As a result, Hong Tao won the bet. The zombies really can't swim. Hong Tao observed them at his doorstep for many days and didn't see a single zombie jump into the sea. Besides, their perception distance must be limited, which means that no matter if it's through hearing, smell, or any other means, the distance at which zombies can detect human activity won't be too far.

Once they are beyond this distance, they immediately lose their target and enter a state of confusion, continuing to bask in the sun as if nothing happened.

This is similar to some animals, such as crocodiles. Although these large reptiles are fierce, they rarely actively chase their prey. They only wait for the prey to come to them, lacking the collective intelligence and leadership of wolves.

"...Someone was knocking and setting fires in the north a few days ago. I couldn't see it from here, but it should be someone, right?" You Yi was originally quite excited. This should be considered a narrow escape.

But the man below was too calm, as calm as asking for directions occasionally. This calmness is contagious, and his own emotions were infected and disappeared. It feels like a dream. Now that he's awake, all he needs to do is open his eyes and look, without even wiping away his tears.

"Hey! San'er... go to the yards in the north and see if there are any signs of fire. There might be survivors. Search each house!" This is a new situation. Jiao San and Linna didn't find any survivors in the courtyards behind this building. Since they're here, they must search and see.

Most of the nearby zombies have been lured to the other side of the sea. They don't even know the way back home. Searching house by house at this time is not too dangerous. Everyone has become quite skilled at this work. There are also three new members who can take the opportunity to exercise.

Three adults and one child, making Hong Tao run and swim, panting for breath. The members participating in the operation cooperate in groups, killing with enthusiasm and finally reaping the rewards.

You Yi, 30 years old, from Heilongjiang, has thick eyebrows and big eyes, and is not short. Besides his appearance, he also has substance. He is a graduate student from Harbin Institute of Technology and works in a high-tech company in the capital city, specializing in battery materials research.

He got married just two years ago. His wife is a classmate and a local. These two simple buildings are his mother-in-law's house. Although the area is a bit small, it's suitable for a young couple. After working hard for a few years, they will save enough for a down payment and then slowly repay the mortgage. Neither family will suffer too much.

Who would have thought that they would encounter a major disaster just after having a child? If you say it's unfortunate, at least their son is alive, which is fortunate compared to Jiao Qiao, whose family was destroyed in an instant.

Xu Hui, You Yi's son, is 10 months old. Originally surnamed You, they planned to go back to their hometown after his first birthday and let his grandfather give him a formal name. But now, it seems like they will never see his grandfather.

You Yi said that his son's life was exchanged for his wife's life, and he couldn't repay it. So he changed his son's surname to his wife's surname and used the last character of her name, so that when he grows up, he will remember his great mother.

Pan Wenxiang, 25 years old, a local, has a long face and long hair, and is not short. He is even more fierce than Hong Tao, not fat, but his flesh is soft and tender, smooth and white.

After graduating from university, he has been unemployed and has relied on his family for living expenses. His daily routine is playing games, watching anime, chatting, eating, and sleeping... It has been like this for over two years, never changing. The only social activity is occasionally attending a few gatherings with online friends, a typical otaku and freeloader.

Zhang Fengwu, 37 years old, a local, has a big belly and is short. He is a taxi driver with various acne scars on his dark face. Like Jiao Qiao, his wife, daughter, and parents have all turned into walking corpses. If he hadn't gotten up early and hid in the kitchen when he saw the situation was bad, he wouldn't have survived until now. Jiao San and Linna found him standing on the roof that day.

When they were just rescued, the three men were quite excited, crying and laughing, wanting to hug everyone. But when they returned to the courtyard gate by boat and confirmed that they could survive 100%, they fell into silence again. They have experienced too much these days, too much excitement. They need to digest, accept, and adjust themselves, whether it's good or bad.

"Uncle, who among you is an awakened one?" Pan Wenxiang recovered the fastest. Hong Tao hadn't even connected the water pump yet, and he came over and asked questions as if nothing had happened.

"...An awakened one? Someone with special abilities who can learn various ancient martial arts and magic?" Zhang Ke, who is good at daydreaming and often confuses reality with movies and novels, is already familiar with these terms. Even if he hadn't heard of them before, he could guess roughly.

"...And they can learn magic too! Actually, I... I quite like magic..."

Pan Wenxiang actually believed it. Excitement flushed on his fair face, and he couldn't help rubbing his hands. He volunteered very sincerely. He suffered because he didn't know Hong Tao well. If he knew even a tenth of the truth, he wouldn't believe this nonsense.

"Oh, I only have one upgrade scroll left, and it happens to be for the magic system. But it's not easy to distribute among so many people!"

Once he enters Hong Tao's range of persuasion, it becomes dangerous. He doesn't even think before making up lies. He says whatever you like to hear, and with the right expressions, it looks real.

"I have good talent, really. I know fire, ice, wind, thunder, and arcane... I know them all!" Actually, it's not Pan Wenxiang's fault for being foolish. If it were in normal times, even if Hong Tao said these nonsense, he wouldn't believe it. But now that even zombies that are neither human nor ghost have appeared, what can't be believed?

This man in front of him, who insists on being called Uncle, can drive away hundreds of nearby zombies with six or seven subordinates. It would be strange if he didn't have any special abilities or magic!"Indeed, I think you're a smart person... But, it wouldn't be fair if you got the scroll without making any contributions. Besides, I think you're more suited for magic with a stronger offensive power, this scroll is for a wind-based support profession..."

Hong Tao agreed with Pan Wenxiang's statement, nodding continuously, his face full of surprise as if he had discovered a once-in-a-lifetime genius. However, he then started to discuss the difficulties, especially regarding the profession. The more of a homebody one is, the more they prefer the violent output professions that easily stand out, showcasing their manliness. Perhaps it's a case of making up for what they lack.

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"...Support profession... Sir, do you know how to obtain the scroll?" As expected, Pan Wenxiang immediately lost half of his interest in the scroll, but he hadn't completely given up yet.

"Well, it's not a big secret. There might be energy crystals in the intestines one inch below the belly button of a zombie. If you get three crystals, you can merge them into a scroll. But don't touch the zombies killed by others, that would cause conflicts, understand?" After a slight hesitation, Hong Tao still told Pan Wenxiang the secret, but he spoke in a very low voice.

"Have they obtained any energy crystals after killing so many zombies?"

A layer of sweat appeared on Pan Wenxiang's nose due to excitement. He had met a good person who casually told him such a valuable secret. However, he wasn't a fool, he immediately thought that if it was that simple, wouldn't there be awakened ones all over the streets.

"Hey, these energy crystals are very rare and they are particularly picky about people. Take me for example, when I first discovered zombies, I didn't know how to kill them. I stabbed them randomly with a fire hook, and ended up piercing a zombie's stomach, where I found an energy crystal. I've collected seven so far. They've killed dozens of zombies but haven't found a single one, I don't know why."

This question couldn't be answered too explicitly, that would seem very fake. Hong Tao just talked about his awakening process, making it sound very confused, not knowing the mystery behind it.

"Sir, that's right, it's all about talent. People without talent can kill as many as they want, but it's useless!" See, Pan Wenxiang was already providing logical support for Hong Tao's nonsense. The books and movie plots he had seen became accomplices, messing with his mind.

"...Right! It seems to be the case... Young people are really smart, why didn't I think of such a simple truth!" Hong Tao slapped Pan Wenxiang's shoulder with a sudden realization, causing the young man to grimace in pain!