Chapter 10, Explosion-proof Helmet
The rumors about Tang Ao and Hai Momo are known throughout the Asa Group. When Hai Momo first came to the company looking for her, she repeatedly called him "Daddy." Of course, Tang Ao denied it and nearly kicked her out.
"Alright." Su Xi was perceptive; it was clear to her that Tang Ao had a very special affection for Hai Momo. To be honest, she did not understand it. However, she knew what to do in this situation. She divided her cake in half and gave it to Hai Momo, her voice soft and gentle, "What is its name? It is truly as adorable as our Momo."
Su Qian stood at attention and saluted: "Yes, President!"
Tang Ao nodded: "There are not many materials left, I will have to go out again tomorrow"
Tang Ao shrugged his shoulders and continued to dig the pit
After receiving the bag of rice weighing 5 kilograms, Tang Ao stepped forward and placed the chain helmet that was made last night onto it
God knows how she came up with such an idea, as she embraced Tang Ao from behind, finding it absurd herself—everyone in City E knows how unreliable this person is when it comes to anything other than personal gain
As the sky turned completely dark, Tang Ao began to craft a helmet—this was no simple iron bucket. He shaped a piece of iron sheet into the form of a helmet, sandwiching steel plates inside, and filled the area that would contact the head with duck down—taken from a quilt.
Tang Ao, however, was completely unconcerned: "Let her be," he affectionately pinched Hai Momo's cheek, "after all, Dad can afford it"
That night, naturally, nothing was accomplished. By the time she returned to bed, Tang Ao and Hai Momo were already asleep. Hai Momo almost instinctively rolled into Tang Ao's arms, and surprisingly, he did not scold her; instead, he held her and fell asleep like that.
The next morning, Tang Ao still got up at 5 o'clock, while it was still pitch dark outside. He lit a candle and made a simple windproof lamp using a glass cup, placing it on the table, and then continued to dig the trench with a post hole digger. This time he was much smarter, knowing to tie a rope to a tree by the Bailu River first
The sun has not yet risen, and the eastern sky is adorned with a brocade of rosy clouds. The air carries the cool fragrance of grass and autumn flowers. She takes a deep breath, feeling as if the days of hiding and enduring hunger have been nothing but a nightmare. Now that she has awakened from the dream, it is finally all behind her
Hai Momo returned the half pancake she had taken, remaining silent. Tang Ao finally spoke: "I have things to do this afternoon, let's eat."
Hai Momo usually listens to him and never has direct contact with zombies. Recently, the orders have been quite stable, selling four to five items a day, which amounts to forty to fifty kilograms of food. It is completely feasible to support these three people and one dog, but President Tang clearly has greater ambitions than this
Tang Ao did not lift his head: "They occupy all the supermarkets, food courts, and any place humans might go to seek food in the city. However, they themselves do not consume human food, so no zombie takes it seriously"
At seven o'clock, Hai Momo got up and began to prepare breakfast. She cooked four flatbreads and fried four eggs to put inside, along with some wild vegetables that had been salted. Finally, she poured a dipping sauce made of soy sauce and chili water over the flatbread, completing the dish. She also made a pot of porridge and a plate of stir-fried purslane, thus finishing the breakfast.
Now she is actually following Tang Ao, and it is very likely that she is his biological daughter. Tsk tsk, she does seem a bit foolish, what a pity that she was born so delicate and tender
Su Qian walked over and gave him a hug
In two hours, a chainmail helmet will be completed, which is sturdier than the steel helmet sold to the first zombie. Tang Ao is relatively satisfied, though the materials are limited
Su Qian understood: "Oh, God, please come out quickly." She hurriedly stepped forward to assist in welcoming—Aza's principle is that the customer is God
On the second day, before Tang Ao had left the house, a zombie appeared outside the door, and the outcome was quite unfortunate. It lost its footing and fell into a deep ditch outside. Seeing it holding rice, Tang Ao had no choice but to pull Hai Momo out. Hai Momo exchanged a few words with the zombie, prompting Tang Ao to help it up.
Su Qian suddenly realized, no wonder... no wonder President Tang treats this girl as a treasure
Hai Momo finished chatting with the zombie and stood on the edge of the ditch: "Dad!" she called out in a crisp voice. Tang Ao replied gently: "Speak."
Tang Ao was wearing a rather thick pair of white jeans at the time, paired with a blue shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, resembling a Western cowboy. As he was working, he was completely soaked in sweat. The shirt clung tightly to his back, appearing strong and robust, exuding an undeniable sexiness
What a joke, who is he to only seek basic sustenance
Hai Momo translated this into zombie language for it, https://www.hetushu.com. It staggered forward, grunting and mumbling a couple of responses.
Later, Hai Momo still came frequently, and reporters specifically surrounded the entrance of the Asa Group. It was later learned that this girl was intellectually disabled and hardly spoke to others.
That night, two other zombies arrived to collect the goods—the eight-meter-deep trench was still the first to welcome them in place of Tang Ao. The transaction with them was very simple: one hand exchanged food while the other handed over helmets.
Fearing that he might become impatient, Su Qian did not dare to ask. It was not until the evening that a raggedly dressed zombie was outside the small shop, making a hoarse sound. Tang Ao and Hai Momo went out to meet it, and indeed, it was the one that had ordered the hat!
In the afternoon, Tang Ao gathered a pile of scattered leather, iron wire, needles, and threads. Su Qian truly could not understand what he intended to make. He cut one of the small tin buckets sold in the shop in half, then sewed a lining, filled it with duck down, and stitched it into a hat shape using canvas on the outside
Wang Wang angrily leaped onto the bed, scratching her back with his claws, leaving several bloody marks, and then barked loudly, shaking the room.
Tang Ao and Su Qian were truly speechless. The bed was originally not high, and now with Wang Wang's front paws resting on it, they were practically eye to eye. I had only heard that this person liked certain types of films, but I never expected that dogs could have such preferences as well
Finally, wrap the outside of the tin with fine iron chains. To penetrate it, at least a rifle would be needed. It is a bit of a pity that goggles cannot be made.
Su Qian's smile was as kind as that of a loving mother who cherishes her children: "Come, Auntie will help Mo Mo roll a pancake..."
Su Qian was dumbfounded, what is this for
The dog glared at Su Qian several times in displeasure before returning to lie down at the foot of the stairs. Su Qian had no choice but to get up and go downstairs to fetch some alcohol to clean her wound—if she really contracted rabies, she would be facing certain death. It was better to be cautious. As she cleaned her wound with alcohol, she cursed the dog countless times, calling it a dead dog and a worthless dog.
Tang Ao nodded, indeed in this day and age, where there is demand, there is a market. He instructed the zombies to put down the rice and come back tomorrow morning to collect the goods. The two zombies grunted and chuckled for a while, then left after putting down the rice. It was only then that Hai Momo conveyed the message: "They hope to have a chain helmet exactly like the one worn by the first zombie."
Seeing Hai Momo playing by the shore, Su Qian was extremely jealous. The renowned President Tang is known for not indulging idleness, yet now that he has a daughter, he is engaging in all sorts of trivial matters.
Su Qian was determined to stay by his side. In such chaotic times, a man like him always easily provides a sense of security to women. She leaned against Tang Ao, pretending to adjust her helmet, her entire body pressed against his back. Tang Ao understood, and the two exchanged a glance at Hai Momo, who was playing with Wang Wang, before quietly heading upstairs
Su Qian does not understand: "Where do they get the rice from?"
Considering that Hai Momo was ill, Tang Ao did not assign her any tasks. She was playing a game of fetching sticks by the river with Wang Wang. Occasionally, zombies would walk by, and Hai Momo would immediately start chatting with them in a playful manner. Some of the zombies seemed rather dull and appeared unable to communicate.
Tang Ao did not explain at all, but simply had Su Qian dig a pit with him. This was currently the most effective defense, as the zombies would certainly not be able to cross the trap. Moreover, a trench of seven to eight meters deep, once fallen into, would ensure that they could not climb back up.
The zombie was enthusiastically led away from the deep ditch by two individuals, and Tang Ao personally placed the simple, thick, and heavy helmet on its head. Fortunately, the zombie was already quite strong, so it was not much of a hindrance. The zombie moved its head slightly, appearing quite satisfied. Tang Ao respectfully and appropriately sent it off: "Honorable Mr. Zombie, we welcome your feedback on usage and look forward to your next visit"
The dog, Wang Wang, would not leave and even stuck its tongue out to lick her back. Su Qian did not like dogs at all—those creatures were always drooling all day long, utterly filthy! She struck Wang Wang hard on the nose, not realizing that she had stirred up a hornet's nest!
She had prepared breakfast just as Su Qian was getting up. The aroma of the food made her stomach truly restless. After finishing her morning routine, she finally arrived at the entrance of the small shop
Su Qian could even feel the cool tip of the dog's nose. She impatiently pushed it away and scolded in a low voice, "Still looking! Aren't you afraid of getting a stye!"
Tang Ao pointed at her nose and said: "What is there to argue with a dog about"
Su Qian couldn't help but widen her eyes: "Asa, you... you are selling helmets to zombies?!" She then turned to Hai Momo, "She... she can really understand what the zombies are saying?"
Tang Ao held the fire axe in his hand, remaining very cautious. It was only after approaching that he saw the zombie was indeed carrying a bag of rice.
Tang Ao did not respond; for him, Hai Momo represented a connection to the world of books, and he understood this better than anything else. That was a business secret, and someone like Su Qian truly did not deserve to know.
Tang Ao looked at her and said, "It is now our client, you know?"
Su Qian pointed to her back and said, "This beast scratched me!"
Su Qian felt extremely wronged, yet Tang Ao turned over and fell asleep. Wang Wang, like an angry mop, barked furiously at Su Qian. It was still Hai Momo who came up and shouted: "Wang Wang, sleep"
Su Qian is unhappy again—this fool just won't talk to herself, treating the dog better than herself. Hai Momo squats down: "They need five helmets, and I told them to come pick them up tomorrow night"
Don't say it, by the end of the day, there actually were five zombies that placed orders
The actions of the two individuals were already very cautious, but no matter how careful the actions were, could they avoid startling Hai Momo and also not disturb Wang Wang
President Tang, who harbored a hidden agenda, immediately became very friendly. He personally placed the "hat" on the zombie. The zombie muttered a few words, set down the food, and left.
It can be quite intimidating when it gets fierce, and Su Qian dared not approach any further, only pushing Tang Ao: "Asa ーー"
Tang Ao's mood is quite good: "Of course"
Tang Ao's lips curled slightly, a mischievous smile gracing his face: "As long as they can afford the price, why not?"
On that day, Tang Ao did not have time to venture far. He searched for materials nearby and hurriedly crafted four helmets. Before nightfall, two zombies approached from the direction of Baili Island, each carrying a bag of rice. The sight of the zombies carrying rice was truly entertaining, and Su Qian was taken aback. Tang Ao still took up his axe and had Hai Momo communicate with them from across the ditch. However, just as Hai Momo warned them to be careful of the ditch, the two brothers fell into it together.
When the three people and one dog began to eat, Hai Momo poured half a bowl of her porridge for Wang Wang and also broke a pancake in half to give to it. Su Qian, well aware of Tang Ao's character, immediately spoke up: "Food is so scarce, so don't use these things to feed the dog. Dad has a hard time finding food, do you understand?"
Su Qian is truly alarmed: "So you plan to keep trading with them?"
To be honest, when she first got together with Tang Ao, it was merely because she wanted to make a living in the Asa Group. It was just a game, and no one took it seriously. However, after days of anxiety and fear, being by this man's side made her feel surprisingly safe
Tang Ao glanced at it, and his interest was almost completely diminished: "There is alcohol in the medical kit downstairs, go wash it yourself"
Su Qian was also awakened, and at that moment, standing beside her, she was very puzzled: "Why not kill it? After all, it has already delivered the rice."
Adding an additional layer of iron fencing in this manner can be considered foolproof. If one needs to go out, prepare a wooden board, and promptly put it away after use.
Hai Momo is also very cautious; when encountering such situations, she runs away—President Tang will come over with an axe to deal with all of them. ... When she meets those she can communicate with, she promotes the explosion-proof helmets to them ...
Tang Ao pushed her aside: "I need to go out before 10 o'clock, I must first dig this place well"
Tang Ao worked through the night to produce two helmets. Due to insufficient tools, the items inevitably turned out somewhat rough. Moreover, his hands had been cut in multiple places by the iron wire, and the materials were far from adequate. The only consolation was the surplus rice.
However, Tang Ao always takes matters into his own hands. On one hand, the coordination of the zombies' bodies is very poor, and they cannot wear helmets properly. On the other hand, Hai Momo is a priceless treasure; if those zombies were to harm her...
These zombie pits are incredibly accurate. Tang Ao once again pulled the two 'gods' out of the pit, and Hai Momo quickly understood the situation: 'Dad, they want two more helmets.'
As soon as they went upstairs, Wang Wang noticed them. At that moment, it wagged its tail and approached, placing its two front paws on the edge of the bed, staring with wide eyes and barking softly as it scrutinized the two individuals
The sound was right beside her, and Hai Momo was originally in the process of collecting the bowls, so how could she not hear it? She set the bowls and chopsticks aside, and Su Qian was even more furious. She kicked out forcefully, but the dog was extremely agile and dodged in an instant
Hai Momo glanced at her, then at Tang Ao, remaining silent. Wang Wang, however, had already lowered its head and started eating with its tail wagging. Su Qian cast an unhappy glance at Hai Momo, and, with Tang Ao present, she felt it inappropriate to scold her. Was this girl really that foolish?
Tang Ao patted Hai Momo's head, and he was very pleased with her attitude towards strangers
Hai Momo wrapped her arms around his neck and took a fierce bite of his chin ... Su Xi began to doubt whether she had traveled through time ...
Therefore, no matter how troublesome it may be, even if it involves going out, he absolutely does not allow Hai Momo to have any unauthorized contact with the zombies that come to collect goods. However, whether there are any goods available at home, it must wait until he returns before any transactions can take place