Chapter Two: Filth

"Mr. Zhao, if you can help me, that would be wonderful. We’re sure to make a fortune in the future," Lin Dong said.

Zhao Peng burst into laughter, clearly feeling the same way. "Helping you is no problem, but let’s make it clear from the start—my interest rate is a bit high, and I’ll need some collateral. You know what business I’m in."

"No problem," Lin Dong replied with a nod. "I still have a supermarket and two apartments."

Zhao Peng had already looked into Lin Dong’s assets. The two apartments were in prime locations, both spacious and large, with a conservative estimate at thirty million. The supermarket was even more valuable, well located not far from Lin Dong’s home, worth at least fifty million.

"Brother Lin, if you use those as collateral, how about I lend you eighty million?" Zhao Peng offered.

"That works," Lin Dong agreed without hesitation.

Zhao Peng was secretly delighted, convinced he had struck a foolproof deal—he congratulated himself on being a business genius.

"Ha! Brother Lin, you’ll have to sign a promissory note, put your fingerprint on it, and hand over the property deeds," Zhao Peng said.

"Of course," Lin Dong replied.

And so, Lin Dong sold the farm and took out a loan for eighty million, raising a total of two hundred million in funds. Zhao Peng left in high spirits, holding the purchase contract and the promissory note, driving off with his men.

Lin Dong wiped his hands with a white towel, walked to the entrance of the farm, and gazed after the departing Zhao Peng, wondering what thoughts he would have after the end of the world.

Oh...

Perhaps he wouldn’t have any thoughts at all...

...

Since the farm was now sold, Lin Dong planned to pack up everything he could carry and head to the supermarket. He wanted to store away the new supplies.

There was not just fresh meat in the supermarket, but also clothes, towels, soap, detergent, and other essentials. Even though Lin Dong had become a zombie, he retained his human intellect, as well as certain habits from his former life.

Such as... an obsession with cleanliness!

Beep, beep, beep!

Just as Lin Dong was about to get moving, his phone suddenly rang—a message notification. He pulled it out to see that the sender was named Xu Shan.

"Something filthy..." Lin Dong muttered to himself.

This Xu Shan was the campus belle of Jiangbei University. Sweet and pure in appearance, she was adored by many, earning the reputation of a "heartthrob." Perhaps because Lin Dong was an orphan, isolated and lonely, he yearned for a family and started dating her.

"Honey, my birthday’s next month. What gift are you planning to give me? [smile][smile]" Xu Shan asked.

"I’ve already prepared your gift," Lin Dong replied, though his eyes remained cold and indifferent.

Still, Xu Shan seemed delighted.

"Thank you, honey. Honestly, the gift doesn’t matter—what matters is your attitude."

"Attitude..." Lin Dong answered. "You’ll see when the time comes..."

In his previous life, after becoming a zombie, Lin Dong had received a desperate message from Xu Shan. She was hiding in her dorm room, out of food and close to starvation.

Relying on the fact that zombies wouldn’t attack him, Lin Dong dragged his numb, stiff body through terrifying waves of the undead to deliver food to her.

But when he arrived, she was with three male students. Upon realizing Lin Dong was a zombie, they beat him to death with sticks.

He had tried desperately to explain, but lacking the ability to speak, he could only let out helpless growls, like a defeated dog.

Perhaps... whether he was human or zombie, it made no difference to them.

With the end of the world coming next month, Lin Dong intended to show them exactly what his attitude was—and bring them a little "surprise."

Besides, for Lin Dong, living people counted as "supplies" too.

He would stash them away for now...

...

After replying to Xu Shan, Lin Dong started packing up the farm. The generator, solar panels, even an excavator—all were stored away, since he had ample space and it was far from full.

There were also items of sentimental value. On the wall of one room hung a photograph—a group of children, taken during Lin Dong’s years in the orphanage. It nearly encompassed all his childhood memories.

Most of the children there had been abandoned by their parents, many with physical or mental disabilities.

The two most attractive children in the photo were Lin Dong himself and a girl named Cheng Luoyi. She held a teddy bear, her skin porcelain white, eyes large, dark, and brimming with innocence—a little doll come to life.

But the director had later said she had psychological issues. At twelve, she’d bitten off half the skin from a boy’s face.

After that, Cheng Luoyi was sent to a psychiatric hospital, and Lin Dong never saw her again.

Before then, though, their relationship was close—they would fold paper, draw, and play games together. Lin Dong never felt she was mentally ill. His most vivid memory was of her squinting those signature large eyes into crescent moons and smiling at him.

He stored the photo away as well.

After tidying everything up, he rode his white electric scooter to his supermarket.

There, a number of delivery vans were parked out front, and workers were unloading goods.

"Boss, you’re back. Here’s the delivery invoice—please check it," a young woman said, running over breathless and sweating, clutching a ledger.

She was Su Xiaorou, the supermarket’s inventory clerk. The recent surge of deliveries had left her exhausted.

"Alright," Lin Dong nodded, noticing her weary look. "It’s getting late—go home and rest."

"Thank you, boss. I have a class tomorrow morning, so I’ll probably only be able to come in the afternoon," she replied.

Su Xiaorou was a college student working part-time to pay tuition.

Lin Dong looked at her.

"You won’t need to come in anymore."

"What?" Su Xiaorou’s smile faltered, as if she understood what he meant. "Boss, are you firing me? Did I do something wrong?"

"It’s not that. I’m facing some issues—so the supermarket won’t be operating for now."

"Oh..." Su Xiaorou nodded obediently, though she still looked disappointed.

"Your salary for this month will be doubled. Go home," Lin Dong said.

"Thank you, boss." Grateful, Su Xiaorou lowered her head, her eyes filling with a trace of sorrow.

...