"Dad, this is where we have our classes," Xiaoya said, holding He Chao's hand and pointing to a classroom.
He Chao nodded, stroking his daughter's head and saying, "Good, good, good."
He was very satisfied and relieved to see his daughter growing up in such an environment, relieved that his efforts had not been in vain.
It further solidified his resolve to help Li Yu make the base more secure and protect its safety.
As the two walked, they encountered Da Pao.
Da Pao and Song Min were walking in one direction.
Seeing He Chao and his daughter, they both greeted them.
After Da Pao left, his daughter Xiaoya said, "Dad, let me take you to the place assigned for us to live. Sister Xiaoyuan said that we can live in this house from now on. I'm living in it right now."
He Chao smiled and said, "Alright, lead the way, Dad."
The two walked towards the house.
Along the way, they met people from the base and friends Xiaoya knew.
When Li Peizhen saw Xiaoya, she ran up and said, "Xiaoya, I was just looking for you! Shall we go play shuttlecock together?"
Xiaoya saw Li Peizhen and said, "I want to be with my dad. This is my dad, the one I told you about."
Li Peizhen said to He Chao, "Hello, Uncle."
He Chao smiled and nodded, saying, "Hello."
Li Peizhen looked at Xiaoya and said, "Then I won't disturb you. I'll come find you after class tomorrow."
Xiaoya said, "Alright."
Li Peizhen then left.
Many people in the base witnessed this scene.
It was Li Yu's decision to let He Chao in.
As for Da Pao and others, everyone had seen He Chao's efforts throughout this series of events, and no one had any objections to He Chao being able to enter the base and have a room.
After all, the final decision-maker was Li Yu.
Xiaoya led her dad to their living quarters.
Their assigned room was on the second floor, in the middle.
When Xiaoya took out the key and opened the door, He Chao felt an almost irresistible excitement.
In such a safe place, they finally had a temporary home of their own.
The door opened.
What greeted them was a small living room.
Inside, there were two rooms, a toilet, and a shower room.
He Chao walked inside, and the first thing he did was turn on the shower head.
Hot water.
He flipped the switch, and there was electricity.
There was even a projector.
He Chao felt a bit dazed, as if he had returned to life before the apocalypse.
After the apocalypse arrived, little did he know that such basic things as lights and hot water would become a luxury.
With satisfaction in his eyes, He Chao kept saying, "Good, good, good. Good."
Although he had expected life inside the base to be better, he hadn't imagined it would be this good.
Thinking of his daughter, he felt that everything was worth it.
In the apocalypse, one always needs something to anchor their spirit.
His daughter was his spiritual anchor.
Recalling the conversation between his daughter and that little girl just now, it seemed his daughter had indeed made friends her age inside.
This was very good.
It also put his mind at ease a great deal.
All along, he had worried about one thing: that his daughter would be ostracized after coming inside.
But to his surprise, no one was ostracized.
Because for most people who were able to enter, it was all thanks to Li Yu.
They didn't originally belong here; this place was built by Li Yu single-handedly.
And as more and more people came in later, making the base more complete, they knew that as the base grew stronger, they would be safer living within it.
He Chao felt much more at ease.
On the way back today, witnessing Li Yu's cold-blooded cruelty outside had made him question life for a moment.
But now, after entering this base and seeing so much good within it, he suddenly understood something.
There is no such thing as peace and quiet; it's simply that someone is carrying the burden for you.
Li Yu and his team were so cautious and worked so hard outside.
Wasn't it all to protect their families within the base?
He Chao suddenly developed a strong sense of admiration for Li Yu.
Only by following someone with flesh and blood, and even more, with cunning and ruthlessness, could one survive well in this apocalypse and bring his daughter to live well.
He Chao's entry was ordered by Li Yu, and after He Chao entered, someone was already watching them.
There was no other way; there were many family members in the base, and every new person who came in had an observation period.
This was to observe whether the person had any abnormal behavior within the base, and so on.
That evening, He Chao had dinner at Li Yu's invitation.
This dinner almost made the forty-something-year-old man question life.
He had never imagined that in this apocalypse, he could still live such a life.
Thinking of his brothers who were still outside, he felt a pang of guilt.
But then something occurred to him, and he decided not to tell his brothers about the internal affairs of the base.
Knowing too much would create imbalance.
And they only needed to put in enough effort; in the future, they would definitely be able to fully join.
Moreover, given their current progress, it wouldn't be long before they could fully join.
That night, He Chao took a hot bath and soaked in the tub, lying comfortably for over half an hour.
Towards the end, he almost couldn't get out.
After spending two more days with his daughter, He Chao finally steeled himself and left.
He knew his value; he needed to lead his brothers, protect the base's safety, and constantly observe the situation around the base.
He needed to station people along both sides of the National Highway.
And his brothers in the Outer City also needed him; they needed him to lead them there.
Separating from his reluctant daughter, He Chao said, "From now on, Dad will come back two days every week to be with you.
If you miss Dad, you can come find me."
Xiaoya probably still didn't quite understand why her father had to be outside, so she asked, "Dad, can't you stay here?"
He Chao smiled and shook his head, saying, "No, I have things I need to do."
Xiaoya thought about herself and then about her father, seemingly understanding but not fully.
After He Chao went out, as expected, his brothers asked him many questions.
He Chao, with a radiant face, simply said, "Work hard quickly. Once you have enough points, you'll know when you get in."
This kind of answer, which was equivalent to saying nothing, made everyone quite annoyed.
But they still yearned for the day when they could enter after working hard.
In fact, they were already very satisfied now; they could live without worrying about the night or constant zombie attacks.
They didn't have to worry about starving to death. Although they still couldn't eat freely and sometimes didn't get enough, it was much better than before.
And following Li Yu, their growing strength also gave He Chao and his team a great sense of psychological security.
Working with CEO Li gives us confidence and a brighter future!
