Du Lanyue, seeing her father, finally pulled herself away from her dazed state with Gu Qingcheng, a shiver running down her spine.
She had committed a grave offense today. The entire family had hidden in the basement, yet she was the only one who had run out.
They must have discovered her absence by now. She didn't know how she'd manage to lie her way out of this once she returned.
However, as long as she returned, she could salvage the situation. It was better than being caught by her father right now and being questioned, to which she wouldn't be able to stammer out an answer.
Du Lanyue reluctantly said to Gu Qingcheng:
"Young Master Gu, I'll be leaving now. You don't need to see me off. I'll ride back myself."
"No, let me escort you."
Gu Qingcheng didn't dare let Du Lanyue go home alone, fearing there might still be danger on the road.
But Du Lanyue said, "It's alright, I'm riding a horse."
With that, she mounted her horse, gave Gu Qingcheng an apologetic smile from the saddle, and then spurred her horse away in a flash.
Gu Qingcheng was momentarily bewildered, not understanding why she was in such a hurry to leave.
Little did she know, Du Lanyue was trying to avoid her father.
"Young Master Gu, we are fortunate to have you this time. If not for your composure under pressure and your knowledge of zombie-dispelling techniques, Tea Kettle Island would have been in danger."
Seeing Gu Qingcheng from afar, Du Laoda greeted him enthusiastically.
After this battle, Du Laoda's respect for Gu Qingcheng soared.
This Young Master Gu, despite his young age, possessed responsibility, a strong sense of duty, and was a person of great vision.
If their previous collaboration on building the pier was merely for profit, then now he genuinely wanted to cooperate with Gu Qingcheng and make their Tea Kettle Island better.
The crowd that accompanied Du Laoda also showered Gu Qingcheng with praise.
Gu Qingcheng smiled and said, "Now is not the time to discuss this. The injuries of the more than fifty villagers inside are quite serious.
To be honest, this is the first time I've used this antidote. I don't know if it will be effective, or if it will be effective for everyone. So, everyone still needs to be prepared. If the antidote they take proves ineffective and they turn into zombies, we can control them in time."
Having just experienced the crisis of the zombie siege, everyone understood Gu Qingcheng's words.
After this battle, they had witnessed the ferocity of a zombie horde.
If these injured people couldn't be treated and turned into zombies, and this was the city center, then if the zombies escaped, who knew how many people they would bite.
And those bitten would also turn into zombies, spreading from ten to a hundred... The thought alone sent shivers down their spines.
Du Laoda and others rushed to Phoenix Pharmacy because they had previously organized their subordinates to intercept the zombies.
Some of these subordinates were bitten by zombies, or some were not bitten but sustained abrasions during the fight, or accidental burns from firewood. As their employers and the leaders who organized them to fight the zombies, they naturally couldn't abandon them now.
If they did, who would fight for them in the future?
Du Laoda and the others were people who knew how to conduct themselves. After the situation had largely calmed down, they rushed to Phoenix Pharmacy to visit their subordinates.
Gu Qingcheng led them into Phoenix Pharmacy, where they found their respective subordinates and offered them comfort.
So far, there was good news.
The wounds of the injured villagers had changed from dark black to bright red, and the wounds were gradually regaining their normal color. The zombie antidote was indeed working.
Seeing that the antidote was effective, the injured villagers' morale stabilized.
As for those with fractures, bruises, and burns, Phoenix Pharmacy also performed disinfection, bandaging, and other treatment measures.
Gu Qingcheng announced that all medication for the injured that day would be free of charge, with treatment until full recovery.
Du Laoda, hearing this, was filled with emotion and blurted out:
"For the injured from our merchant guild, each person will receive ten taels of silver and 100 jin of rice as compensation."
Du Laoda's generosity compelled Manager Su, Manager Xia, and other proprietors to follow suit, stating that they would offer the same rewards to patients from their merchant guilds.
This greatly improved the morale of the injured.
Gu Qingcheng felt that the people on Tea Kettle Island were indeed worth befriending. At least, when needed, they would step up, risking their lives without regard for their wealth.
This was unlike the tyrannical landlords in the villages of the past, who were fierce towards honest villagers, extorting their hard-earned money, but when trouble arose, they were the first to flee.
However, this was not surprising. These people were all survivors after a natural disaster.
Those who managed to survive, and then re-accumulate or preserve their assets, how could any of them be simple?
They understood the importance of treating others well, even if it was superficial hypocrisy, and gaining popular support was a crucial reason for their survival in the apocalypse.
The crowd flattered Gu Qingcheng, expressing their immense gratitude, saying that if she hadn't remained calm in the face of danger and stepped forward, they wouldn't have defeated the zombies so easily.
Gu Qingcheng did not covet credit, but she also would not deny her own contribution.
This was because she had already decided to use Tea Kettle Island as her commercial base to expand her commercial territory beyond Phoenix Village.
Phoenix Village could serve as their family's idyllic retreat for rest and recuperation, while this place would be her commercial battlefield, and in the future, an important forward commercial base that could guarantee a substantial source of funds for Phoenix Village.
She had no choice but to learn from Du Laoda and the others, to win people's hearts and build her own prestigious image.
And in this fight against zombies, she had taken the lead and utilized her previous experience fighting zombies in Taoyuan Village to help everyone avoid a catastrophic crisis for the island. Such a significant contribution was indeed hers.
However, her primary goal was to stir up people's emotions, making them believe their gratitude was spontaneous, and she would never overtly claim credit.
Gu Qingcheng then said humbly:
"It is all due to your trust. I am young, and it is rare that you all trust me so much. Without your support, I alone would not have been able to accomplish the great task of eliminating the zombies."
Seeing Gu Qingcheng's humility, everyone felt that this young person was indeed formidable and admired her even more.
Gu Qingcheng invited Du Laoda and the other managers to have tea in the backyard of Phoenix Pharmacy.
Having just accomplished the great task of fighting the zombies, everyone was emotionally charged and needed to sit together to converse, to vent their emotions.
"Gentlemen, there is still one matter that requires your assistance, and it is also related to this zombie siege of our island."
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately focused their attention and listened intently to Gu Qingcheng.
"Now we still need to do two things. The first is to organize manpower for a thorough search across the entire island to see if any straggler zombies have landed elsewhere on the island and pose a threat to our neighbors.
And then, incidentally, spread the essential techniques for combating zombies to every islander, so that even if they encounter zombies, they will have the ability to fight back, rather than being helpless due to fear."
Naturally, no one objected. They all agreed to allocate their manpower to this task.