CH : 36 Teaching a Lesson

Two gunmen soon after obscenely smiled towards the crumpled up woman on the ground and walked over.

This cold sight brought forth chilliness and sympathy from the women's hearts. They were fools like flowers in a greenhouse experiencing for the first time this world's cruelty and terror.

Grace's face changed color, a cold light flashed. Her fists tightened, she couldn't help but to take a step forward. And it was the same for Ethan; it was just that he could better control his emotions.

Ethan also took a step forward. Stopped Grace's body and opened his mouth: "Slowly!"

Vickey turned his eye upon Ethan: "Ethan , this is the Always Bright village interior matter. You want to interfere?"

The seven gunmen surrounding Vickey all placed their hands on their guns. They glared at him like a tiger watching its prey.

Six gunmen also gathered at the rear of Ethan. They took a couple steps back and looked upon Ethan like a big enemy.

Ethan's bravery or foolishness in their eyes had already been spread around. These gunmen were all afraid of Ethan. However they still maintained self control and didn't point their guns at Ethan.

The women at Ethans side were all extremely scared. If both sides clashed, they were afraid they would be the first ones to eat the bullets.

Ethan waved his hand. He threw a type 54 gun containing six bullets to Vickey: "My meaning wasn't to interfere with your Always Bright Village matters. I only want to do a business transaction with you. I'll buy her. Is this enough?"

Vickey grabbed the 54 type pistol happily. He waved his hand: "Yes! Yes! Release her!"

The power of the Tiger wasn't lacking, but there were few guns and ammunition. Their entire amount of guns they had didn't even number to fifty. A type 54 pistol was worth a substantial amount. Trading it for a useless woman was a rare opportunity.

Possessing this 54 pistol, Vickey had enough to hand over to Tiger, and it was enough to attain some material rewards.

The two gunmen soon after relaxed their hands and let go of that pitiful woman.

"Yingzi!! Yingzi!!" James ran over to that woman named Yingzi crying out tears.

Vickey walked over in front of Ethan and smiled saying: "Ethan, Our Hen House still has more then 3 dozens of women. Do you want to free any of them?! I'll give two women to you for a 54 pistol, four women for a 79 submachine gun. I'll trade a woman for twenty 54 pistol bullets, or forty submachine gun bullets. What do you think?"

In Always bright village, beautiful women had a little bit of worth, but ordinary women didn't carry much value.

Ethan directly refused saying: "No!"

From this situation, Ethan quickly realized that his ammunition was scarce and incredibly valuable. He couldn't afford to waste it, especially not to empower those who saw him as nothing more than a pawn in their twisted game.

What grated on him even more was the insult to his intelligence. Ethan knew full well that even if he were to secure the freedom of every woman in the Henhouse, it would be a fleeting victory. Tiger's men would not hesitate to concoct any excuse, no matter how trivial, to drag those women back into captivity, perpetuating a cruel and vicious cycle. The very thought of it made Ethan's blood boil. He knew that unless he dismantled the entire corrupt system that allowed such atrocities to thrive, his efforts would be in vain. It wasn't just about freeing the women; it was about tearing down the rot at the core of this nightmare, so that it could never take hold again.

Chen Xi smiled and walked towards the Henhouse: "Go stroll around the village, I'm going to relax."

"This isn't a government-assembled place. Please control your impulses, otherwise many people could get killed. The people close to you also could get killed because of their impulses." Ethan walked over to Grace's side, dropped his head and whispered into her ear. A whiff of Grace's scent entered into his nose.

Grace looked at Ethan and grinded her teeth: "I KNOW!"

James grabbed his wife and kneeled down in front of Ethan: "Yingzi, come bow down before this man. He saved you!"

James's age although about a generation older than Ethan, in this time whoever has ability is the Big Brother. James called all the gunmen in Always bright village older brother, so as not to offend anyone.

Yingzi kneeled before Ethan eagerly bowed her head: "Thank you big brother Ethan!"

The Henhouse was the hell of Always Bright village. Almost every day a woman couldn't bear the torment and died. That wasn't a place people could stay. Yingzi sincerely appreciated Ethan.

Ethan casted an eye at Yingzi. She was approximately 30+ years old. Her body was ordinary with an average appearance. Her complexion was somewhat yellow, just an ordinary village woman.

Ethan said "You don't have to do this. I acted based on my judgment, so please stand up."

James helped Yingzi stand up.

Ethan withdrew a biscuit from his pocket and gave it to James: "How about you take me around the village!"

James received the biscuit; his face smiled from end to end, continuously expressing thanks: "Thank you big brother! Thank you big brother! I'm familiar with always bright villages, I'll certainly take you around."

Taking that biscuit and adding a little water to make a paste, then mixing in some vegetables, would be enough for James to feed his family for two days.

At this time Julia came by, grabbed Ethan's clothes and said: "Big Brother Ethan, my tummy is hungry! We should eat then walk around!"

That maize gruel of wild herbs isn't something people eat. Julia and the women hadn't eaten anything. They were already hungry enough for two whole meals.

Ethan said: "Okay! James, wait a moment, meet me at the public square later!"

James repeatedly nodded, and helped his wife go home: "Understood, big brother Ethan!"

On the Always Bright village streets, everyone was watching Ethan's party. They were measuring up these new residents to Always Bright village.

Leah and the women generously gave their food to the children of Always Bright village yesterday. Quickly a crowd of children crowded behind the women and yelled: "Beautiful big sisters, I'm begging you give us something to eat! We're hungry!"

Leah courteously said: "I am sorry, I have none! I don't have anything to eat on me! I really have nothing!"

How could these village children believe that? They surrounded Leah and Julia begging without end: "Beautiful big sisters, please give us something to eat! We're Hungry!"

Seeing these children, Ethan's eyebrows wrinkled.

Luke standing by Ethan's side pulled out his 54 pistol and pointed it at the children, coldly saying: "scram!"

Seeing Luke being fierce like this, pulling out his pistol, these Always Bright village children scattered with fear. They weren't afraid of the generous women, but they were afraid of these ruthless gunmen without limit.

Seeing these children disperse, Leah's heart relaxed. She looked at Luke and raised an eyebrow: "Luke, why did you do that? They are all little children. Frightening them is okay, but why did you have to bring out the gun?"

Ethan's eyebrows wrinkled, he walked forward and slapped Leah across the face.

Leah felt cheated by Ethan's attack. She scrunched up her pretty face and said in disbelief: "You hit me! You unexpectedly hit me."

"That's right, I hit you!" Ethan's voice was firm, his eyes blazing with frustration and disappointment. "If it wasn't for your naive, misguided sense of kindness, we wouldn't be burdened by those children! You gave away what little we had without a second thought, without consulting anyone. I never told you to do that, but you went ahead anyway."

He paused, trying to rein in his anger. "They're just kids—I get that, and I don't mind helping. But now, Luke stepped in to bail you out of a mess you created, and instead of showing gratitude, you had the nerve to lash out at him. You said things that should have never left your mouth."

Ethan took a deep breath, his gaze never leaving Leah's. "You need to watch what you say. Next time I hear you speak to my brother like that, I won't hesitate—I'll ask you to leave the group." His tone was laced with a mix of sorrow and resolve. Ethan couldn't tolerate her recklessness any longer. Luke had acted out of genuine care, and Leah's careless words cut deep.

Ethan continued, his voice softening slightly, but still firm. "It's not like Luke wanted to point a gun at those kids. It was the only way to disperse them without causing harm. He did what he had to do to protect us all, and yet you still found fault in his actions."He shook his head, a mix of frustration and sadness in his eyes. "We can't afford this kind of division. We're barely holding on as it is, and we can't let this toxicity linger in our already fragile group. We need to be united, not tearing each other apart from the inside."

Words can also hurt people, and sometimes words can cut deeper than a knife. Ethan was committed to complete his promise of escorting these girls to Long Hai city's survivor camp. He could've gone earlier with Luke, Julia, and William to rush to Nanning to seek his family. Out of the goodness of his heart he was helping, yet still getting scolded. Ethan didn't have that kind of holy disposition.

Leah's eyes welled up with tears, her face flushing with a mix of shame and sorrow. She bowed her head, the tears flowing freely now. Leah had always been confident in her appearance, knowing she had been admired by many back in college. But this was the first time she had ever experienced the sting of being reprimanded so harshly, especially by a man.

As the tears fell, a deep sense of realization settled in. She knew she had been wrong, and the weight of her actions pressed heavily on her. The other girls, too, seemed to feel the shift in the atmosphere. So even those some of them wanted reprimand Ethan for slapping Leah so bluntly, they couldn't deny what he said wasn't right.

Without paying attention to the crying Leah, Ethan walked over to the Volvo truck.

William, Luke, Julia, Chloe, and Elisa followed closely behind Ethan.

The other women also followed behind Ethan, Grace, and Luke. Seeing Always Bright Village's situation, these women started to really understand this world's savageness, as well as the rarity of people like Ethan.

Daisy, along with the other women, stayed back as she approached Leah. Placing a comforting hand on Leah's shoulder, she spoke with a gentle yet firm tone, "Leah, I understand your frustration, but Ethan and Luke have done more for us than anyone else could have. Things are different now. The world we knew is gone, order has crumbled, and we're surrounded by death at every turn. People are killing each other over scraps of food. It's not like before—there's no safety net, no second chances."

Daisy paused, glancing around at the other women who were listening intently, their faces reflecting the harsh reality of their situation. "Ethan and Luke risk their lives, scavenging for supplies so that we can survive another day. And it's not just the basics they're bringing back—it's everything we need to maintain our dignity in this hellish world. Did you see the truck William was driving? It's filled with things we need, things that keep us human. Clothes in every size, Tampons, pads, menstrual cups, or reusable cloths for managing periods. bras and panties, with moisture-wicking and anti-chafing properties. Hair care items Elastic bands, combs, or brushes, and basic hair hygiene products like dry shampoo. Soap, feminine wipes, and portable bidets for maintaining cleanliness.—things we'd never think to ask for, but Ethan thought of them."

Daisy's voice softened as she continued, "It's easy to think he's only doing this for someone like Luna, Grace, or Julia, but look at what he's gathered. He's thought of all of us. Imagine risking your life, putting yourself in the path of danger, and still hearing that it's not enough. He's protecting us, Leah. He could have chosen to go it alone, to look out only for himself. But instead, he's chosen to protect us, to keep us safe. And he hasn't asked for anything in return, not even our gratitude."

Her eyes met Leah's, and there was a deep understanding there. "He doesn't have to be this good to us. We all know that. But he is. He could have forced himself on any of us and we couldn't have been able to do much. And what we could have done was run to where zombies are everywhere. So you either be eaten by zombies or be raped by him.

And while we're here under his protection, we're safe. The moment he decides he can't do it anymore, what do you think will happen? These men won't hesitate to turn on us. They'll do unspeakable things, and we'll be helpless. Ethan doesn't like the way things are any more than we do, but he's thinking about all of us. He's giving away supplies to keep the peace because if a fight breaks out, we're the ones who will pay the price."

Daisy finished, her words lingering in the air like a heavy weight. The women around her nodded in agreement, some realizing for the first time the depth of Ethan's sacrifices. Together, they moved toward Ethan, understanding that in this brutal world, their safety and survival depended on the man who had chosen to protect them. Daisy knew there was no safer place for them than by Ethan's side.

Daisy with the grils headed towards Ethan's direction. She didn't feel the least bit safe away from Ethan's side in this village.

"Wait for me!" Leah saw she was the only one left behind. Her heart became dreadful. Not daring to stay there and cry, she hastily chased them.