Jin Long adjusted his glasses and said. “Five hundred meters ahead, three corridors, and an open warehouse. We can’t see the situation inside the warehouse, but there are plenty of monsters in the corridors. There are mutated creatures coming from the ventilation shafts, and they’re fast. They’ll be here in about a minute, so stay alert.”

“Speed up!” Ao Chengyi ordered. Everyone began running at full speed, knocking aside any zombies in their way, only shooting their heads if necessary. The zombies in the corridors had already started swaying toward them, and as they passed by, they would encounter them. “Tu Long, use a wind wall to push them back. We need at least one second.” Ao Chengyi said in a low voice. “Mu Long, Shui Long, deal with the ones caught, and Huo Long, come with me.”

“Yes,” came the response just as a desert viper suddenly shot out of the warehouse, its mouth open wide enough to swallow an adult’s head.

“Careful!” Jin Long’s heart leaped to his throat.

Huo Long, Duan Jianghe, instinctively swung the medical kit in his hand, but his reaction was still too slow. The viper easily dodged and went straight for his neck.

Ao Chengyi’s face darkened as he quickly threw a fireball into the viper’s open mouth. The viper writhed in pain, curling into a ball and struggling desperately.

Ao Chengyi stepped forward and fired a shot, then stored the viper in his space. He looked coldly at Duan Jianghe. “When we get back, you’ll be doubling your training.”

Duan Jianghe didn’t dare argue and nodded obediently.

At the lab door, Ao Chengyi used fire to melt the lock with brute force. “Mu Long, keep watch for Huo Long. Shui Long, Tu Long, guard the door. Stay alert for any ventilation shafts. Jin Long, plan a route and provide support. I’ll clear the area. Call for help if anything goes wrong.”

“Yes.”

The group responded quickly, and Duan Jianghe immediately immersed himself in the preparation of chemical agents, completely lost in the task. The others remained on alert, clearing any wandering zombies and scattered mutated creatures to avoid being surrounded.

Ao Chengyi moved quickly on his own, racing through various warehouse rooms and the basement, most of which were used for experiments. The storage mainly contained various chemicals and chemical weapons. Ao Chengyi had no intention of using them; he wasn’t a good person, but he did hope that the place where he lived would be more comfortable. It was already in a state of ruin and couldn’t withstand any more destruction.

He didn’t spare any of the materials, blueprints, or equipment, leaving everything spotless—comparable to how Lan Shiru would clean up during their raids. Their five years together had left a deep impact on each other, with a kind of tacit understanding much like a married couple.

“The toxin army is here.”

Ao Chengyi raised an eyebrow and swiftly rejoined the team. “How much longer?” he asked Duan Jianghe.

“Three minutes.”

“Prepare for battle.”

“Yes.”

While the “little Le Bao’s” father fought valiantly with the uncles, the little one, lulled by his mother’s gentle chatter, fell into a deep sleep. His little mouth moved, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. It was unclear what delicious dream he was having.

Lan Shiru kissed his little face and cuddled her son, falling asleep with him.

When she woke up, it was already late afternoon. Yun Shuiyao, Yao Miao Miao, and Jiang Xiang were still asleep. Little Le Bao was blowing bubbles and staring at her, his big, dark eyes bright and watery, making Lan Shiru’s heart soften. She hugged her son and kissed him several times. “Are you hungry?”

She checked his diaper, noticing he had wet it. After changing him and cleaning him up, she fed him.

The little one didn’t take his eyes off her the entire time, and Lan Shiru couldn’t help but laugh. “What’s wrong? Do you think Mommy is too pretty, or do you not recognize me?”

Le Bao waved his little paw, and after finishing his meal, Lan Shiru lifted him to pat his back. The little one nestled into her neck, nuzzling her persistently.

Lan Shiru felt guilty. She had been so busy lately that she hadn’t been able to take the time to properly care for him. She had been rushing through everything, never spending quiet, peaceful moments with him. He must have felt neglected.

“Le Bao, be good. Once Mommy is done with her work, I’ll make sure to spend time with you.”

Le Bao burped and began blowing more bubbles. Mommy was too busy.

After spending some time with her little one, both the baby and the dog woke up. Lan Shiru gave the food to Yao Miao Miao and handed Le Bao over to Jiang Xiang before heading out to work in the fields. She planted more crops; it couldn’t hurt to have more. She had noticed that after working hard in the fields, the mist at the edges of the land would always recede a little. It wasn’t obvious, but Lan Shiru felt it was probably not just her imagination. She had noticed it several times, so she trusted it.

In the future, the land might become even more expansive, and that would mean farming tools would be essential. Human labor alone wouldn’t be enough.

After dinner, the three of them, along with the dog and Little Le Bao, sat together for afternoon tea. These peaceful moments were rare. When night fell, they had a light meal, took care of Le Bao, and stored him in the space. Only then did the three of them and the dog head out to work.

After nightfall, the outside had grown much quieter. The group had gotten used to the darkness; in environments like this, their blood always seemed to boil with excitement.

“Be extra careful, just for these next two days. Once we’re done, we’ll move to another place.” Lan Shiru said.

“Understood.”

Their first stop was a smelting plant, filled with metal ores and finished products. Most people only passed by the entrance without entering. The things inside weren’t useful to them, nor could they carry them away. The most they could do was find a few decent weapons, though nothing there seemed particularly useful.

“I found something! Sis, I love this!” Yao Miao Miao had uncovered a treasure and was practically in a frenzy.

Lan Shiru swiftly decapitated a burly zombie, glanced back, and saw two large iron balls—slightly smaller than a human head. They appeared solid and weighed several dozen pounds, but in Miao Miao’s hands, they seemed almost weightless. “Get a chain later. If you like it, use it as a weapon.”

“I was thinking the same thing! A good swing and this would definitely crush someone.”

Yun Shuiyao clicked her tongue as she shakes her head. Even while fighting zombies, she couldn’t forget to be fashionable. The clothes she asked Lan Shiru for were all form-fitting, designed to highlight her figure—her waist needed to be accentuated, her long legs revealed, her perky rear showcased, and her beautiful back displayed as much as possible. She also insisted on wearing high heels. Lan Shiru couldn’t help but admire her dedication. “You’re too fierce, little girl, no one will want to marry you.”

Miao Miao snorted, clearly pleased. She liked it that way.

Lan Shiru collected everything and signaled for them to move on to the next place.

The living people who had been searching for supplies in the building materials factory had already left, leaving behind only the rotting corpses. The gathering went smoothly, and the items they collected were enough to build a small to medium-sized city.

As dawn approached, they decided to call it a night. They stopped at a factory, took some time to wash up and freshen up, then prepared a meal before resting. They hadn’t been too tired the night before, and after waking up around noon, they had lunch and went out to survey the area. They planned to leave after gathering everything that evening.

There weren’t many people around here, mostly newcomers who were unfamiliar with the area. After taking a quick look, they hurriedly moved on.

At a newly established building materials factory, Lan Shiru’s eyes lit up in surprise. “Light steel villa?”

“What’s wrong, Sis? Is there something special about it?”

“Little Lan, do you like it?”

“Woof, woof.” Are you serious, Master?

Lan Shiru smiled. “This villa is probably a sample. It’s just been finished recently—three stories, perfect for living or traveling.”

Her companions quickly understood. “Sis, you want to take it with us?”

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