As the saying goes, a word to wake up the dreamer! The question raised by Tang Xiaoquan left the survivors in silent contemplation.

Indeed, there were many doubts about the timing of the man's attempt to establish contact and the purpose of his request.

But as to whether he was good or bad, whether he wanted to join them or had ulterior motives, frankly, Tang Xiaoquan couldn't determine.

After all, he wasn't a god; it was impossible to read others' minds.

However, none of this was important to Tang Xiaoquan at the moment, because the twenty-fourth Law of Survival had clearly outlined the approach for such situations, which was:

In an apocalyptic crisis, when faced with ambiguous and difficult decisions, it's better to first assume negativity and then find ways to verify it.

The greatest benefit of this method is that it keeps you calm and composed during the entire verification process, allowing you to gradually see through the essence of the situation and reduce the risk of falling into a trap.

Gently tapping the tabletop with his fingers, Hu Xiaodong sat indifferently, a deep crease clearly visible on his stern face.

As the only one in the group over thirty, the pressure on him was understandably immense.

The tapping sound echoed in the living room, and suddenly, Hu Xiaodong's fingers stopped in mid-air. He immediately said in a low voice, "For safety's sake, I think we should refuse the man's request."

Upon hearing this, Wei Yang's brow furrowed, and her sensitivity made her immediately retort, "Wouldn't that be too reckless? After all, all these doubts are just our own speculations, and what if he's a good person? Then wouldn't we be..."

Stealthily glancing at Wei Yang, it was clear that her assumption indicated she had yet to truly realize the cruelty of the apocalypse and the distortion of human nature.

However, these matters were not the focus of Tang Xiaoquan's current attention.

In fact, he was very grateful for Wei Yang's genuine words, because just when Hu Xiaodong outright denied it, he was really worried about how to guide the others' thoughts next.

After all, the issue with the man on the other side couldn't be handled rashly and should be handled with a divide-and-conquer approach.

If the man really had the ability to assist their group, even if there were some issues, they could temporarily agree to disagree and, once settled down, wouldn't worry about driving him away later?

Thinking of this, a gleam flashed in Tang Xiaoquan's eyes, and he immediately chimed in, "Miss Wei is right, it's indeed not appropriate to refuse the person outright!"

Damn! With a disdainful curve forming at the corner of his lips, Wang Qiang muttered inwardly: "You're amazing, aren't you? Saying everything yourself, earlier I suggested accepting, and you said the man was untrustworthy! Fine, now that Wei Yang points out the inappropriateness, you agree with her, too! Indeed, a real 'man'!"

No one knew Wang Qiang's thoughts; everyone was just ponderously considering the two opinions.

After a moment, Hu Xiaodong broke the silence first: "Xiao Tang, since you and Miss Wei have the intention to accept the person, you must first find a way to resolve those doubts you mentioned before!"

Rational and justified, Hu Xiaodong wasn't annoyed by Tang and Wei's opposition. Instead, his speech not only maintained the fairness of the discussion but also ensured the team's safety, truly killing two birds with one stone, extremely clever indeed.

Nodding in appreciation, Tang Xiaoquan was clearly impressed by Hu Xiaodong's handling of the situation.

Wei Yang, on the other hand, glanced anxiously at Tang Xiaoquan, knowing that her earlier rebuttal was purely out of a woman's unique compassion.

She didn't want anyone to die; she didn't want the man to be stuck in the mire due to their inaction.

But when it came to solving the doubts Tang Xiaoquan had mentioned earlier, she was truly at a loss and bewildered.

With a smiling nod, he gave Wei Yang a reassuring look. Undeniably, the girl possessed all the qualities of a Huaxia woman: kindness, bravery, independence, and gentleness. While some of these weren't necessarily suitable for the apocalypse, having such a woman in the team was indeed a rare blessing.

Slowly putting away his smile, Tang Xiaoquan turned his gaze back to Hu Xiaodong: "Brother Hu, the best way to solve the questions I raised is to ask the person involved, so..."

As he spoke, Tang Xiaoquan raised his hand and, with a flourish, wrote a line on the paper board: "How many of you are there?"

Naturally turning his gaze to his brother, Wang Qiang immediately stood up, pointing to his nose and exclaiming, "Seriously, it's me again?"

He might not have called out, but now that he did, he immediately attracted the attention of everyone present.

Left with no choice, Wang Qiang could only silently curse his luck and then, dejected, walk out to the balcony.

As usual, Hu Xiaodong was responsible for observing the man's movements, and he soon received a reply from the other side: "I...here...alone."

"He says he's there alone!"

Repeating it smoothly, and at this moment, as Tang Xiaoquan sat at the table listening to Hu Xiaodong's account, he immediately picked up the pen and wrote on the board again: "How is your food and supply situation there?"

This was undoubtedly the issue of greatest concern to the survivors at the moment, so after handing the board back to the "sign-holder" outside the door, everyone waited anxiously for the man's response.

Similarly, it wasn't long before Hu Xiaodong's low voice rang out again: "His response is... only half a pack of instant noodles and a few cans of bird's nest!"

"Wow, this guy is doing pretty well, even has bird's nest!" Wen Quanjin was a bit disappointed with the result and couldn't help but tease.

It seemed the person was also at their wit's end. Tang Xiaoquan was lost in thought, then nonchalantly picked up a new, pristine paper board, and carefully wrote: "Why did you contact us at this time? What were you doing before?"

Compared to the previous food question, Tang Xiaoquan obviously cared more about the answer to this question.

After all, the result of this question would directly relate to the man's stance, which was the key for Tang Xiaoquan to decide whether or not to accept him.

The board was customarily sent to Wang Qiang, who held it high over his head in the usual manner.

What the survivors had to do next was wait, knowing perfectly well what this result would mean.

Time slowly passed in this quiet and sullen space; finally, after a moment's wait, Hu Xiaodong saw the curtain adorned with text being raised...

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