Here, the survivors were divided into two types.
The first type was Khau Tam's confidants.
The second type was the weak survivors staying here.
Seeing the little girl, Tao Khanh, slapped to the ground by Khau Tam, they only dared to hide in the corner, watching with trepidation. No one dared to stand up; knowing Khau Tam's methods, they knew what would happen if they stood up.
Khau Tam's confidants, surrounding him, some with arms crossed, some with slight smiles.
The apocalypse had already corroded their hearts, infinitely magnifying the darkness deep within. The moment the bottom line of morality and ethics was breached, they were no longer themselves, but Them.
Tao Khanh covered her face, tears like beans streaming down, looking extremely helpless. The surrounding survivors were like wolves and leopards, staring intently at her.
"Third Bro, how should we deal with this girl?"
"How do you want to deal with her?"
Khau Tam looked at Ma Kien, a member of his confidants. This guy had short hair, very small eyes, giving people a first impression of wretchedness. Often, the first impression is correct.
He was not only wretched but also perverted.
Had a despicable criminal record before, was imprisoned for a long time. Finding work after getting out was very difficult. Finally ended up washing dishes in the back kitchen of Tan Phong Guesthouse.
"Hehe, why does Third Bro need to ask me? You know me; this person of mine just likes it like this." Ma Kien smiled extremely gloomily, his perverted expression undoubtedly revealed. Under the suppression of law, he could only think about it in his mind, finding those pictures and videos on the internet to satisfy his perverted psychology.
He had long set his sights on Tao Khanh, but Tao Nham watched too strictly, leaving him no chance. Now that this girl's father was dead, no one protected her.
Khau Tam looked at Ma Kien, then at the girl sitting paralyzed on the ground, sobbing, "If you like her, then she's yours. We don't raise useless people here."
"Understood, understood." The smile on Ma Kien's face, anyone seeing it would be scared.
The group of survivors leaning against the wall heard their conversation, their hearts growing colder. They could seemingly imagine Tao Khanh's subsequent situation, yet still, no one dared to stand up and speak.
They wanted to live. What mediocre survival versus a brilliant death? All fake. Encountering injustice, encountering unwillingness, so what?
Their hearts were already numb, only wanting to eke out a cowardly existence in the apocalypse. A good death is worse than a wretched life.
Ma Kien walked towards Tao Khanh step by step. Suddenly, he looked up, at that group of people huddled in the corner, grinned, letting out a low laugh.
"You group of people, don't you have anything to say, or want to do?"
He looked at everyone, then continued:
"Aiya, a long, long time ago, when I was caught, I still remember those resentful faces to this day. You are all good people, all brave people. Encountering this kind of thing, all thought of rushing out to stop me, to beat me. Now I might be about to do it again, why don't you move? Each one like you didn't see, isn't your past bravery all fake?"
Ma Kien unscrupulously mocked them.
After those other matters were discovered before, the furious crowd drowned him in saliva. Thinking of those faces from the past, he also wanted to see if anyone was willing to stand up now.
The survivors looked at by Ma Kien all obediently huddled there, not daring to speak, not daring to have any dissatisfaction. The expressions on their faces, besides panic, were more of indifference. Everyone had an attitude of it's none of my business, hang it up high.
"Ma Kien, your sarcasm towards them is useless. What's the situation now? Now there's no law to support them. They'll just shrink their heads, dare not resist. Ever heard the idiom, a dog is fierce near its own house, a rooster is fierce near its own coop? You ask them to come out now to be good people, be heroes, they don't have the guts. All trash."
Khau Tam said with a laugh, his confidants behind him also laughing.
"Third Bro is absolutely right!" Ma Kien laughed heartily, reached out, grabbing towards Tao Khanh. He wanted to drag Tao Khanh into a certain room.
At this time.
The sound of footsteps came.
Accompanied by a gentle voice.
"Excuse me, which one is Tao Khanh?"
Hearing this, everyone was somewhat dazed. Where did this voice suddenly come from? Or which survivor couldn't stand such actions and bravely stood up?
Looking towards the source of the sound.
A figure appeared in their eyes: a young man, carrying a sword, walking down from the stairs. Unfamiliar appearance, leaving the survivors at the scene very dazed, not knowing who the opponent was.
How exactly did he come down from upstairs?
"So many survivors."
Lam Pham, seeing so many survivors at the scene, was also slightly stunned. He didn't come up from downstairs. The end of the street was blocked; not finding another way, he directly jumped to the rooftop.
Although the height was a bit much.
But as long as confident in one's own jumping ability, no problem.
"Who are you?" a rough survivor shouted loudly.
Lam Pham glanced at this survivor, face full of fierce flesh, eyes very bad. Could see the opponent wasn't a good person. But now he was looking for someone. The opponent temporarily hadn't done anything bad in front of him. Even if he wanted to send them to the police station, clearly couldn't.
"My name is Lam Pham, live in Duong Quang Apartments, am a security guard. Entrusted by Tao Nham to find his daughter Tao Khanh," Lam Pham said.
"You saw my daddy, right?" Tao Khanh, slapped to the ground, heard news of her father, hurriedly stood up, walked before Lam Pham, her bright eyes twinkling with light – the light of hope for her father.
"Yes, I saw your daddy." Lam Pham noticed the reddish handprint on half of Tao Khanh's face, somewhat surprised inside. Was she hurt just now?
Tao Khanh pressed on, "Where is my daddy? Where is he?"
For her, the only relative was daddy.
Lam Pham thought of Tao Nham's death scene, sighed, patted her head without speaking.
Tao Khanh's expression was very downcast. She knew the truth, just couldn't believe it. Deep in her heart, always held onto such a sliver of hope. How she wished daddy was still alive.
"Your daddy asked me to take you away. Are you willing to go with me?" Lam Pham asked softly.
"I am willing," Tao Khanh nodded.
Lam Pham smiled, took Tao Khanh's hand, "Then let's go."
He didn't say anything more to this group of people around. When entering this place, also felt the atmosphere here was very oppressive, incomparable to Duong Quang Apartments. Thinking of their residential area, everyone was very sunny, positive and upward.
He saw ferocity in the eyes of this group, even more so a kind of indifference.
"Stop!"
Ma Kien, seeing this inexplicably appearing fellow actually wanting to take away his prey, caused his mood to become very upset. Damn it! Got some nerve, right? Lao Tzu has set his sights on this prey; you want to take her away without even asking? Do you even have us in your eyes?
The group of survivors huddled in the corner looked at each other.
As if communicating with their eyes.
In their view, this inexplicably strange survivor being so arrogant, what awaited him was tragedy.
This group were all ruthless characters, extremely savage.
Moreover, the opponent was only one person; how could he be their match?
No one dared to move, nor dared to speak.
Watched silently.
They were already numb, only thinking if they themselves could survive. As for someone appearing, wanting to save this little girl, already had nothing to do with them.
"Excuse me, is something the matter?" Lam Pham was very polite. Although the opponent wasn't any good person, he was very friendly to everyone. The apocalypse arrived, evil words everywhere incessantly, very easy to negatively affect people's hearts.
This wasn't what he wished to see, nor what he wanted to encounter.
Khau Tam's group watched like watching a play. For them, this kind of plot was extremely interesting. A positive energy kid, ignoring their existence, wanting to take someone away from their place. Clearly a very strange situation.
They all wanted to see the subsequent techniques.
Ma Kien pointed at Lam Pham, face revealing a vicious look, "Do you f***ing know where this is? Do you know this girl is the prey I've set my sights on? You damn well want to take someone away from before my face! Do you even have Lao Tzu in your eyes, huh?!"
Lam Pham said, "I feel your temper is really bad, mindset also not easy. Also, the words you just said, I think are not good. What do you mean prey? You are insulting a child. I hope you can improve your temper. I understand the apocalypse has arrived, has a great impact on your mood, but still hope you can maintain some rationality, be a bit friendly to people, advance together in the apocalypse, strive together."
Quiet.
The room instantly became quiet again.
Everyone looked at Lam Pham in surprise, only one thought in their minds: This guy's head is definitely a bit sick. If not sick, impossible to say such things at this time.
Ha ha ha...
Khau Tam laughed.
Ma Kien also laughed.
That group of confidants also held their bellies laughing loudly.
Laughed extremely wantonly, extremely unrestrainedly, just laughing at a fool.
Facing the bursts of ridicule before him, Lam Pham appeared very calm, without superfluous thoughts. This was his personal opinion. His own thoughts being ridiculed by others, no need to argue. Arguing was just wasting time.
People and their thoughts are different, but the essence of thought is the same.
Summarized in two words.
"Hope."
Just hope. Because there is hope, can there be the motivation to strive.
"Your mother!" Ma Kien fiercely touched his head, turned around and took a chopper from someone else's hand, fiercely pointed at Lam Pham, "Lao Tzu doesn't want to talk nonsense with you! Now you immediately hand this girl over to Lao Tzu! Otherwise, I'll kill you!"
He was truly fierce.
This fierceness was much more intense than in peaceful times.
Before, perhaps only dared to take a wine bottle. But now he dared to take a knife and hack wildly at someone's annoying head, without any panic at all.
Lam Pham shielded Tao Khanh behind him.
"I hope you can calm down. Your current behavior has already broken the law."
He educated the opponent on the law.
Just hoping the opponent could know the law and not break it, promptly stop, turn back from the wrong path, no need to do things that would make oneself regret.
Everyone listened to Lam Pham speak.
Again shocked.
Even more certain of one thing.
This fellow before them truly was seriously ill.
"Holy crap! It's f***ing already this time, yet someone still tells Lao Tzu this stuff! You bunch of brain-dead toys, still don't have the courage to face reality?! It's the apocalypse now! What the hell is law?! You tell Lao Tzu this stuff!" Ma Kien turned his head looking at everyone, "Third Bro, just say if he's sick or not!"
Khau Tam didn't realize the severity of the matter, still watching the scene before him like watching a play.
"Mm, really sick. If sick, just chop him dead. Chop him into myriad pieces, flesh and blood messy. Let him know we are not to be trifled with."
He wanted to continue establishing his dominance.
Make that group of survivors huddled in the corner even more fearful, submissive, let them understand what exactly is the end of daring to resist him.
What he relied on was violence and ruthlessness to conquer this group.
"Third Bro is absolutely right! Just do it like that!" Ma Kien approached Lam Pham step by step, the knife in his hand gleaming.
Lam Pham led Tao Khanh, retreating several steps.
Until no more space to retreat.
He looked at the opponent.
"I advise you best not to be like this. If you strike, I can only defend myself. The consequences that occur might not be what you can bear."
Possessing fairly good strength, he knew how fierce he was when punching.
"Retreat then! Let me see where you can retreat to! You think retreating can withstand one knife strike?"
"Stop dreaming! Draw your sword from behind you! See if Lao Tzu can chop you to death!"
Ma Kien's pupils stared roundly, fiercely. With an angry roar, directly swung the knife towards his head, just wanting one fatal blow, chopping the opponent's head until it buzzed.
Khau Tam smiled, an image already appearing in his mind: opponent's head chopped until bleeding profusely, then Ma Kien frantically hacking, fiercely chopping at the opponent's head, absolutely could hear the sound of flesh and bone colliding.
Bang!
A violent explosion rang out, as if something flew past before their eyes. Everyone maintained their expression from the previous second, still hadn't discovered the truth of the matter.
The person was still the same person; standing there was still the strange young man.
But...
Damn!
Where was Ma Kien?
Everyone looked towards where Ma Kien was standing just now. This position was already empty, only a gleaming chopper swaying on the ground, as if proving, someone really was here just now.
Just that instantly, no person.
They reacted, shifted their gaze. Window shattered, as if something directly fell out the window.
Someone went to check.
One glance saw Ma Kien fallen on the street outside, lying there motionless.
"Third Bro, Kien bro is downstairs!"
What?
How could it be?
Everyone swish swish looked towards Lam Pham, completely not knowing what happened, how could such a thing happen out of the blue.
Lam Pham was very calm, also didn't feel upset for kicking the opponent out. This was his self-defense behavior. If I don't defend myself, will suffer unimaginable harm.
This is logical; acting this way is extremely normal.
"Nothing to do with me. I already told him, told him not to casually wield a knife at people, because this is illegal. What I did was just self-defense. You can understand, right?" Lam Pham said.
Immediately after.
He looked towards Khau Tam, "Just now I heard what you said. I think what you said is very wrong."
Walked towards Khau Tam.
The guy kicked out by his self-defense just now indeed initiated the attack, but this person was also instigating from the side.
Walking, talking.
"According to Article 29 of the Criminal Law, instigating others to commit a crime should be based on the role he played in the joint crime..."
Hadn't said much yet.
Khau Tam felt his own safety might be threatened. He didn't know what ghost this strange fellow before him was, also knew the opponent might be very formidable.
But now, clearly already posed a threat to him.
"F***! Chop him dead for me!" Khau Tam roared, telling his confidants beside him to quickly strike.
This group of confidants heard Khau Tam's words, slightly stunned, then all exchanged glances, suddenly reacted. That's right! We have many people! Perhaps the opponent is very formidable, but relying on numbers, we can definitely kill him!
No matter how formidable, still a person.
One knife strike hitting your vitals can also take your little life.
No mistake, this was their thought.
"Kill him!"
"Do it!"
"Do it!"
Everyone swung their weapons together, charging towards Lam Pham. For Lam Pham, the current situation made him somewhat unhappy. He truly didn't expect, since the apocalypse descended, actually so many unfriendly people would appear.
Were they really bewitched by the apocalypse?
Or is it that in the apocalyptic world, without legal constraints, can do whatever one wants?
Very disappointed about this.
Looking at this group's posture and momentum of swinging knives to chop people, this group was absolutely professional, very likely really killed people or harmed others before.
Facing such thugs.
Lam Pham didn't dare be careless. He wasn't alone; Tao Khanh was still beside him. He couldn't let the child be harmed due to his own carelessness. In the apocalypse, the most tragic, besides the elderly, were the children.
One group contributed to the country in the past.
One group needs to grow, build the country's future.
These two groups, one from prosperous to declining, one from weak to prosperous.
A gleaming knife slashed from the front. It was a savage thug with a ferocious face swinging the knife. From his expression, gaze, could already see the opponent was fierce.
He couldn't yield, not that he couldn't.
But he must protect Tao Khanh standing behind him.
Swung his fist.
Flesh-and-blood fist colliding with a sharp knife, anyone could know the consequence: definitely the sharp knife shatters. This is common sense.
Crack!
Amidst the collision, the sharp knife instantly exploded. Shattered blade fragments flew towards the thug's face.
Blade tore open skin, embedded in flesh and blood.
"Ah..."
Tragic screams continued, heartbreaking screams making people's blood run cold.
Khau Tam roared and charged over, was kicked into a corner by Lam Pham.
The group of survivors huddled in the corner watched dumbfounded.
In an instant.
Self-defense ended.
The scene returned to calm.
Under self-defense circumstances, finally apprehended the group of thugs. Looking at these thugs on the ground, some had faces embedded with many shattered blade fragments, some had chests nearly smashed open by his one punch, some...
Truly very dangerous. Luckily, he was somewhat capable in self-defense; otherwise, lying on the ground would be him.
Cough cough...
At this time.
Sound of coughing up blood.
He saw Khau Tam in the corner, just kicked into the corner by him, continuously coughing up blood. He really had shown mercy, didn't use force like before. However, looking at this appearance, seemed very difficult.
"Hey! You guys can call 120 for him later, see if anyone answers."
He said towards the survivors in the corner.
These people didn't attack him; he naturally wouldn't count them among the group to be struck in self-defense.
"Let's go."