Debate

"Sigh, people really lack compassion these days! I asked for some food and water, but no one would give me any. It's so disappointing!" a person lamented.

"Just now a friend contacted me, saying he had reached an area with Japanese people, and invited me over!" another added. "He said they are very hospitable; once you get there, they offer free food, water, and even comfortable beds!"

"There's no need to risk facing zombies because they have specialized squads responsible for collecting food!" the speaker continued. "Today, I even saw a group of Japanese at a big supermarket entrance, working together efficiently—some were guarding, some were taking inventory!"

"They even saved a woman in the process, how admirable!" a person named Frank said with a sense of superiority.

His statement immediately sparked a wave of ridicule. Someone quickly posted a set of photos. The photos captured exactly the scene Frank had described.

"Look, are these the people?" someone asked.

"Yes, yes, those are the ones! Did you see them too?" Frank confirmed eagerly.

"Everyone, look, this is the proof. You don't have to doubt; there's nothing more to say about it!" Frank said proudly.

At that moment, Slater stepped forward and spoke:

"Sorry, but the person in this photo is me!" Slater declared. "What happened today has only reinforced my thoughts on this!"

Since the chat channel showed speakers with their three-dimensional avatars, everyone immediately recognized that the person in the photo was indeed Slater.

With the actual person in question clearing up the confusion, everyone was eager to see how Frank would respond.

Mockery quickly ensued:

"Ha ha, talk about a crash and burn, what a sight!"

"That slap in the face came fast, haha, the person in the photo speaking out himself!"

"This Frank isn't a decent person at all, absolutely shameless!"

"Using a photo of our survivor camp's teamwork to verify someone else's unity?!"

"Hahaha, I'm laughing so hard I'm crying!"

Frank, his face turning red, continued:

"I might have gotten the photo wrong, but the Japanese are very polite and courteous!"

"Joining a Japanese camp would definitely be no problem!"

"The Japanese don't have any racial prejudices; they treat us just as warmly as they treat their own people!"

"My friend is living well there; I'll be going over in a few days too!"

Hearing this, Slater's expression darkened, and he said:

"Japanese politeness is like a scentless flower, all for show!"

"I bet you'd just be another sheep for the slaughter over there!"

"Getting food, water, and shelter without doing anything? You could figure out with your toes that such good fortune never existed even in peacetime!"

"Now, in these apocalyptic times when resources are so scarce, do you think the Japanese would support idlers?"

"Let me tell you about the real situation I encountered today... The woman I saved was Japanese!"

"And my team nearly got killed because of her!"

Slater's words immediately caused a stir:

"What, Slater was almost killed?"

"Figures, not a single good thing about the Japanese!"

"No way, Slater's crew is strong; the photo showed seven burly men, all equipped with longbows and daggers. That's an elite force! And they almost got wiped out?"

"They level up that fast? Looks like I need to step up my game too!"

Slater continued with a wry smile:

"I thought we were strong, able to wipe out hundreds of zombies in a large supermarket."

"But what I didn't anticipate was that the most malicious thing in the world isn't zombies, but human hearts."

"Their strength is similar to ours, but their cunning is far beyond our imagination."

He briefly recounted the entire incident, then added:

"Basically, this group set us up, then resorted to despicable tactics like taking hostages."

"They wanted to kill us all and loot our supplies! That's someone's idea of 'friendly' and 'hospitable'."

"If it hadn't been for one man who turned the tables on them alone... I probably wouldn't be able to speak here anymore."

"Besides... I'm just an ordinary person..."

"In front of him, I am nothing!"

This statement set off another wave of reactions:

"They dared to attack our people? Damn, we need to unite and take them down!"

"Wasn't it said that there are still people around? We need to be careful."

"Right, right, Slater, where's your camp? We'll come over and strengthen the team!"

"One mysterious person took down eight by himself? That's too badass!"

"Does someone Slater admires so much really exist?!"

"Such talent is beyond the comprehension of those trashy people!"

"That's the real situation. Frank, that bastard, complained about having to work for food at Slater's camp and ended up sucking up to the Japanese? That really blows my mind!"

"Wow, the way you put it is too vivid, I suddenly lost my appetite..."

Henry saw that Slater hadn't mentioned his name and couldn't help but smile slightly. It seemed Slater had some discernment to lead a survivor camp, knowing better than to speak without permission. It's surprising that even in the apocalypse, people still believe in such things, even expecting pie to fall from the sky. What an oddity!

Thinking this, Henry remembered the few people Clarissa had mentioned. With Clarissa alone in the security room, Henry felt a bit uneasy. Since he planned to clear zombies and open a level 3 supply box tomorrow anyway, he might as well deal with those creeps and interrogate them about the surroundings.

It was crucial to understand the local situation to plan future actions. Survival is the top priority in the post-apocalyptic world. Henry didn't want to engage in looting or violence actively, but he wouldn't passively wait for potential enemies to harm him either. Threats must be eliminated before they can grow.

Henry continued to read the chat messages for a while longer, but there was nothing useful left. The rest were either trade advertisements or continued arguments from earlier—completely uninformative.

The night passed without further discussion.