"Hey brother, please don't misunderstand us. We're all residents of this building, and we mean no harm." Slowly putting down the weapon in his hand, Tang Xiaoquan tried his best to appear friendly. Although he really wanted to kick the guy who almost took his life, the current situation clearly didn't allow him to do so.
The man didn't speak; he still tightly held the axe in his hand. Undoubtedly, if there was any movement opposite him, he would definitely respond in the first instance.
This is so frustrating! Tang Xiaoquan's head was hurting. He wasn't a negotiation expert, and this was the first time he'd faced such a situation, so he had no idea how to eliminate the other person's vigilance.
Apocalypse Rule Number Twelve: When the apocalypse arrives, human trust will decrease day by day amidst growing crises. Therefore, when you interact with strangers, be sure to pay attention to your words and actions. Otherwise, any slight mistake could cost you your life.
Tang Xiaoquan was at a loss, and Wang Qiang was even less sure what to do. He hadn't even figured out why they had reached such a tense confrontation with the other side, so he just stood there foolishly, looking a bit comical.
The atmosphere inside was oppressive and intense. The zombies outside had already started pounding on the wooden door, but neither side inside dared make a move; everyone feared their actions might trigger the conflict until…
"Hey brother, do you remember me?" Huang Yaru's slightly hoarse voice suddenly rang out, drawing the attention of King Tang and Wang.
"I'm the girl who lives downstairs, you helped me fix the plumbing before, do you remember?" Unlike her previous panic, Huang Yaru was now much calmer.
The man was slightly taken aback and looked thoughtfully at Huang Yaru before nodding instinctively.
Seeing his reaction, Tang Xiaoquan finally felt half relieved.
Immediately, he seized the rare opportunity and chimed in, "Hey brother, you see, I wasn't lying to you, we're really residents here, we..."
"Have you guys been caught, scratched, or injured by those guys outside?" The man interrupted Tang Xiaoquan's words with a raised hand, asking sharply.
Exchanging glances, Tang Xiaoquan shook his head. But in just a moment, he understood what the man was concerned about.
"No, brother!" Boldly stepping forward, Tang Xiaoquan pointed at his thick down jacket and replied solemnly, "See, brother, we're also afraid of getting scratched by those beasts, so we took the risk of overheating by wearing so many clothes."
The man glanced at the clothes worn by the three and, seeing no obvious scratch marks on them, was slightly relieved before responding quietly, "Okay, tell me, where did you get the key to my house? And what are your intentions coming here?"
Intentions!! Hearing these words, Wang Qiang straightened up as if stabbed with a needle.
Although he's poor his entire life, even being a **white-collar, he still maintains dignity, never having considered any underhanded dealings. So when he raised his brows, he wanted to step forward and reason with the man. However…
"Bang!" With a loud noise, the tightly shut wooden door trembled intensely, and fine lime powder scattered due to the sound.
Everyone inside trembled. The first to recover, Tang Xiaoquan, waved his hands in a surrender gesture, saying, "Hey brother, if possible, I suggest we put aside our current problems. If we don't deal with that, things will get big!"
"Yeah! Brother, if those beasts come in, they won't have time to talk reason with you!" Wang Qiang spoke with a hint of sarcasm due to his pent-up frustration.
"Bang, bang, bang!" As if to validate King Tang and Wang's words, the pounding on the door increased in intensity.
In this life-and-death moment, three pairs of eyes looked straight at the man, each carrying a touch of sincerity and prayer.
Black eyes swept over everyone. After a moment's pondering, the man's tense expression finally relaxed. "There's cement and sandbags on the balcony, you go move them; I'll get the table from inside!"
Hearing this, Tang Xiaoquan breathed a sigh of relief; he was really worried that the man in front of him would stubbornly insist on his views.
After all, being vigilant toward strangers is a habit formed by the Chinese people over thousands of years. It's not easy to change, especially in this crisis-filled apocalypse.
"Then brother, let me help you move them!" Receiving the man's consent, Tang Xiaoquan naturally wanted to further improve their relationship.
Unfortunately…
"No need!" The man stepped back, raising his iron axe, his eyes full of alertness.
Tang Xiaoquan awkwardly stepped back two steps, raising his hands and chuckling, "Okay, you move them yourself, we'll head to the balcony, the balcony over there."
Done speaking, Tang Xiaoquan turned his face towards Wang Qiang, pouted, and instructed, "Strong, I'll go to the balcony to move the bags, you stay here and keep an eye on the door; if anything happens, shout."
"Okay!" Gesturing 'no problem', Wang Qiang glanced at the man's departing back, quietly muttering some "national cursing" before walking towards the door with the "headless Snake Spear".
"Hey, little Tang, let me help you!" Seeing that everyone had been assigned tasks, the standing Huang Yaru tugged Tang Xiaoquan's sleeve.
A bit surprised, Tang Xiaoquan seemed unexpected, not only by Huang Yaru's voluntary request, but also by her quick recovery.
After all, just a few minutes ago, she was hysterical, crying and howling like a ghost, yet now…
Women are mercurial! Tang Xiaoquan sighed inwardly.
But this feeling passed in an instant because the urgency of the situation didn't allow him to think much.
He immediately nodded and affirmatively replied, "Alright! We'll do it together!"
Moments later, the busy scattered people gathered again at the door, Tang Xiaoquan and Huang Yaru each carrying a bag full of cement, while the man had also carried out a heavy wooden table. Accompanying him was a boy who appeared to be only about 17 or 18 years old.
Brows intertwined with the boy's, causing questions to rise in everyone's mind.
However, considering the current situation, none of them spoke much, just silently doing their respective tasks...