Infinite Ebullience

Tang Zheng ignored their belittling and jeering. After finishing the beef, he casually threw the empty can and announced, "Whoever is ready to go with me to the hotel kitchen to find food, I'll give them canned food. Ha, after all, it's a deadly endeavor. I can't let people starve to death."

Everyone was stunned by Tang Zheng's remarks, gaping enough to fit a duck egg. They all thought this young guy was insane. They had been safe for no more than ten minutes, yet he was already thinking of going out to find food. They were well aware that the beings roaming outside were no longer humans but extremely vicious zombies. Let alone how many they would encounter on the way to the kitchen, even if they safely reached it, occupying it would come with a high price. After all, everyone knew that in a five-star hotel like Oasis, there would be no less than twenty staff members including chefs and waiters. Now those would be twenty zombies.

"What if there is no food in the kitchen? Won't it be a wasted trip?" Kang Songde was searching for reasonable excuses for his retreat.

"Impossible. Hotels of this scale have freezers. Even if there are no fresh vegetables, they definitely won't be lacking frozen seafood and meat. That stock will be enough for us to eat for fifteen days. Of course, the premise is to clear them out before the zombies can cause any destruction." Tang Zheng swept a glance around, raised his voice, and asked, "Have you made up your mind? Who's coming with me?"

No one answered. It was an awkward silence.

"It seems you guys aren't hungry yet." Tang Zheng chuckled, fiddling with his folding knife. But in his heart, he wasn't as serene as he appeared. Without enough people and combat power, he wouldn't risk it. It was just a pity about the canned food. He had hoped to stimulate them, but it was ineffective. "If we ration it, three cans and three packets of instant noodles should last at least seven days."

"We should first observe the habits of the zombies. Once we have a rough idea, we can make a move. Please understand that rash actions can cost lives. If you can't guarantee everyone's safety, please shut up. And by the way, not everyone is fearless like you." Zhao Jingye sneered, seemingly considering everyone's best interest. He immediately earned the approval of many, including the maintenance worker and the high school student.

"The first choice people make in the face of danger is always to dodge. Any excuse allows you to retreat honorably. It's nothing but a manifestation of cowardice." Qin Yan calmly observed with a cold smile on her face. She understood why these people were agreeing with Zhao Jingye so eagerly. They didn't want to be seen as cowards nor admit their fear. Now they have a dignified reason, so of course they chimed in.

"What if the zombies evolve to become more powerful in two days? Most of you have played zombie games, right? From what I see, the three zombies outside are the weakest. If we encounter something like a Tank or Hunter from those survival games, can we still continue to chill?" Tang Zheng tried to persuade them again, attempting to convince them. If he had not been outnumbered and aware of his abilities, he would have gone solo and wouldn't have put up with this.

The stewardesses and high school students wavered. These youngsters had watched zombie movies and played zombie games, their horrifying memories fresh. If special infected zombies really evolved, it would spell disaster.

"That's just your opinion. No one has seen zombies before; how could they be sure that they would evolve? Do you expect everyone to risk their lives on an unproven assumption? This isn't a game; you can't just respawn over and over again if you get bitten while sitting behind a computer screen." Zhao Jingye immediately added fuel to the fire, signaling Zeng Xue and Xu Lu with his eyes to support him.

"For all we know, you might be planning to use us as bait to attract zombies so you can grab the food on your own." Xu Lu bit wildly with her words. As soon as she opened her mouth, everyone was startled, instinctively looking at Tang Zheng. At this point, every gaze was filled with distrust and caution.

"Damn it." Tang Zheng swore under his breath, almost furious to death. This was something he couldn't refute. As a stranger, why should they trust him? By giving speeches like a politician? He didn't think he had that kind of persuasive power.

"What's the matter? Speechless now, are you? You hypocrite." Xu Lu had a smile on her face, looking like a victorious general, she stood up and walked to the bright floor-to-ceiling window, continuing to reprimand Tang Zheng, "You're too conceited, always thinking you know best. You've put us in danger numerous times. Just look at those policemen outside, surrounding Oasis Hotel armed to the teeth, there's at least a few hundred of them. If they hadn't suddenly turned into zombies, we'd all be done for."

"Xu Lu, Tang Zheng did all that to secure weapons for everyone." Upon hearing 'armed to the teeth', Qin Yan finally understood why he shouted about attacking the Oasis Hotel during the bus hijack. He was worried there wasn't enough time and that the SWAT wouldn't arrive. As for making the receptionist call 911 again, it was to prove that he wasn't spreading false information. If the police director doubted his intentions and hesitated even for a moment, it would have been a disaster. Considering the ten-minute timeframe, it was indeed a tight situation.

However, it seems Tang Zheng's plan was successful. At least the policemen turned into zombies only after they reached the hotel and set up the defense. Not to mention the dozen armored vehicles from SWAT and five helicopters. They clearly took Tang Zheng's claim of heavy firepower seriously.

Seeing everyone's expressions relax after Qin Yan explained the deduction,

"And that's not all. With so many police cars outside, including the bulletproof SWAT vehicles, escaping from Los Angeles wouldn't be much of an issue." Lin Weiguo had guessed Tang Zheng's intention early on but kept quiet, wanting to see how many people could understand his plan. He was slightly disappointed to see that not many did. As a former 'Southern Sword', he had been covertly observing, selecting strong and trustworthy companions.

Xu Lu looked slightly embarrassed and stubbornly retorted, "It must have been a lucky guess. Besides, what good is it to have guns? There are hundreds of police zombies outside. Do you dare to go out and seize one?"

"Right, it makes no difference having a gun we can't reach. Dealing with hundreds of police zombies is too difficult. Plus, they're quite close. If one gets alerted, perhaps all of them might come over." When Zeng Xue voiced out this concern, the eager ones among the group lost their enthusiasm. Disappointment took over their faces. Who wouldn't want a weapon for self-defense at a time like this? But the challenge was too great.

"I have a way, but will I tell you?" Tang Zheng teased everyone with that comment and then ignored them, climbing onto the couch to sleep. He needed to save his energy for the actions of the night.

Everybody was ticked off by him, but they couldn't help but wonder about his plan to take out the hundreds of zombies blocking the door. Although they didn't want to admit it, everyone's opinion of Tang Zheng had improved. His strategic perspective was admirable, as were his calm and methodical thoughts - key for survival.

Everyone began to regret their hasty refusal, but they quickly became grateful that they had not acted impulsively, as screams and cries for help echoed on the street outside the Oasis Hotel. These were quickly cut off as surviving humans were caught by zombies, followed by the chilling sound of zombies tearing and chewing on flesh. A few flight attendants mustered the courage to look through the floor-to-ceiling windows and then turned pale, vomiting on the spot. Their lips trembled, unable to utter a word.

Regardless, the search for food was abruptly brought to an end, and silence once again fell over the room.

..........

PS: Here comes the first update.