Zhang Xiaoqiang poured himself a glass of water and lit up a Tai Shan cigarette he had acquired, taking a deep drag. This cigarette, priced at 18 yuan, had a flavor that was more robust and satisfying compared to the 5-yuan Huangguoshu brand.

 Sitting on the couch with narrowed eyes, he gazed at the assortment of supplies piled up before him, resembling a small mountain. A wave of satisfaction washed over him. The wisps of smoke swirled, carrying his thoughts as they gracefully danced in the air. Zhang Xiaoqiang was simply a homebody, a common man with a small-town mindset, devoid of lofty aspirations. He never yearned to become a hero who would sacrifice himself to save the world.

 He cherished the words of Mencius: "Fish, it is what I desire; bear's paw, it is also what I desire. But these two desires cannot be fulfilled simultaneously. To relinquish the fish and obtain the bear's paw, that is the choice I make. Life, it is what I desire; righteousness, it is also what I desire. But these two desires cannot be fulfilled simultaneously. To sacrifice life for the sake of upholding righteousness, that is the choice I make. I desire life, but there are things I desire even more than life. Hence, I do not seek it recklessly. I abhor death, but there are things I abhor even more than death. Therefore, I face adversities without avoiding them. If people desired nothing more than life, why wouldn't they do everything to preserve it? If people abhorred nothing more than death, why wouldn't they do everything to avoid it? Thus, there are desires that surpass life, and there are aversions that surpass death. It is not only the wise who possess such a mindset; it exists in everyone. The wise simply manage to not lose it."

"A simple meal, a bowl of soup, having them ensures life; not having them leads to death. Call out, and those who walk the path won't accept. Kick them towards someone, and beggars will disdain it. Offer ten thousand measures of grain, and even if they accept it without considering rites and righteousness, what more can I add to them with ten thousand measures? If it is for the sake of a splendid palace and the luxuries of a wife and concubines, would those who know poverty accept me? They would reject me. If it is for the sake of those who know poverty, would those who would sacrifice themselves for their hometowns refuse me? They would refuse me. If it is for the sake of those who know poverty, would those who would sacrifice themselves for their hometowns accept me? They would accept me. Can I be satisfied with this? This is what it means to lose one's original heart."

 This doesn't mean he would become such a saintly person. He was, in fact, a selfish individual who only wanted to live well in this apocalyptic world. Even being able to wake up every day and breathe the faintly corpse-scented air was a kind of happiness.

 After counting all the food and supplies, the total came to approximately 50 kilograms of rice, around 20 kilograms of pork, two fresh fish weighing about a pound each, a total of 3 pounds of various dried seafood, 47 eggs, a crock of pickled vegetables, a small amount of various vegetables, two cured chickens, and two cured ducks, along with half a case of oranges weighing around 7-8 kilograms. The soy sauce, cooking wine, and other seasonings were not counted. There were 12 packs of Tai Shan cigarettes, two packs of the blue-packaged Huanghe Tower, totaling 20 packs, and one and a half packs of the red-packaged Honghelou, totaling 15 packs. In total, there were 47 packs of cigarettes. Two bottles of premium Daohua Xiang baijiu and one bottle of Great Wall Jiebaina red wine. There were two bags of powdered milk, six bottles of drinks, 22 bottles of mineral water, several types of medicines, and various other daily necessities.

 Arranging the various daily necessities one by one, Zhang Xiaoqiang rubbed his hands together and took out a crossbow, a telescope, and a high-defense Tiger Tooth military knife from his backpack.

 While searching for supplies across the platform, he entered a bedroom that was completely covered in gun-related posters. The owner of the bedroom was probably a military enthusiast. He found the crossbow and military knife in a wall cabinet, and the telescope was hanging on the wall. Zhang Xiaoqiang didn't know much about crossbows, so he also found the instruction manual for the crossbow.

 MP9 Military Anti-Terrorist Sniper Crossbow:

Draw Weight: 48kg

Range: 180m

Effective range can reach over 100m

Net Weight: 4.6kg

Equipped with one spare string, a large crossbow case, an LED flashlight for the crossbow, a laser sight, an adjustable mechanical sight in four directions, a 4x32 optical scope, a set of crossbow assembly tools, three long arrows, one pack of steel balls, two calibration arrows, and four regular arrows.

 Zhang Xiaoqiang used his foot to string the MP9 and loaded a steel ball, aiming at a calendar five meters away. He disengaged the safety, pulled the trigger:

"Boom..."

 The mp9 jerked backward forcefully, causing a sharp pain in his scapula. He almost lost his grip on the crossbow and nearly dropped it to the ground. Rubbing his shoulder, he looked towards the calendar hanging on the wall. The image of the beautiful woman from last year had disappeared, leaving behind a mess of shredded paper on the floor.

 Taking down the calendar, he noticed remnants of cement crumbling and a small cavity the size of a cup opening up before his eyes. A slightly deformed steel ball was embedded in the wall bricks. He inhaled sharply, feeling a chill down his spine.

 "What speed... What power..." If a zombie were hit in the head at this distance, its skull would probably be shattered and sent flying.

 His shoulder still ached, and he gently caressed the crossbow with his fingertips, as if touching the delicate and smooth skin of a young girl. He was afraid of applying too much force and accidentally damaging it. The glossy finish had a subtle reflection, resembling the alluring lips of a fragile and enchanting maiden, exuding a hint of mystery and temptation.

 Setting aside the mp9 military anti-terrorism crossbow, Zhang Xiaoqiang picked up the binoculars. It was a silver-gray high-powered binocular with the following description in the manual:

 10x50mm binoculars with a magnification of 10x and a field of view of 114 meters at a distance of 1000 meters. The minimum focusing distance was not specified.

 Zhang Xiaoqiang took off his goggles and walked to the window, raising his telescope to look outside. The sky was still dark and the gloomy and oppressive clouds made him feel depressed and conflicted. The zombies downstairs were pulled into his view, and looking at their sharp teeth, he seemed to smell the foul stench coming from their mouths.

 Zhang Xiaoqiang stood in the window and carefully observed. After 20 days, the mutated zombies had begun to develop into mummies. Their hair became thin and sparse, and the flesh on their faces slowly disappeared, leaving only dry and wrinkled skin. The zombies didn't move very fast, and without sight, they would only change direction by bumping into walls and obstacles like cars. Many of their shoes had become deformed and worn after 20 days of non-stop use, and some zombies had one foot with a shoe while the other was bare, hobbling along.

 Zhang Xiaoqiang's house was far from the city center, surrounded by buildings that were not very tall, with the highest only about eight floors. The population density was low, and there was a road wide enough for two four-ton trucks to pass by each other, with hundreds of zombies scattered along the road within a kilometer of his house.

 Zhang Xiaoqiang looked around, and the telescope in his hand became heavier and heavier. His arm began to ache, and he knew that the food in his house would eventually run out. He needed to find a way to escape the city. Hundreds of zombies surrounded his building, leaving him helpless.

 Zhang Xiaoqiang's gaze turned towards the direction of the city center, and a thick smoke rising into the sky caught his attention through the telescope.