Chapter 23: Just Come to Me If You Need Anything
Her words, combined with the sight of those ten brand-new washing machines, left no room for disagreement.
Even some of the male tenants, who previously had questionable hygiene habits, came to apologize to Su Tao—sincere and earnest.
Watching all this, Zhuang Wan couldn’t help but share with Su Tao:
“The atmosphere here is just amazing. The last place I rented was a mess—the hallway was filthy, and the landlord pretended not to see it. Tenants would argue and even fight over who dumped leftovers in the hall.”
Su Tao nodded, “That’s why screening the right tenants is so important. Before moving in, it’s best to call and get a detailed understanding of who they are. We can’t let troublesome people in, making everyone uncomfortable.”
Zhuang Wan quickly took notes.
Su Tao felt completely at ease. With the cleaning issue resolved and an assistant in place, a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
The only thing left was for Zhuang Wan to quickly finalize tenants for the two remaining one-bedroom units and get Su Tao’s approval.
But before Su Tao could enjoy her brief respite, trouble struck.
The Tao brothers were dead.
When Su Tao heard the news, her scalp went numb.
Both the police and the military contacted her, requesting her to identify the bodies.
It was only then that Su Tao learned the Tao brothers were orphans. Their so-called friends had all disappeared when they heard the two were gone.
“Is it them?” The forensic doctor, clad in a white coat, lifted the sheet and asked.
Su Tao immediately saw the bloody holes in their chests, as if something had pierced straight through them.
“Yes… The taller one is the elder brother, Tao Tonghe. The thinner one is the younger, Tao Tongjie.”
Su Tao closed her eyes and turned away, unable to look any longer.
“Alright. We’ll arrange for someone to take you back shortly.”
Su Tao couldn’t help but ask, “How did they die?”
Before the forensic doctor could respond, a fully armed military guard made a gesture, indicating for her to leave.
“Miss Su, your task was only to identify the bodies. You may leave now. Please.”
Just as Su Tao turned for a final glance, she noticed a bright red feather near Tao Tongjie’s feet.
That…!
The moment she stepped outside, Shi Zijin pulled up in a military jeep to pick her up.
“Major Shi!” The armed guards saluted him.
“I’ll take Miss Su back. You may go.”
The guards followed orders and left.
“Were they killed by an evolved zombie?” Su Tao’s voice was hoarse as soon as she got in the car.
Shi Zijin responded with a solemn “Yes.”
“The last time, was it also this evolved zombie that injured you?”
Shi Zijin hadn’t expected her to figure it out—she was indeed perceptive.
Su Tao rubbed her face with both hands. “I saw that feather by Tao Tongjie’s body. It was bright red, even redder than the one I saw in the sealed bag last time.”
Shi Zijin’s expression turned grim.
According to their research on the previous feather, this zombie nourished itself with human flesh and blood.
The redder the feather, the more people it had killed recently.
It seemed the Tao brothers weren’t its only victims.
“Su Tao, make sure you don’t go out alone for now. If you need to go anywhere, call me—I’ll take you. Do you understand?”
It was the first time he had addressed her by her full name, his tone serious and filled with concern.
“And don’t blame yourself for their deaths. You’d already done all you could by warning them. Their fate… it was out of your control.”
Su Tao nodded, resting her head against the back of the driver’s seat, feeling a deep sense of exhaustion, as if all her strength had been drained away.
“Shi Zijin, do you think I’ll awaken an ability?” she asked softly.
She had never felt danger so close before.
The Tao brothers had abilities, yet they were still killed by a newly mutated zombie in a single blow.
And what about her, an ordinary person without even the strength to truss a chicken?
Shi Zijin’s voice softened. “Don’t overthink it. Just listen to me. If anything happens, come to me.”
Su Tao thought to herself, But you can’t be there all the time. And who are you to me, really? What responsibility do you have to keep me safe? Besides, you can’t even promise your own safety, always ready to sacrifice yourself for the greater good.
She still wanted to rely on herself.
When they returned to Taoyang, the tenants who were home immediately gathered around.
“Landlord Su, what happened?”
“Boss Su, is it true? Are they really gone? Oh my God.”
“I just talked to them yesterday. No way… Could this be a mistake?”
Middle-aged woman Wen Peizhen didn’t come over but stood not far away, ears perked up, listening intently.
Su Tao’s expression was heavy. “They’re gone. The cause of death is unclear.”
She couldn’t mention the mutated zombie—doing so would cause panic and make management difficult.
“Damn, they’re really gone? Just a few days ago, you told everyone not to go out, and they were the only ones who didn’t listen. Maybe it really was…”
“Who knows. I’m taking leave. I’m not going to work for a while—this is too scary.”
“Yeah, thank goodness Boss Su warned us. I haven’t dared to go out at night these past few days. I just rush back to Taoyang after work.”
“What a pity. Those two guys weren’t even thirty, right? Sigh.”
…
Wen Peizhen’s face turned pale as she listened, not daring to breathe too loudly.
Su Tao gathered the brothers’ personal belongings, but once she had everything packed, she didn’t know where to send them.
No parents, no family, and friends who vanished into thin air—this was the fate of most who died in the apocalypse.
After much hesitation, Su Tao packed everything up and asked Shi Zijin for help. They took it all to the rocky mountain outside the base and buried it. At least it served as a sort of cenotaph.
The double room was now completely vacant.
Since it couldn’t be used to house new tenants, Su Tao decided to knock down the walls. She handed over the furniture to the system for recycling, creating an open space that became a laundry room.
She lined up ten washing machines against the walls and installed new storage racks in the middle aisle to hold everyone’s laundry and cleaning supplies.
This time, the tenants’ reactions to the new public space were mixed with sighs.
After all, they had lived together for a while—there was a lingering sadness.
If only they had listened to the landlord’s advice back then.
When Zhuang Wan heard the news, she was visibly anxious. She grabbed Su Tao’s arm and asked,
“Was it zombies? People outside are saying zombies have entered the city. It’s terrifying! You absolutely must not go out. With our strength, we wouldn’t even be a snack for them!”
Su Tao knew she was timid. She patted her shoulder.
“As long as we don’t go out, we’ll be fine. Don’t worry too much. By the way, how’s the tenant screening going for the two one-bedroom units?”
Zhuang Wan’s attention shifted, and her fear subsided. She quickly switched to work mode and said,
“There were quite a few applicants. I’ve tentatively selected a couple—they both have military ranks. I called them, and they were very polite. They seem like a good fit.”
“I haven’t decided on the other unit yet. I’m still hesitating. But Xiang Bin did come to me once, saying he has an old friend’s son who’s getting married soon. The young man seems quite decent, and his fiancée’s family includes senior engineers who were involved in building our base. Anyway, he really talked him up a lot.”
Then she lowered her voice and said, “I don’t think the Su guy he recommended and his fiancée are a good match. When I called, I could hear them arguing. The woman didn’t sound reasonable at all. Isn’t Xiang Bin setting us up for trouble?”
