Chapter Seventy-Six: Changing Fate

Zhang Shiduan was undoubtedly among the fortunate few in this apocalypse. Before the outbreak of the XR virus, his entire family had been avid mountaineers, their physical condition far surpassing that of ordinary people. Thanks to this, when the XR virus spread, the whole family miraculously survived, untouched by the infection.

As the director of the computing center at Wangtian University, Zhang Shiduan was an authority in the field of computers. In peaceful times, a talent like him would have been fiercely sought after by companies everywhere. But these were no longer peaceful times; the world was now overrun by zombies, fraught with dangers lurking in every shadow. In this new reality, Zhang Shiduan’s skills seemed almost useless.

After escaping with other survivors to Yanglin Town, the family managed to get by during the first year by relying on the town’s vast grain reserves. Life was monotonous—nothing but eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating—but at least it was livable. However, as more people arrived at the base, the grain dwindled and rations became ever scarcer. By the second year, the daily allotment had shrunk to three fist-sized steamed buns.

Perhaps if the three buns had been maintained, many could have endured. But things took a turn for the worse in the third year. The buns became mixed with coarse grains, shrank further in size, and soon there were only two buns per person per day.

Zhang Shiduan was nearly fifty. Prolonged malnutrition left him short of breath just walking. The family’s situation was grim; his son and wife were in even worse shape, lying in bed all day, lost in listless thoughts, their spirits broken—gone was any trace of the vigor they once showed climbing mountains.

His son had several times wanted to join the hunting parties, but Zhang Shiduan always stopped him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want food; he simply couldn’t bear the thought of his son risking his life. Compared to those who had lost everything, Zhang Shiduan felt himself blessed, and he was determined not to lose that fragile happiness.

Many in the base lived meal to meal as Zhang Shiduan did, but fortune smiled on him yet again.

When Apocalypse Company was founded, Zhang Shiduan went to its recruitment with skepticism. Who would, in this world where food was more precious than gold, offer such generous wages in rations? What could their purpose be? Despite his doubts, he applied for an interview and, remarkably, was accepted.

He cherished this job, for though it paid only in food, it was a lifeline for his entire family. He could not afford to lose it. So, when the company assigned him his first task, Zhang Shiduan asked no questions and devoted himself to deciphering the microchip set from a rice cooker. As an authority in computing, such a minor chip was hardly a challenge. Under his leadership, the team not only cracked it within three days, but also provided a detailed explanation of its manufacturing process, even writing out the entire method for producing the rice cooker.

His dedication earned the company's praise. Three days after completing the assignment, Zhang Shiduan was rewarded with a hundred pounds of fine flour and half a pound of preserved meat. The others also received varying rewards. Zhang Shiduan was overjoyed, especially at the preserved meat. That evening, as the family ate meat with their rice, they were moved to tears—it had been so long since they’d tasted such food.

In the days that followed, Zhang Shiduan was given many research and decoding projects. Driven by the company’s reward system, he threw himself into his work with desperation.

But today, Zhang Shiduan received a strange assignment from the company. He and more than thirty others, all with backgrounds in computing, were summoned together. At first, he couldn’t fathom what project would require so many computer experts. Zhang Shiduan was not a man of insatiable curiosity; he knew his place and sat quietly in the meeting room.

Apocalypse Company had by now recruited nearly every skilled person in the base, expanding to almost a hundred staff, including many experts in various fields. Although none could rival Zhang Shiduan in computers, he still felt the pressure of competition from his colleagues. For this reason, he was determined to tackle this mysterious task with all his might, to secure his place in the company.

The assignment was introduced by Taishan, who stood at the front of the room, swept his gaze over everyone, and spoke slowly: “You may be wondering why you’ve been gathered here. Don’t worry, you’ll soon know what the task is.” He didn’t waste words. “Your mission is simple. In a moment, you’ll leave the base with the convoy and travel to a temporary camp at the south end of Wangtian City. Once there, someone will inform you of your real task…”

At once, the room erupted. Leaving the base meant facing zombies, facing death. Who would willingly accept such a mission?

But Taishan seemed unsurprised by their reaction. He smiled lightly and said, “If you don’t want to go, it’s simple—just leave Apocalypse Company and you won’t have to take this mission. This is not a time of peace, where you can pick and choose your assignments. We are not a charity, nor do we intend to keep people who won’t contribute. Besides, the company will send personnel to protect you on this trip; you won’t even have a chance to encounter zombies. There’s no question of safety. That’s all. If you agree, stay in the room; if not, you may leave. Apocalypse Company has no place for those unwilling to serve.”

If the room had merely erupted before, Taishan’s words now dropped like a bomb, sending up towering waves. Apocalypse Company had made it clear—there were only two paths: leave, or stay. Perhaps the choices were harsh, but Taishan thought this was no time for niceties. If it were up to him, he would have knocked them all out and carted them to the camp. Once there, what choice would they have but to accept their fate?

In that instant, Zhang Shiduan’s mind raced, memories of his former life and his current struggles flashing before him, the contrast stark. Remembering those days of not knowing where the next meal would come from, he clenched his jaw, stood up, and declared loudly, “I’m willing to go…”

Everyone stared at him in surprise. He continued, “Maybe you think I’m foolish, but just think—if you leave Apocalypse Company, can you really go back to living on the base’s black bread? Besides, the company is only asking us to do a job. I believe under the company’s protection, there won’t be any real danger.”

Thanks to his words, only five people ultimately chose to leave. Taishan did not force the issue. To those who stayed, he said, “Very good. As long as you complete this task, the company’s rewards will not be small. And in the future, you’ll see how right you were to choose as you did today.”

As for those who left, Taishan said nothing more. For the sake of security, they would likely be kept in a room for a while, until the plan was complete.