Chapter 10: Charles

Could this mean that in a few more hours, he could sign in again? David was very curious about what the next sign-in would bring him.

Hearing the continuous banging outside the door, David smiled and stretched lazily, approaching the door and said nonchalantly, "Are my brothers still busy? Keep it up, let's see how long you can keep this up!"

David mocked them and then decided to exercise in his room. He had acquired some combat skills, but his physical condition was poor and needed improvement. With no furniture left in his house, there was plenty of space to run around and warm up his body.

As he began to run, the people making noise outside were almost enraged by David's words. They had been knocking for so long, and it seemed like David was unaffected?

"I'll see how long you can keep this up!"

"Just you wait, he'll break soon enough!"

"I thought he could endure more, but he's about to give in!"

"Keep going!"

There were only four people outside now, with others resting and rotating every hour or so.

"Don't rush, Robert will be back soon, and we'll break that damn door," one said.

"It's strange, what is that door made of? It's so sturdy."

"I'm more curious about where he got such a door, wasn't his house emptied before?"

"Forget it, why bother thinking so much? Filling our stomachs is the priority. I can hardly bear it."

"Damn, I'm tired, stop knocking, I'm so frustrated," said someone resting in the back.

"Do you think I want to keep knocking? Be thankful no one has urinated here yet, otherwise, could we even stay in this place?"

Then, someone had a sudden idea, "How about we seek out Charles?"

"Charles?" The name sent a shiver down the spines of the other three, fear evident on their faces. "Are you crazy? Didn't you see Mr. Jones didn't even approach Charles?"

Charles, a former big boss in Emeraldon, owned many factories, including ones that made protective suits. He was rumored to have connections with the government and was a renowned figure before the apocalypse. After the apocalypse, he leveraged his protective suits to walk in the hail and accumulated a lot of resources with his factories.

In this harsh world, only someone like him could still afford luxuries.

Having food, people, and tools to venture outside essentially meant controlling people's lifelines.

Mr. Jones had business dealings with Charles and knew him, but he never dared to seek refuge with him. In this merciless world, who would dare to seek help from someone so much more powerful, especially one with a notorious reputation?

Before the apocalypse, Charles had been involved in several scandals, including withholding wages and employing thugs. How could they trust someone like that?

Yet, such a person might have the means to break the door.

"The kid got such a door, and he has food inside. Charles will definitely be interested," said the person in the back. "I don't ask for much, just enough to keep my family fed if I follow Charles."

"Forget it," said the person knocking. "Even if we all agreed to seek his help, who would brave this weather to notify Charles?"

The hail outside had lessened, but it was unpredictable and lethal.

The most crucial factor was the harsh outdoor environment, much colder than inside.

"And even if we could reach him, who knows how much food that kid has left? What if Charles arrives and finds it's not worth his travel, and decides to kill us?"

The people sighed, lamenting the state of the world.

"Here they come!"

Suddenly, the sound of many people approached from below. Leading the crowd was Robert, still wielding his large hammer. "Thanks to Mr. Jones for his generosity, I've recovered a lot. Watch this, I'll break that door this time!"

"Go ahead, Robert, you'll be rewarded," Mr. Jones shouted. "We are a collective. Those who work hard deserve more!"

"Of course, we can't let some get the same share for doing nothing!" the four upstairs responded.

Others echoed, even those who hadn't worked yet, only the lazy ones were less enthusiastic.

"Did David respond?" William emerged from his room, also enduring the noise.

His house was opposite David's, and while the noise wasn't as loud due to the distance, it was still bothersome, like neighbors renovating.

After enduring the noise for hours, he too was almost at his limit.

Robert was well-rested.

Damn, this kid had a good rest, but he hadn't!

The person in the back sneered, "He did respond. He told us to keep trying."

This enraged the others, and Robert said, "Let's see how long he can stay defiant!"

"Make way!"

Everyone stepped aside, giving Robert ample space.

"Today, I don't believe I can't break this door!"

He swung the hammer forcefully, causing a loud noise that made everyone cover their ears.

"Reminds me, it's time to eat. Let me think about what to have."

David heard the knocking stop and said, "Let's keep it simple, how about some spicy hotpot? What do you think?"