You were supposed to hoard supplies, why the heck did you hoard zombies!

Ding Zhixiong's movements instantly halted, and then he abruptly raised his head.

"Thank you!"

"I'll do anything you ask!"

"Really, I swear! I will never dare to steal again!"

As he spoke, the blood on his forehead kept flowing down, failing entirely to hide the excited expression on his face, and a trace of relief could vaguely be discerned.

Upon hearing this, Du Chao immediately became anxious and hurriedly said:

"Bro Xu, this won't do!"

"The boss had given prior instructions!"

"If anyone dares to violate the company's regulations, they must accept punishment. If we let him go, then the others—"

Xu Lin glanced at him and said softly, "Don't worry, I have a plan."

Du Chao wanted to say more, but seeing the serious expression on his face, in the end, he swallowed the words he was about to say.

Yet, he still didn't put down the knife in his hand.

If necessary, he would do the deed himself.

Everyone was watching how they would deal with Ding Zhixiong. If he didn't die, who would take the company's rules seriously in the future?

Just as he was thinking, he saw Xu Lin already untying the rope from Ding Zhixiong.

The man stood up from the ground, full of gratitude.

"Thank you, Director Xu!"

"I will definitely repay your great kindness and mercy—"

He wanted to say a few more words of thanks and butter up the company's Director Xu, but the other party shook his head and interrupted:

"Don't thank me."

"The opportunity was not given by me."

"Before coming here, I had already inquired about dealing with you."

As Xu Lin spoke, he handed him a homemade short knife and then pointed towards the open space outside the hotel's main entrance.

There were about a dozen zombies aimlessly wandering around.

They were still several meters apart from each other.

"I remember you said when the zombie outbreak happened, your wife mutated too."

"It was you who saved your daughter from her jaws."

"Right?"

Upon hearing these words, Ding Zhixiong's expression immediately turned bitter.

He hung his head, not knowing what to say.

He could only nod silently.

"Good."

"Don't you want to save your daughter?"

"See that open space? There are five zombies."

"If you can kill them all, the company will let you go, and naturally, your daughter can live."

Ding Zhixiong's face changed at once.

Without another word, his body once again knelt on the ground.

"Director Xu! Director Xu!"

"I beg you, please spare my daughter and me!"

"If I go out there, I'm certain I won't make it back alive. How is that different from killing me?"

Just as he was steeling himself to bow a few more times, he already heard Xu Lin continuing to speak: "If you die out there, the company will provide for your daughter until she can work."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"If you don't want to accept these terms, that's fine too."

"Let your daughter go out."

Xu Lin's tone remained very calm.

It was as if he was casually speaking about letting a disobedient kitten or puppy fend for themselves outside.

At this point, Ding Zhixiong was almost completely prostrated on the ground, strong fear causing his shoulders to shake uncontrollably, and the heavy breathing reminiscent of a bellows could be faintly heard.

Send Miao Miao out?

It was as if he could already see such a scene in front of his eyes.

About a dozen zombies swarming, tearing and ripping apart his daughter like a cloth doll, and then swallowing her up.

Miao Miao was still so young, how could he watch her die with his eyes wide open?

He suddenly raised his head.

"Is what you said true?"

"As long as I... go out, Miao Miao can live?"

When Ding Zhixiong spoke, his eyes were fixedly staring at Xu Lin's facial expression, and even his voice had become somewhat hoarse.

At this time, the surrounding crowd had already fallen completely silent, with all eyes focused on the two of them.

Some people were angry, some sympathized, and some were quietly sighing.

But no one dared to plead for mercy anymore.

Xu Lin watched his somewhat fierce gaze and suddenly burst into laughter.

That was exactly the expression he wanted to see.

"I have no reason to lie to you,"

"As long as you dare to walk out of this door,"

"whether you live or die, your daughter can survive."

"If you are lucky enough to come back alive and you've completed my task, I have another opportunity to offer you."

Ding Zhixiong's gaze flickered a few times, then he turned his head to look outside the door.

Just when everyone thought he would rush out like a madman, they heard him suddenly say:

"You only mentioned five zombies."

"That's correct, right?"

Hearing this, Xu Lin laughed again.

He didn't speak, but directly led a few zombie workers around him out of the door, returning a few minutes later covered in blood.

And six heads that looked like bloody gourds.

"Now there are only five,"

"Go."

Everyone's gaze incessantly shifted over his bloodied uniform, gradually turning into a deep fear.

They all saw very clearly the fight that just happened.

He had killed six zombies by himself.

Every single strike was a headshot.

And those smiling zombies that followed him out only served to isolate, blocking all the other zombies that heard the noise and wanted to come closer on the road.

Thus, only five zombies remained in the open space in front of the hotel.

Now everyone's eyes were back on Ding Zhixiong.

Would he go out?

Or more to the point, did he dare to go out?

Facing those zombies that were once human, anyone would inherently feel repulsion and fear.

It's innate in everyone's genes.

A corpse, to begin with, symbolizes death.

A living corpse, for most people, is an unimaginable nightmare.

Ding Zhixiong's complexion was extremely pale, his forehead still dripping with blood.

Going out like this was certain death.

But if he didn't go—

At the same time, Xu Lin was looking at him with a gaze mixed with contempt and disappointment.

Ding Zhixiong's lips trembled a few times, then he suddenly shouted:

"Minister Xu!"

"Remember what you said!"

"Otherwise, I won't let you off even as a ghost!"

The moment he dashed out of the hotel, the already agitated zombies all noticed the figure at the door.

The scent of blood was too tempting for them.

Soon one took the lead and charged forward.

Then the second.

The third.

Just when everyone thought Ding Zhixiong was doomed, he suddenly twisted and ran into the gap between several sedans.

The cars blocked the view of the onlookers, making everyone who saw this scene incredibly tense.

The zombies that followed him also rushed in.

But no screams were heard.

Only occasionally could one see figures moving at the edge of the cars, followed by bodies falling to the ground.

Time ticked by every second, and the tension in everyone's hearts grew tighter and tighter.

Even their breathing became more rapid.

It seemed someone was coming out.

He was covered in blood, his body slightly hunched forward, one hand resting on the hood of a nearby car, looking very exhausted.

Soon someone recognized him and exclaimed:

"Old Ding?"

Enjoy new tales from empire

"It's Old Ding, right!"

"He's still alive, he's still alive!"