QT: The Former CEO Male Lead Becomes the Vengeful Cannon Fodder

Chapter X - Mess (1.6)

"Sorry for suddenly joining you," apologized Lin Yuan before smiling. "I just wanted to know what we have to do next."

"That's fine. Song Ming was just suggesting to cover the windows so the zombies won't be able to see us. This might help calm them down," said the teacher.

"That's a good idea teacher." Lin Yuan remarked. He then turned to the class and loudly told them to do it. At Lin Yuan's leadership, the students covered the windows with paper. They temporarily disassembled the barricade and did the task as soon as possible, afraid of being bitten by the zombies on the other side of the glass. All the while, Lin Yuan stood to the side and watched them.

After finishing, the students breathed sighs of relief. The zombies did calm down a lot and were now looking at the windows in confusion. With less zombies pounding on the windows, it had instantly became less scary. The students turned to Lin Yuan and thanked him.

"Don't thank me, it couldn't be done without you." Lin Yuan smiled at them.

Gu Chen raised a brow at Lin Yuan's action. He shook his head and returned back to his seat.

He thought of Lin Yuan in Song Ming's memories. Honestly, Gu Chen was more partial to Lin Yuan's point of view.

With the world becoming overturned by zombies, being kind like Song Ming was indeed too idealistic. To survive, one must be prepared to compromise some of their moral values. Helping others without expecting something in return is just asking people to be taken advantage of. In times of crisis, it isn't the calamity that is most dangerous, but the humans. If they are out to kill you, then you must be prepared to strike back. Forgiveness shouldn't be given easily. Song Ming was only able to think otherwise because he lived in the peaceful modern world and was raised this way.

However, Song Ming was not entirely wrong. Part of the privilege of a human is knowing what is right or wrong and upholding those values. Going beyond that and helping others without condition like Song Ming is undeniably admirable.

In the case of Lin Yuan, he was practical but he also exercised evil in the guise of being righteous.

An example was when he established his base, he made a strict rule that those who can only join had to be useful. Many people tried to get in through many means, trying to prove they were useful to Lin Yuan. The worst victims were women and their children.

Lin Yuan conquered many gangs that formed at the apocalypse. These thugs r*ped women and forced them into prostitution while their children watched crying. These thugs also beat these children whenever they were displeased with something.

Lin Yuan reasoned that the security of the base was more important than the woes of these victims. The strength of these men were crucial to repelling the zombies. So, he turned a blind eye to this matter and called it a necessary sacrifice.

Gu Chen coldly laughed whenever he recalled this memory. He wasn't the one sacrificing, yet he called it a sacrifice.

Was he really someone from the modern era? Where was his sense of virtue and empathy? Did he seriously believe that? He just made things up like a fool. There were other ways to solve his security problem, but these thugs gave him absolute power over everyone so he maintained them.

Besides, these women and children weren't "useless" as he put it. They helped clean and maintain the base. If he was talking about usefulness, what about the numerous kept women he had by his side?

Lin Yuan encountered beautiful women everywhere he went in the apocalypse. Some of them were competent, while the others were as helpless as the women and children Lin Yuan disregarded. But because they were beautiful, Lin Yuan kept them away from the thugs for himself. He had a sizable harem that were fed, clothed, and bathed well in the middle of a zombie-infested city.

Gu Chen had no complaints about the methods these beautiful women used. First, it was their choice. Second, they did what they thought they should do in their situation. But whenever these women expressed their aversion to what they were doing, Lin Yuan insisted that there was nothing wrong.

Gu Chen wanted to facepalm. No matter how Lin Yuan embellished things, it cannot change what he or anyone did. If it's wrong, then it's just plain wrong. Don't deny it!

'Even I know I'm scum. I'm not proud of it, but at least I admit I'm scum.'

The unfortunate thing about Lin Yuan's story was everyone in the base eventually believed him. Anyone who thought otherwise like Song Ming soon disappeared for the sake of realism, practicality, and justification. His base stood out in the middle of the city, bringing hope to any survivors to join them.

Gu Chen leaned against the wall besides his chair. He picked up a book on mathematics and read it.

Whatever.

Thinking these philosophical things were tiring. The concept of morality has always been a mess anyway. With death at their door, he should just focus on himself and conserve energy for tomorrow. As for Lin Yuan, he should just ignore him. As long as he doesn't go under Lin Yuan, Song Ming's wish would be fulfilled.

"Song Ming, you're still studying at this point?" Shen Shu looked at his friend incredulously. It's not like the exams were going to happen in this situation, so what's the point?

"Yes. I'm trying to keep myself calm in this situation by reading," lied Gu Chen. Actually he was bored. It's still early in the afternoon so he can't sleep yet, and he was in no mood to comfort distraught high schoolers.

The news of the zombies spreading all over the country were all over the media. They called it a zombie apocalypse.