Chapter 118 Xu Fang
Inside the factory.
Lin Xi, Lu Wei, and Liang Hui left, closing the door behind them.
Only Boss Xu and three female workers remained in the factory.
Mr. Xu was emaciated and looked haggard, but his bloodshot eyes began to brighten.
Conversely, three female workers who appeared relatively healthier huddled together, their eyes darting away as they looked at Boss Xu.
One of them looked at Boss Xu timidly and said, "Fangfang, we're sorry, but we didn't expect this either. Please forgive us, we're victims too..."
Xu Fang smiled slightly, as if mocking her, but also self-deprecatingly.
The three female workers looked at each other in bewilderment.
Xu Fang said, "I don't care anymore."
From the moment she rushed out the door, she stopped caring.
Xu Fang opened this small workshop to make dog food three years ago.
These days, many people keep pets, so the dog food business is booming. Although her small workshop isn't very formal, the prices are low, and she has a stable customer base.
Her small workshop has eight female workers who take turns working there.
Xu Fang herself is a seasoned dog lover.
She has a clingy Golden Retriever, a spoiled Chihuahua, a gentle Doberman, and a little Teddy.
She is 33 years old and still unmarried, but she lives happily with her four furry children.
Xu Fang is a contradictory person.
She runs a shady business, selling substandard dog food and using the money to buy brand-name dog food that meets nutritional standards for her furry friends.
Her boss isn't exactly heartless.
She treated her employees well and never withheld their wages, so everyone liked her.
However, the superiors were too easygoing, and over time some of the older employees lost their sense of respect. This middle-aged woman named He Ying started to slack off and be lazy. Xu Fang secretly warned her a few times, but she became more and more friendly and called her "Xiao Fang".
One employee's laziness can set others on track. Xu Fang gave He Ying many chances, but finally couldn't help but fire this old fox.
Her small workshop lacked a structured system; everyone just signed a perfunctory agreement. The workers' wages were low, below the tax threshold, and were all paid by Xu Fanglu Paopao via bank transfer.
On that very day, the zombie outbreak suddenly occurred.
Their factory is located on the edge of town, far from populated areas.
But everyone received a notice from the relevant authorities that some people saw zombies biting people on the street and were too scared to go home.
Xu Fang didn't dare to either; she stayed at the factory herself and also took in these workers.
Anyway, we still have some raw material reserves, enough for everyone to eat for now.
The workers were delighted, and they lived peacefully together for a while.
When did the changes begin?
Xu Fang's four furry friends were also at the factory. They were very alert and could smell danger. They would bark at the slightest disturbance, and several times the zombies outside had tried to climb over the wall to get in.
He Ying suggested, "At this critical juncture, we should release the dog; saving lives is more important."
Xu Fang glared at her and said only, "This is my factory, and my dog and I will stay here."
The other female workers were grateful to Xu Fang for taking them in, and felt that they had no right to interfere.
The zombie outbreak spiraled out of control, and they remained trapped there.
Five days later, several men barged in, and it was He Ying who opened the door for them.
It is said that among these people were He Ying's husband and brother, as well as two family members of the other two female workers; a large group of people had come.
Supplies were already scarce, and Xu Fang absolutely refused to take these people in. She said to He Ying, "If you insist on staying with them, then you can all go together."
However, with the outside world in chaos, who cares about the boss when it comes to survival?
He Ying's husband shouted, "Whoever has the stronger fist gets to decide. Starting today, I'm in charge here!"
Women are inherently less strong than men, especially when dealing with so many people, Xu Fang was at a disadvantage.
But these people just wanted to survive here; they threatened Xu Fang a few times but didn't intend to do anything to her.
After all, people still have some conscience; they know that this factory originally belonged to Xu Fang.
But Xu Fang's dogs were not willing to accept that their owner had been wronged, and they started howling wildly, attracting the zombies outside.
None of the men dared to go out and fight the zombies, but they came up with a plan—
Wouldn't it be safer if we just got rid of these barking dogs?
To keep the dogs quiet, all four dogs were euthanized.
Xu Fang watched helplessly as they ate dog meat hotpot, her teeth itching with hatred.
He Ying felt a little guilty at this moment, so she secretly took a piece of cooked pork from the raw material factory and handed it to her, saying earnestly, "Xiao Fang, Aunt He doesn't want this either, but your dog barks at the slightest noise, which attracts zombies and then none of us will survive!"
Those four furry children were Xu Fang's family members who had been with her for many years; she had cried all her tears.
Feeling sorry for her, He Ying patted her shoulder and comforted her, "Don't be sad. Aunt He will protect you. I won't let you suffer in the future."
However, He Ying's husband became increasingly arrogant, and with the zombie outbreak outside causing many deaths every day, order had collapsed.
He Ying's husband thought he was strong and good at fighting, so everyone in this small factory had to listen to him.
Gradually, he began to do whatever he wanted.
Although there was a reserve of pork, the raw material for making dog food, it was not sustainable for so many people to just sit around and eat it all up. So he started to hoard his own resources, taking all the good food for himself and making everyone else eat dog food.
Whether it's a man or a woman, his wife and Xu Fang have to listen to him!
If someone doesn't comply, they'll be beaten up; whoever has the stronger fist gets to listen.
Ten days later, the auto repair shop across from the factory also ran out of food and came to seek refuge at the factory.
They began to cooperate by scattering nails on the ground and intercepting passing vehicles to rob supplies.
He Ying's husband eats meat and rice, and if he's in a good mood, he'll give away the food as a tip; otherwise, everyone else can only eat dog food (a metaphor for being fed affection).
The status quo in the factory has been completely reversed. Who cares anymore that this used to be Xu Fang's territory or who the boss was?
Now, whoever has the strongest fist and the right to allocate resources is the boss.
The female workers' husbands all came, and the two men at the auto repair shop were also brothers; they were all from the same family, except for Xu Fang, who was alone.
She was a relatively young woman who was all alone, but her status kept declining. All she ever got was dog food (a metaphor for being exploited by others), and she was always bullied.
The villain's wife, He Ying, even went to comfort her: "Xiao Fang, it wasn't easy for your aunt to save your life, you have to be patient. Be strong."
Xu Fang endured a period of utter despair, powerless to retaliate.
While Lin Xi was locked in a stalemate with the people inside the wall, she rushed out with all her might, but she didn't want to die directly; instead...
Now.
Xu Fang looked at the three women slumped together: "I've been good to you, haven't I? I even took you in when the zombies came. Is this how you treat me?"
She gave them refuge, but they called their families to bully her while she remained a bystander.
He Ying felt both ashamed and afraid: "I'm sorry, I didn't know that damn thing... He... He forced me to eat dog food too... I had no choice..."
Xu Fang stared at them intently, her eyes like knives.
Terrified, He Ying shouted, "The men are all dead, what do you want? There are three of us!" She nudged her two companions.
Xu Fang chuckled softly, the bulging veins spreading from her neck to her cheeks.
-
"Ah!!! Help!!!"
A group of people who had just installed wheels and were about to set off outside the factory heard screams coming from inside. The screams stopped after a short while.
The people in the carriage all sighed in unison.
Then I grabbed my weapon, got out of the car, and took care of the four zombies inside.
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