How To Be Misunderstood as a Villain in a Zombie Apocalypse

Chapter 7. Ice is just as good as fire (9)

* * * * *

The ‘Beehive’ consists of a 20-story hotel and six 15-story apartment buildings surrounding the hotel. The seven were separate buildings, but there was a sky bridge between the hotel and the apartments.

It was clumsily constructed with iron plates, scaffolding, and wooden blocks, making it extremely clumsy. If there were no people or cargo passing across the bridge, it would sway whenever the wind blew. There was something similar to a railing, but no one was holding on to it.

“That looks a bit dangerous.”

Camilla shrugged her shoulders at my words.

“I can’t help it. “It’s better to build bridges between buildings than to run around the streets and get attacked by zombie dogs, zombie rats, or zombie cats.”

The situation was similar to other high-rise buildings in the Hamptons. However, the composition of the lower and upper floors was different. While the lower floors were made up of ropes and wood, the upper floors were solidly reinforced with steel pipes and H-beams.

In contrast, the beehives were equally strong whether on the lower or upper floors. They all shake in the wind the same way, but they still seem much safer than a net with a plank on top.

“Why is that like that? “Because the wind blows stronger on higher floors, are the legs made of stronger material?”

“No. A lot of rich people live in the upper floors. The lower floors are for the poor, and the upper floors are for the rich. The higher you go, the less likely you are to be hit by a zombie. But even those people are worse than those who live over there.”

Camilla pointed to the other side of the city. She was blocked by tall buildings, so it was hard to see what was there.

“There’s another wall over there. It spans both above ground and underground, and the electricity and water systems are completely separate. Soldiers are always there to guard it. “Actually, that was originally the Hamptons.”

“Then what about here?”

“This is the Hamptons too. Hampton is a fairly large city in south central Elsa. Before the zombie outbreak, 500,000 people lived in Hampton City.

After it was declared a human reserve, people who were forcibly relocated from non-protected areas flocked here, and now the estimate is 700,000 to 800,000.”

It was so different from what I remembered.

I already know that I fell into a time zone before the world was destroyed. So, there were many times when I felt confused because the place I remembered was different from the sight in front of me.

But Hampton is completely different.

The Hamptons I remember was just a wasteland.

The building collapsed after being bombed, zombies were lying down and biting off the ankles, gang members were sniping players at the right moment when they were hit by zombies, and rival players were hiding near the exit. The closest thing to hitting is the Hamptons.

But this is the ‘city’ itself. The building is in good condition and electricity and water are running. It’s not like it runs 24 hours a day, but anyway, when the light turns on and the toilet flushes, that’s somewhere.

Fortunately, Camilla knew very well about city life. The main places of activity for the liberation team members were human protection zones, that is, villages and cities.

The non-protected area was just a place to enter when you had no choice.

In particular, Camilla said that her main tasks were disturbance, information gathering, and establishing a communication network rather than combat. She was therefore familiar with false identity procedures, disguises, deception, and deception.

“Actually, there is more to the black market than just the beehive. Because Hampton is a big city. “But there’s no place like a beehive.”

“Really?”

“There is order in a beehive. A criminal organization rules here. It’s called the ‘Syndicate’, and it’s a violent organization in collusion with Erza’s government. “They are dirty guys who do the work that the National Military Police cannot do, but they have the advantage of committing evil acts while maintaining order.”

“Ha. “What about the other kids?”

“Do evil for the sake of doing evil.”

* * * * *

To summarize, ‘Beehive’ is a mega hotel in the Hamptons and a huge traditional market.

As expected from a city building, electricity, gas, and water are connected throughout the entire beehive complex. It also has a closed communication network and transaction bulletin board that covers the entire building.

The seller first secures a hotel room and posts a message on the bulletin board. ‘What building, what number, has a certain item?’ Then, the prospective buyer sees the post, rings the doorbell, goes in, and bargains.

To prevent fraud, all visitors to the beehive are permitted to possess and use firearms. It’s up to you whether you get a hole in your head while running away or if you fire a machine gun as soon as you enter.

However, if the building is damaged, syndicate members are dispatched and take some kind of action to ‘restore everything to its original state.’

Of course, bag sellers are not the only ones who use ‘honeycombs’. It is also an inexpensive lodging for strangers like us, homeless people, and poor people who want to get a piece of the Hamptons.

We were told that since we would be staying here for a few days and exchanging goods, we would have to register for both lodging and sales.

“But how do you know what’s broken?”

“… “You’ll find out when you go.”

I followed Camilla into the central hotel lobby. Apart from the hotel, all other apartment entrances were blocked and opened only in emergencies.

The hotel lobby resembled a huge PC room. Computers and monitors were spread out in an open space, and people were sitting and operating keyboards and mice. Except for the fact that there is a gun holder on the desk, it is no different from a regular PC room.

“What are you doing?”

“Those people? Probably Hampton citizens. You may be searching for properties on the market here. “If I need anything, I’m going to buy it and go back.”

As can be seen from the gun rack, Hampton citizens also carry guns. However, the rifle was put in a bag similar to a guitar case, and only the pistol was exposed.

“Elsa’s government is truly amazing. Although they gave up their ‘duty’ to protect citizens from zombies, they guaranteed ‘freedom’ and ‘rights’ for citizens to kill zombies on their own. “If anything, people would say it’s survival of the fittest.”

“Only those who adapt survive?”

“That’s the original meaning, but it’s a little different here. ‘The longer I live, the more I see deficits.’ Not only do I have to pay various utility bills and taxes, but I even have to pay for bullets, so how on earth can I live?”

The counter was divided into two. The one on the left is for people who only want to use the market instead of lodging, and the one on the right is for those who want to stay.

“Welcome to the Continental Hotel.”

A fat man dressed in very hip clothes greeted us cordially. He had two K-47 rifles on his desk. ‘Please be polite to the employees. You are someone’s precious family. The notice ‘If not.’ Was particularly noticeable.

“Do you know the rules of use?”

The man came out and handed Camilla and me some documents and asked.

“I know.”

Camilla even wrote mine for me and she answered.

“What is the expected length of stay?”

“Two to three days. “I’ll make it three days for now.”

“Do you want to pay for accommodation or stay for free?”

“I will pay for the accommodation.”

I thought that free would be better, but Camilla answered without hesitation, ‘I will pay.’ There must be some reason.

“Do you use the market? If you use it, do you buy, sell, or both?”

“Use both. There is one room. “There are two single beds.”

The man nodded his head and handed over the keys, a printout of the ‘Continental Hotel User Guide’, and a laptop. The internal network password was written in large letters.

“I will ask you one last question. All rooms are equipped with CCTV. Since you have agreed to pay for accommodation, the CCTV will remain turned off, but may be activated unavoidably and without notice for ‘customer safety’. “I’m sure you have no objection to this, right?”

I was about to tell her that she was talking nonsense, but Camilla secretly waved her hand. She told me to leave it to her.

“I agree.”

“Then may you rest in peace. “You can pick up the cart on the left.”

The man’s gold teeth sparkled.

* * * * *

I put my luggage on the cart and pushed it. He must have been well oiled and it ran very well. Our accommodation is building 2, room 306. You have to cross two skybridges.

The overpass was stronger than I thought. Beep beep… It rattled… Beek… Beep… There was a sound, but that was within the acceptable range.

“Why did you say you would pay for accommodation?”

Instead of answering, Camilla blushed. After entering Building 2, I knew why.

“Aang! Ah! Ah! Ah!”

“More, harder! Ah, good! Ahhh!”

As soon as I entered, a loud chant rang out. There was no concept of soundproofing the apartment. The cheapest gosiwon I stayed at was also better soundproofed than this one.

“Down, down, you bastard!”

“Damn.”

Somewhere, there was a loud electronic crackle and a shout of “Die, you son of a b*tch!” Then bang! And I also heard the sound of guns being fired.

A bell was heard at the end of the hallway. Camilla motioned for her to quickly move out of the way into the hallway. Two people wearing chemical, biological and radiological protection raincoats passed by, pushing a cart. It contained two corpses.

“They are not zombies. Do not worry. Not zombies… “

“… “What is all this?”

It was absurd. Camilla smiled darkly.

“City life.”

* * * * *

I returned to our room, pushing the cart. As soon as I entered the password, the door opened. Camilla and I changed the password for the door.

The master number is separate anyway, so it doesn’t matter if you change it, just don’t forget it… That’s what it said in the guidebook.

It was about the size of a small apartment. One living room, two rooms, one bathroom. There was a sofa and a table in the living room, and old blood stains were visible on the legs.

The problem is sound.

– Ah. Ah. More, ah, good. Ah. Crazy, ah, ah f*ck…

– Bang! Bang! Slurp.

– The Elsa government declared a General Council of Ministers to take responsibility for the current situation where the zombie outbreak has not been eradicated. Accordingly, the term of office of the current prime minister and ministers is unlimited…

There is no soundproofing at all. The sound of the television, the sound of flesh clashing against flesh, the sounds of gamblers, and the sounds of bargaining can all be heard without filtering.

“Isn’t this the apartment where people live?”

“This is why it’s ruined. “How can you live in a place like this?”

I agreed right away.

Camilla flopped down on her bed. With her back to the television, she sat down and unbuttoned her clothes.

“CCTVs are installed everywhere. Think of that television as just a giant camera. “I’ve calculated the cost of lodging, so it may be off for now.”

“… “What happens if I don’t pay the accommodation fee?”

Camilla shook her head at my question.

“This is a black market, a place where people who have nothing stay. People who have nothing but their bodies. But there are many people in the world who lust after someone’s body.

So, you have s*x in front of the countless CCTVs installed in your room. The desk records it and sells it. Although there is no sound, the angles are varied. Provocative editing is possible.”

“Why on earth is it so bad?”

“To make a living.”

Camilla’s words were quiet.

“A life of saving money on lodging by filming amateur porn, earning a little money by volunteering to work as a cleaner who could be infected with the zombie virus, and leaving the hive to find a small room.

That’s the small desire of these people. It’s okay to live in a safe city even if it’s just for a little while. Because it’s better than sleeping on the streets and becoming a zombie.

But the situation kept getting worse. Due to the mandatory relocation order to non-protected areas, housing prices have risen too much and the supply of daily necessities has deteriorated. So people are angry. However, since everyone has guns, I know what will happen if this anger explodes, so I am holding back.

Hans, the leader of the central front, wanted to touch on that very point. He knew this city was a huge powder keg. If the bomb had exploded, the city would have collapsed. Not by the hands of zombies, but by humans. So, I’m glad.

It’s all thanks to you, Johan. You saved the people of this city. “Thank you for not listening to Hans.”

Camilla’s eyes sparkled so brightly that I decided not to comment on her comment, ‘I think the Hamptons look more like a heap of ashes.’