“Have you trained in the training hall yet?”
“Not yet. I saw the line and it’s really long.”
“Let me tell you, it really works. I trained yesterday, and I could feel my speed increase. In the afternoon, I went out and killed two more zombies than usual, and I didn’t even feel tired.”
“Really? Then I should check it out too.”
“Really. Before, I used brute force to kill zombies, and I’d come back exhausted every time. But the little robots in the training hall taught me some close-combat techniques—it felt much easier.”
“If you have a power, it’s even better. I heard about a powered individual who trained for three days and leveled up immediately!”
“Wow, that’s amazing! Too bad I don’t have a power.”
“Who cares if you don’t have one? We have tools. Buy a laser gun, a laser blade, maybe some perfume or clothes for extra stats—you can earn ten to twenty crystal cores a day. Not worse than those powered people.”
“Stop talking, I need to get in line!”
“Me too, me too!”
With that, the two ran off to queue at the training hall.
……
Chen Xi had expected the training hall and treatment room to be popular, but not this popular!
Only 20 people could enter the training hall at a time, each session lasting one hour, costing 10 crystal cores.
Chen Xi didn’t intend to profit—these 10 cores were to maintain the training hall’s operations, since it simulated virtual training scenarios.
For example, you could be placed on a floor full of zombies. If you completed the challenges, you earned points. Points could be used to buy more training courses or higher-level scenarios, just like a game.
Also, even if you got bitten while training, you wouldn’t be injured. All traces disappeared after leaving, which made it extremely popular.
However, even if the hall operated 24 hours a day, that only allowed 480 people to train daily.
Training wasn’t something achieved instantly—it was best to train one hour per day.
Now, with over 2,000 people at the hotel, there weren’t nearly enough spots.
So every day, long lines formed at the entrance, including the male lead, a level-6 powered individual.
The female lead wasn’t present, but Meng Qingzhou was also in line.
Clearly, everyone wanted to get stronger.
Meanwhile, the treatment room had a completely different scene.
The training hall was mostly healthy adults, young men and women.
The treatment room, however, was full of sick middle-aged and elderly people, children, and young people who were injured or even disabled.
Once people discovered that the treatment room could not only cure the zombie virus but also other diseases—often more effectively than modern medicine—many came with relatives or friends.
Zombie virus infections could be treated within 24 hours. Fees varied depending on the condition: a small scratch might cost two or three crystal cores, while a heart injury or coma could cost two or three hundred.
Even chronic illnesses modern medicine couldn’t fully cure—like asthma, coronary heart disease, diabetes, or chronic gastritis—could be treated, usually costing around one to two hundred cores.
After word got out, even more people lined up.
Chen Xi walked around the hotel and saw that the vegetables the elderly had planted in the backyard had grown considerably.
Most of these seniors had come along with their children. During the day, the children went out to fight zombies and earn crystal cores. The elders either stayed to watch grandchildren or remained in the hotel.
Elderly people always needed something to do, but fighting zombies was too physically demanding.
Chen Xi divided the backyard into several small plots and rented them to the seniors for planting. The soil had been purified by the system, so there were no health concerns.
Seeds were available from the vending machines, and harvested vegetables and fruits could be returned to the cafeteria or freely traded—providing an extra income.
The seniors were thrilled. All of them were experienced farmers, and the crops grew even better than what Chen Xi had grown herself.
“Tomatoes for sale! Two for one crystal core~”
Nearby, one grandpa was calling out to sell his tomatoes. Chen Xi bought five cores’ worth to eat like fruit.
A middle-aged lady also bought plenty, wiping one and biting into it. “Grandpa, these tomatoes are delicious! Much better than the ones before the apocalypse.”
“Well, I’ve been farming for over ten years. I know how to take care of them,” Grandpa chuckled. “I never thought I’d get to eat my own tomatoes again.”
“I never imagined it either! A few days ago, we were starving and scared, thinking we might die any day,” Grandma sighed.
“Look at the outside world compared to here—it’s like two different worlds.”
“Yeah, ever since coming here, things have really gotten better.”
“Yeah, much better!”
After the apocalypse began, everyone had been struggling to survive, faces full of despair.
But now, looking around, Chen Xi saw hope on everyone’s faces—and she smiled sincerely.