Zombie Apocalypse: Creation

"Yeah, the two zombie hordes are defeated... Um, I might have some bad news."

Xiaoyun hesitated for a second as he put his hand inside his jacket, but he didn't want to pull the paper out.

"What? Just say it."

"Here, you can read it yourself."

Xiaoyun hands both papers that Yezi gave to him and mentally prepares himself to be yelled out.

But to his surprise, Yuqi wasn't mad at all as she finished reading the paper.

"Okay. I'll allocate the budget and approve it."

Yuqi took out a piece of paper and began writing a business contract.

"You are not mad?" Xiaoyun asked nervously.

"Why would I be mad?" Yuqi looked back at Xiaoyun with confusion.

"Because the bill is massive. And you don't like cleaning up the military cost." Xiaoyun explained his thoughts.

"So? Do you want me to hit you over it and rip it in front of you then?" Yuqi asked as she signed her name on the contract.

"N-No. I-I just didn't expect you to act so calm like this."

"Just because I hate the cost of the military doesn't mean I'm going to throw a hissy fit over it. I'm not some petty woman who can't tell what's important."

Yuqi rolled her eyes as she put the contract paper in an envelope.

"Wow, this is the first time I heard you say that. I never knew you were this mature," Xiaoyun commented without thinking in his head.

"Are you begging me to punch you in the face or what?"

Yuqi finally changed her attitude as Xiaoyun's words were beginning to get on her nerves.

"Now this is the Yuqi I'm used to——Ahem, sorry, I didn't mean to say that." Xiaoyun apologized.

"Whatever... can you hand this over to Shuli? She knows where to deliver this."

Yuqi asked despite having already handed the envelope over to Xiaoyun, leaving him with no option other than to accept it.

"Sure."

As Xiaoyun left the office, Yuqi pulled out another piece of paper.

"Death Gratuity... a lot of people are not going to see their family member come back, are they?" Yuqi murmured as she began writing approval for it.

"One day, I'm going to see Xiaoyun on the list, aren't I? No, no, what am I thinking?"

Yuqi quickly shook her head as she continued to write the approval letter.

---

After leaving Yuqi's office, Xiaoyun headed towards the corner of the office where Shuli was already talking to someone.

"Can you get this done or not?" Shuli asked with a much louder voice than usual.

"Mrs. Shuli, there is simply no way to do this without the food stamp amount that I requested." The officer worker pushed back.

"I can't allocate the amount you request. The best I can do is half." Shuli argues back.

"Ma'am, I told you there's no practical way for me to implement this without the full budget. Nobody is going to work for this." The officer worker pushed back again.

"What are you guys talking about?" Xiaoyun asked curiously as he stood behind them.

"Hello, Mayor. I want you to tell me, would anyone be willing to work for free?" The office worker asked.

"No. Why would anyone offer their labor for free?"

"Exactly. Mrs. Shuli, you heard what the Mayor said."

"I'm still offering half of the food stamp. How is it free?" Shuli argued back.

"That half is still less than an average construction worker."

"But this job here is only half the hours of the construction worker."

"Fine... I'll think of a way to make this work."

The office worker accepted the paper from Shuli as they walked off.

"That's some tough negotiation there. Why not just give them the full amount?" Xiaoyun asked curiously.

"Because we are already tight on money... Anyway, you got something for me?"

"Yeah, Yuqi told me that you know how to give this envelope to."

Xiaoyun took out the envelope from earlier and handed it over to her.

"Oh, this one... I really hate going all the way to the factory so much." Shuli sighed as she noticed the name it was addressed to.

"Is it that bad?" Xiaoyun asked curiously.

"Yes! You would complain, too, if you had to walk almost half a mile for this... Actually, can you deliver it?"

"Me? But I don't know where to deliver it."

"You know where it is. It's just where Anna works at." Shuli explained.

"Oh, right. Why didn't I think of that... Okay, I'll deliver it then."

Just before Xiaoyun left with the envelope, he decided to say one last thing.

"Hey Shuli, you sound so much more open than usual. I like the louder you than the quiet one."

As Xiaoyun left the office, Shuli's face was blushing red.

"I-I really sound more open and loud?"

Shuli thought for a second, then realized Xiaoyun was right as she had been interacting with people way more than back when she was always with Wuli.

Even when she was working in the school, she never had to talk as much compared to now.

"If he likes it, I should keep trying to be more open... But being loud is a bad thing, right?"

Shuli thought about it for the rest of the day as she continued with her work.

---

After ten minutes of running, Xiaoyun and Kate finally arrived at Anna's factory.

It was much bigger than the last time he had gone there and much more formal, with entrance checkpoints and even a body search before going inside.

Kate stood outside as she didn't want to endure the smell inside the factory she had been to so many times in the past.

"Sir, you can't bring a gun——Sorry, Mr.Mayor, here's your gun back."

The security handed the pistol back to Xiaoyun as he recognized his from the Mid-Autumn festival speech.

"Do you know where Anna is at?" Xiaoyun asked.

"Miss Anna? She's at her office." The security pointed inside.

"Thank you."

As Xiaoyun walked toward the office, he noticed brand-new machines that he had never seen before the last time he was there.

He could still remember the factory was still bare-boned, with everything mostly being done by hand.

But now there were actual machines to assist the workers, with almost an assembly line working nonstop.

After walking for a bit, workers started to leave the factory as their work time was over for the day.

Xiaoyun finally got to Anna's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

As Xiaoyun walked inside the office, Anna was completely caught off guard by him being here.

"What a rare visitor... What business do you have today?" Anna asked in a formal tone.

"It's in here."

Xiaoyun handed the envelope over to her.

"Guns, ammo, shells, RPGs, and grenades... Okay, I'll start the production line tomorrow since work is already over."

Anna replied as she put the letter inside her desk drawer.

"I'm surprised everyone got off so early here..." Xiaoyun commented as he took a seat across from Anna.

"I set their work time nine to five... If it weren't for the demand, I would set them eight to five." Anna stated as she went back to drawing some outline for something.

"Really? Why that early?" Xiaoyun asked curiously.

"Because this country's labor laws confuse me. Why would someone be required to work nine to nine? And with no breaks, too."

"It's just a cultural thing, I guess... Although I agree with you that yours is definitely better for the workers and everyone involved."

"You know, if this were done in Germany, everyone here would be arrested, including me... I still don't get why the workers kept asking me to put more work hours in."

"More hours mean more pay. It's really that simple." Xiaoyun explained.

"But the normal salary is already enough. They don't need to work that extra hours."

Anna finally puts her work down to argue back at Xiaoyun.

"Yes, a normal salary is enough. But if they want a better living standard or to be able to purchase some luxury item, they would need to work more than the normal salary."

"Then the wages are just too low. It shouldn't be the worker's fault, and they are forced to work extra hours for luxury to enjoy." Kate fired back.

"I agree with your sentiment... But it's the apocalypse at the end of the day. Resources are limited." Xiaoyun throws in his trump card.

"I guess... Anyway, let's go back home now. Work time is over."

As Anna got up from her seat, she noticed Xiaoyun was still sitting down.

"Why are you not getting up?" Anna asked.

"Anna, what's this thing you are drawing?"

"Just an AWM and Barrett M82."

Anna pointed toward the two sniper rifles she had drawn.

"Can you make it?" Xiaoyun asked curiously.

"Hell no. Those guns are hard to get by... I had only seen them in my uncle's collection."

"Damn, that's unfortunate... These weapons would be so useful against tank mutants, thought."

Xiaoyun thought back to the morning when he fired a singular shot toward the mutants in the distance, only for it to not even make a dent.