Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Hu Xiaodong’s Troubles
Wang Qiang turned his head in surprise, full of confusion. He was just about to ask what the other person meant when Tang Xiaoquan... walked away on his own and started picking up pieces of paper on the ground as instructed by Hu Xiaodong.
"Brother Quan! Let me help you!" Seeing Tang Xiaoquan’s actions, A-cheng didn’t hesitate and immediately joined in.
With the example set by these two, the remaining people, including Wang Qiang, felt embarrassed to continue standing around foolishly and rolled up their sleeves to get busy.
Hu Xiaodong noticed the change in everyone. He exchanged a look with the elder, and both nodded in satisfaction.
And as the leader of this labor revolution, Tang Xiaoquan naturally left a very good impression on both of them.
Was Tang Xiaoquan really that hardworking? Clearly not.
Years of living as a homebody had long distanced him from the word "clean," and "resigned endurance" was his true portrayal at the moment.
But if that’s the case, why was he so proactive?
The reason is nothing else but survival.
Firstly, the presence of this trash would undoubtedly attract insects like mosquitoes and flies. Although there was no evidence yet to show that mosquitoes and flies could spread the zombie virus, in the apocalypse, even minor illnesses like colds were enough to take a person’s life.
Secondly, among these scattered items on the ground are plastic bags and wine bottles. Walking carelessly might trigger the clinking sounds of "crackle, clatter".
While these sounds might not normally mean much, in a crisis, they could become a deadly death knell.
Finally, it’s also the 18th rule of the Law of Survival: Never overlook any detail in the apocalypse, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Remember, it’s the details that determine success or failure!
After cleaning up for a while, everyone was soon overwhelmed by the scorching sun, with sweat flowing down like water from an opened faucet.
Wang Qiang raised his hand to gaze at the sky, couldn’t help but curse: "Damn you! Why didn’t Hou Yi shoot you down back then!"
"Pfft~" Wenquan Xin couldn’t hold back his laughter, giggling at Wang Qiang’s remark: "Haha, my friend, if it had been shot down, how would we be able to enjoy this free sunbath!"
Still not quite serious, but that’s exactly the kind of nonsensical dialogue between Wang and Wen that dissipated much of the irritation rising from everyone’s boredom.
"Uncle Lin, it’s about time to cook!" Hu Xiaodong rolled up his sleeves and glanced at the Casio mountaineering watch strapped to his wrist; the large dial indicated it was already 11:30 AM.
Uncle Lin nodded, then turned and walked out. However, he had only taken a couple of steps before he stomped back, with a worried look on his face, as if something was troubling him.
He quietly pulled Hu Xiaodong away from the crowd and then whispered in a hoarse voice: "Little Hu, the rice we brought back from the store last time is almost gone. What about today’s food..."
The elder originally wanted to suggest cooking less, but upon second thought, he didn’t have the heart.
After all, it was young people like Hu who were out there fighting for survival every day, while he, an old man almost in his grave, did nothing but cut back on their already scarce rations. In good conscience, he felt it was unreasonable.
So...
Seeing the elder’s hesitant expression, Hu Xiaodong immediately understood his concerns and replied at once: "Uncle Lin, there are a few packages of instant noodles we scavenged today in Wu Chao’s bag. If there’s not enough rice, just cook those. Also, don’t worry about food; I’ll find a way to manage it."
Showing a gentle smile, Hu Xiaodong reassuringly patted the elder’s shoulder, then watched him slowly walk away.
"Sigh~" He let out a silent sigh, then went to a corner of the rooftop and took out a cigarette, lit it, and looked into the distance while rubbing his cheek.
"What’s up, Hu Ge, smoking away your worries all by yourself? Got something on your mind?"
Hu Xiaodong was slightly startled; he turned his head inexplicably only to see a fair-skinned face smiling at him.
"Ah, it’s Xiao Tang! How come you’re here? Why aren’t you with the others?"
With a shrug, Tang Xiaoquan put on a bored expression and replied: "Nothing much, just saw you frowning earlier and thought I’d come over to see if there’s anything I can help with."
Tang Xiaoquan seemed quite casual, looking as if he really came to ease someone’s worries.
However, in fact, ever since he reached the rooftop, he hadn’t stopped observing Hu Xiaodong.
As, in his perspective, this man should be the leader of the team before him, so keeping track of his movements essentially meant keeping track of the entire team’s actions.
Hu Xiaodong formed a smoke ring deliberately and then handed over a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, asking casually: "Want one?"
Tang Xiaoquan shook his head, politely declined: "No thanks."
"Yeah, young people should smoke less; it’s not a bad thing!" Hu Xiaodong responded absentmindedly, before putting the cigarette pack back and continuing to puff away.
"Hu Ge, our joining has brought a lot of trouble for you, hasn’t it?" Seeing the conversation heading toward an impasse, Tang Xiaoquan straightforwardly said: "If it’s about food, we can help solve it."
Tang Xiaoquan said this after careful consideration.
Firstly, food is something they had to gather regardless of whether they met Hu Xiaodong and his group. Now that they met them, why not make use of the opportunity?
Secondly, judging from the current contact, Hu Xiaodong and his group do not seem to be too bad and can be mostly ruled out as those who would rob or hoard collected food.
Finally, whether they liked it or not, Hu Xiaodong was likely to bring up the subject of supplies anyway, so it was better to address it proactively. Doing so not only showed that his team understood the situation but also helped earn goodwill from the other party.
In summary, this cost-effective move seemed to have no reason for Tang Xiaoquan not to make.
After he finished speaking, Hu Xiaodong took a deep drag from his cigarette, then exhaled forcefully and said: "Indeed, your joining has made our food supply even tighter. If nothing unexpected happens, we will run out of food by tomorrow."
Hu Xiaodong’s words were said lightly, but anyone could hear the gravity in them.
For this outcome, Tang Xiaoquan did not show any surprise. On the contrary, with similar experiences, he could fully understand the other’s hesitation.
So he brushed his bangs aside casually and said: "Maybe there’s a place that can solve our current problems..."