight.
His son's position was both power and limitation. The public would listen to him, but not entirely.
Saving lives and protecting the weak was his duty, and what the public desired.
But in the apocalypse, such a responsibility was immense, and difficult to maintain for long.
And if he failed, he would be condemned by everyone. With his ordinary abilities, he would be unable to control the overall situation.
The base would eventually crumble and be engulfed by the zombie horde.
This was not an imagined developmental pattern; Wang Yu had witnessed it firsthand in his previous life.
"By the way, what's your son's name?" Wang Yu suddenly asked.
"Han Yu."
"It's really him!"
Wang Yu had been wondering if the base that was swallowed by the zombie horde in his previous life was led by this old man's son.
He hadn't expected it to be true!
The base led by Han Yu in his previous life, in the beginning, was all about saving lives, accepting survivors, treating everyone equally regardless of gender or age.
But the crucial task of going out to gather supplies fell upon the adult men, while the women, elderly, and children stayed in the base, enjoying the fruits of their labor.
This situation was unsustainable. No one was willing to share food obtained from the brink of death with strangers.
Especially some young men, who demanded Han Yu change the rules.
Either they would have gender equality, and everyone would go out to find food together.
Or they would have the right to distribute the food, which would make it easier for them to find girlfriends and wives.
The women naturally disagreed. What a joke! How dangerous it was to go out!
It was the early days of the apocalypse, and how many women dared to fight zombies?
Han Yu was helpless and could only compromise.
He allowed the supply collection teams to keep a small portion of the acquired supplies each time, with the rest handed over to the logistics department for unified distribution.
But even with this, the supply collection teams became increasingly dissatisfied.
They possessed most of the weapons and had rich combat experience.
Furthermore, they rapidly improved their strength by consuming insect crystals.
Eventually, Han Yu was replaced by the captain of the supply collection team, and the base began to become his private property, with everyone becoming his subordinates.
Soon, hedonism began to prevail. Evolved individuals indulged in pleasure, while ordinary people were reduced to slaves.
Ultimately, everyone perished at the hands of the zombies.