"Don't worry, the monster that captured you is dead, and you're all free now," Noah explained.
"But on one condition—you all need to help load these nearby corpses into the truck and take them away. Doing some work in exchange for your lives seems like a fair deal to me."
The group exchanged looks, but none showed any intention of moving to lift the bodies. With the lizard man dead, they felt no fear.
"Why should we listen to you? We're not your slaves. Why do we have to do as you say? I refuse," declared a woman in office attire, brushing dust off her clothes in dissatisfaction.
The others quickly agreed, voicing their objections.
"You expect us to work for free? We'll work if you pay us or give us food!"
"I've been hungry all day and have no strength left. How can you ask me to move bodies? That's inhumane, especially for a woman!"
"You lack even the basic decency of a gentleman. Are you even a man? Typical straight male, doomed to be alone!"
"You saved us, sure, but respect our human rights. We're all free people with rights. If you'd ask nicely, considering your help, we might have agreed. But with your attitude, who'd want to listen?"
"Young man, you need to learn how to treat others. Otherwise, you'll suffer in the future. What can you do against all of us?"
"Today's youth really lack manners."
Upon hearing they were expected to work, the crowd became unruly, bombarding Noah with accusations and lessons on morality and behavior. Some used their slight seniority to lecture him on how to conduct himself.
Liu Xiaoyu, standing by, became furious, her blood pressure skyrocketing as she angrily retorted.
"Hey, have you no shame? Noah saved your lives, and all you're asked to do is help move some corpses, which is a huge favor already. If that monster had taken you, you wouldn't even know how you died," Liu Xiaoyu retorted, defending Noah against the ungrateful crowd.
"Little girl, this doesn't concern you," someone dismissed Liu Xiaoyu.
"Did we ever ask him to save us?" another added, escalating the situation.
Seeing the conflict intensify, Noah stepped in to halt Liu Xiaoyu's verbal fight. In a swift move, he approached the office lady who spoke first, lifted her into the air effortlessly, and then crushed her to death, tossing her corpse into the truck with a loud thud. He repeated this process with the next person, and then another, coldly stating, "You wanted human rights? Let's fast-track you to your next life to claim them."
"Trying to lecture me? Do you even qualify?"
In no time, Noah had dispatched five individuals.
"People are being murdered!" someone screamed.
"Help!" cries of terror filled the air as the rest attempted to flee, only to be caught by Noah one by one. Those swift enough to run were electrocuted by Xue Qingyu and dragged back by Liu Xiaoyu.
"Now, who else wants their human rights?" Noah asked coldly, overlooking the terrified group.
Silence fell, with the more faint-hearted wetting themselves in fear, trembling uncontrollably on the ground.
"My patience is limited. I hope you don't try my blood pressure any further," Noah warned. "You have ten minutes. Either move the nearby corpses into the truck, or become one yourself and be thrown in. Choose."
The survivors, spurred by the fear of death, quickly got to their feet and began moving the bodies with newfound energy, their complaints about hunger and exhaustion forgotten. Within ten minutes, they had cleared all the corpses from the area, even those within the community, and packed them into the truck.
"Who here can drive?"
"I... I can," one person shakily raised their hand.
"You then. Get on the truck, take everyone with you. I don't care where you go, the further the better," Noah directed. "But try not to drive too fast or make too much noise. If you die, don't blame me for not warning you."
Grateful for this reprieve, the group scrambled onto the truck and sped away, seemingly disregarding Noah's caution, roaring off into the night.
Noah shook his head in resignation. "Hard to advise those courting death," he thought, knowing the noise would likely attract zombies along the way, especially with the roads in poor condition.
"Let's head back," Noah said to the two women, pleased with the evening's gains: a copied ability and a significant amount of looted goods. Before returning to the villa, he instructed Liu Xiaoyu to barricade the community entrance with cars and used magnetism to reinforce the barrier with metal guardrails. This makeshift wall wasn't zombie-proof but could prevent stragglers from wandering in. The trio could easily enter the community by opening the car doors from the inside.
Upon returning to the villa, they were greeted by an avalanche of supplies spilling from the doorway: meat, eggs, dairy, fruits, vegetables, snacks, drinks, and kitchen utensils, everything one could need.
"Looks like that lizard guy hit up a few supermarkets," Noah mused, marveling at how 17,000 points of wealth had filled the entire villa with supplies.
Seeing the sudden windfall of goods, both women gaped in astonishment.
"What are you waiting for? Let's get organizing," Noah prompted.
Xue Qingyu, still in shock, turned to him. "Noah, where did all this come from?"
"I made a wish to God, and He appeared, giving us all this for free," Noah casually replied, brushing off Xue Qingyu's curiosity. Without further questioning, she and Liu Xiaoyu began sorting through the supplies. These were the three's lifelines in the apocalypse. With so much, they could live comfortably for a year lying down.
The two girls sorted and classified the supplies while Noah went to other villas to fetch refrigerators. With a significant portion of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats, totaling at least a couple of tons, it was crucial to prevent spoilage, especially in the hot summer weather.
Fresh produce could rot within three days outdoors, while meat could spoil overnight. Thus, Noah hauled about twenty refrigerators into a nearby villa, where he connected them to power sources. This villa would serve as a dedicated warehouse.
After arranging the refrigerators, Noah scoured the community for generators and lucked out with finding four. This would provide temporary power to the refrigerators in case of a power outage. If necessary, they could rely on Xue Qingyu as a human generator, although battery life was a concern.
By the time all the supplies were settled, the sky had already begun to lighten, indicating the approach of dawn. The entire endeavor had taken a night's worth of work. Even Noah, accustomed to physical exertion, felt stiff and sore, covered in grime and stench, lamenting the toll it took.
Having learned the lesson that too much of a good thing could be overwhelming, Noah decided to take the two girls to the indoor swimming pool in the community.
After all, what else could they do?
Of course, they would indulge and enjoy themselves.
After a night of hard work, they deserved it, didn't they?