The county government office building wasn’t particurly rge—a three-story main building fnked by two auxiliary wings, forming a U-shape. The spacious courtyard in the middle added to the sense of openness. Compared to some extravagant county government buildings that looked grander than the White House, this one was retively modest and unassuming.

  Lin Tao and his group stood in the reception hall of the main building. However, it was now a deserted ruin, a shadow of its former self. Broken tables, chairs, and flower vases y scattered across the floor, mixed with trash and paper scraps. Amidst the debris, dark dried bloodstains hinted at the horrors that had taken pce here. Half-buried in yellow sand, a toppled white wooden sign still revealed three bold bck characters: "Zhengnan County."

  "Haha! I've been here before! This is the Zhengnan County Government!" Suddenly, Hu Laoda excimed in excitement, waving the Type 81 rifle he had recently acquired. His old shotgun had been discarded the previous day after running out of ammo, and Lin Tao had taken charge of carrying the remaining rifle.

  "Wow, never expected you, Chef Hu, to have set foot in such a prestigious pce!" Cao Mei teased, cradling her own rifle.

  "Tch, you women wouldn’t understand! Back in the day, I was a renowned chef, okay? Even in these rural parts, the county officials had heard of me. One year, when the county magistrate’s son turned ten, they held a grand banquet at home. It was a huge event! They specifically requested me to be the head chef. Heck, their office director even drove an Audi to personally pick me up! The county magistrate himself welcomed me in his third-floor office with great respect!" Hu Laoda puffed out his chest, basking in his own glory.

  "Oh? So you really do have some skills!" Cao Mei smirked, then suddenly pointed behind Hu Laoda with a fair, slender finger. "Since you're back, look! The county magistrate has personally come out to greet you again!"

  "Huh?" Hu Laoda blinked and instinctively turned around—only to come face-to-face with a zombie. The thing had a grotesquely dangling eyeball and had nearly reached him, its decayed, putrid cws inches from his shoulder.

  "AAAAHHH!" Hu Laoda let out a high-pitched scream, his voice shrill enough to resemble a damsel in distress having her underwear torn by a thug. In his panic, he dropped his rifle and bolted toward the corner of the hall, tumbling and scrambling for dear life.

  Before he could regain his composure, a gunshot rang out.

  Bang!

  Cao Mei had calmly raised her rifle and blown the zombie’s head off without hesitation.

  "Chef Hu, why so shy? An old acquaintance came to greet you, and you didn’t even exchange pleasantries?" Cao Mei smirked as she lowered her rifle. Then, bending down, she picked up Hu Laoda’s discarded weapon and turned to Bai Ru, who was sipping water nearby. "Bai Ru, what did Lin say yesterday about people who can’t even hold onto their own guns?"

  "If they can't hold their own weapon, they don’t deserve to use one," Bai Ru replied ftly, casting a disdainful gnce at Hu Laoda, who was still huddled in the corner.

  "Haha! My thoughts exactly! But seriously, how is it that Lin and this guy are both men, yet the difference between them is so vast?" Cao Mei scoffed, tossing the rifle back to Hu Laoda as if she were disposing of garbage. The man caught it but remained crouched there, his face shifting from red to pale in embarrassment.

  After clearing out a dozen wandering zombies, the group decided to rest inside the county government building for about an hour. The girl suffering from heatstroke gradually recovered and, with some help, was able to walk on her own again.

  Lin Tao stood up from a chair and gnced at the sky. It was still early, and he was about to suggest moving on, but seeing how exhausted the women looked, he shook his head with resignation. Forcing them to march now would be murder. Better to rest until midday before continuing.

  He slung his rifle over his back and stepped into the courtyard, a barren wastend of sand and dust. A bck Toyota Camry sat motionless under a withered Chinese parasol tree, its body half-buried in sand. Lin Tao walked over and examined it—this wasn’t just any Camry, but the top-of-the-line model. More intriguingly, it bore a white military license pte, and various clearance permits were still dispyed on the dashboard. Judging by the scene, things must have escated so quickly back then that even the officials hadn’t had time to drive away in their privileged vehicles.

  Adjusting his white baseball cap to shield his face from the scorching sun, Lin Tao reached out a gloved finger and tapped rhythmically on the car window—tap, tap, tap. His movements grew faster and more precise until, at just the right angle, the supposedly tough gss suddenly cracked with a sharp "snap." With just a light push, the entire window shattered into pieces.

  Lin Tao had learned this single-finger gss-breaking trick from a firefighter abroad—a handy skill for emergency escape situations when tools weren’t avaible. Today was the first time he’d actually put it to use. Normally, he’d just punch or shoot the window open, but he was in the mood to be a little more... refined.

  He reached inside and unlocked the car. As soon as he popped the trunk, a faint, putrid stench wafted out. Knifing his brow, he drew the dagger from his belt and approached cautiously. But instead of a lunging zombie, all he found inside was a withered corpse, curled up lifelessly. Judging by the expensive attire, the deceased had likely been a high-ranking official.

  Most people knew what county-level government vehicles usually carried in their trunks. Especially a military-pted car like this one. After dragging the corpse out, Lin Tao quickly uncovered several boxes of high-end liquor and cigarettes. But what caught his interest the most was a bck Armani briefcase.

  It was heavy. Opening the zipper, Lin Tao found two brand-new iPads inside, along with a collection of gold pens, designer sungsses, and Apple phones. Flipping through a wallet, he counted over a dozen bank cards and an assortment of VIP passes for gyms, golf clubs, and other luxury venues. Ironically, the county government ID tucked inside seemed the least significant of them all. With a snort of contempt, Lin Tao tossed the fancy cards onto the dried corpse like trash.

  The car’s interior reeked of stale alcohol—several bottles had already been opened. The official must have been so desperate for hydration that he drank liquor instead of water. Lin Tao tore open a box of cigarettes, and luxurious white packs tumbled out. "Yuxi Manor," the bel read. He had seen these at an airport before—360 yuan per pack, 3,600 yuan per carton. Even after tobacco price regutions, they still cost 100 yuan per pack. The epitome of high-end corruption.

  Lin Tao never turned down a good smoke. Sure, cigarettes left a scent that increased the chances of being detected by zombies, but stress relief was a necessity. Since indulging in carnal pleasures wasn’t an option, he had to find other outlets. After all, what was the point of survival if a man didn’t smoke, drink, or enjoy women? Even zombies had a craving for flesh, didn’t they?

  Without hesitation, Lin Tao tore open a pack, lit a stick, and took a deep drag. The taste was excellent, well worth its exorbitant price. But after finishing the cigarette, he stared at the butt and frowned. It just didn’t hit like those cheap "Big Rooster" cigarettes. Those budget smokes from Shandong—now that was a real smoker’s choice! Nothing else came close.