Lan Shiru didn’t want to engage with the two of them. “You two stay with Jiang Xiang and keep an eye on things. Little Le Bao peed.”

“No problem, Le Bao is the most important. You take care of him quickly!” Her companions waved her off with a casual flick of their hands.

He Lian, carrying a large bag hurriedly ran outside. She didn’t expect to bump into five burly men. Her face turned pale with fright, and she quickly turned to run back.

The five men stared, eyes wide. Despite her dirty appearance, He Lian’s features were still striking, her figure intact, and her overall presence undeniable. The terror on her face made her resemble a frightened little rabbit, evoking sympathy.

The men’s desires stirred, years of living like animals had taught them to recognize a rare beauty when they saw one.

They chased after her.

He Lian, panicked and desperate, stumbled into the male workers’ dormitory. She tried the door, but it was locked. Stepping back in fear, she said. “What… what do you want? I… I don’t have much food.”

The men laughed, their amusement only fueling their animal instincts. Their laughter was full of lewdness, and their expressions twisted into something sinister. “Don’t be afraid, little girl. We don’t want your food. If you’re good, we’ll give you some instead.”

“I… I don’t want your food. Just let me go.”

“Tsk, tsk, such a delicate little beauty. It’s dangerous for you to go alone. Stay with us, and we’ll protect you. But you have to be good. If not, we might get angry, and the consequences could be very serious.”

He Lian was crying, her tears streaking down her face as she staggered backward. “No, no, I won’t stay with you. Let me go!”

The men lost patience, their teasing only going so far. They revealed their menacing expressions and moved closer. “You dirty bitch, don’t push your luck. If you don’t come here, I’ll kill you.”

One of them lunged at her, but in that instant, He Lian’s trembling hand grabbed the door handle with all her strength, flinging the door open. The noise startled the wandering zombies at the doorway who stumbled forward, crashing into the man and knocking him down.

The man yelled. “Help me!”

The other four men saw this and quickly fled. There was no chance they were going to help him.

He Lian wasted no time, quickly retreating into the nearby safe room. She knew this place like the back of her hand, every corner and every lock. Trapping someone here was easy.

However, with the zombies now released, He Lian was stuck. The hallway was too narrow, and she didn’t have the strength to kill them all, especially with so many familiar faces among the undead.

Meanwhile, Yun Shuiyao was leisurely sipping a glass of wine. “Ah, my throne as the Best Actress is about to be stolen.”

Lan Shiru placed Little Le Bao down and turned to Jiang Xiang. “Go close the door. These people can’t leave.”

“Woof, woof.” Got it. Jiang Xiang responded, swallowing a piece of dried meat, before leaping into action.

“Let’s go,” Lan Shiru called to Yun Shuiyao and Miao Miao. “They’re all ruthless people, with many lives on their hands. Their combat skills are probably good too, so stay alert.”

“Understood.”

One of the burly men was dead, and the remaining four had managed to break through the chaos. They weren’t about to let He Lian go, that bitch had dared to trick them, and they weren’t going to let her get away without paying the price.

Lan Shiru led the two of them to hide around a corner, readying various heavy objects, waiting for the men to get close so they could drop them on their heads.

Beds, steel bars, it was like rain falling on the four men, hitting them squarely. They were caught off guard, dazed when they heard a sharp command. “Go.”

Miao Miao immediately lifted a large iron ball and slammed it onto one man’s head, crushing it into a bloody mess. He died instantly, no chance to survive.

Yun Shuiyao grabbed a steel whip, wrapping it around one man’s neck. Her usual graceful demeanor was gone, replaced by a vicious snarl as she tightened her grip.

Lan Shiru picked up a watermelon knife and swung it down, severing another man’s head with one swift blow.

With three of them distracted, the last man saw his chance to flee. The hatred in his eyes burned with such intensity looking like he wanted to drink their blood and eat their flesh.

He Lian, hearing the commotion came out. The stench of blood had attracted the zombies, but for now, she was safe. Seeing the man trying to escape, she panicked and shouted. “Don’t let him get away.”

People who live on the edge of danger were never without skills. The man fled faster than a rabbit, and the four of them looked grim, but none of them could stop him in time.

Just as the man was about to jump over the wall and escape, Jiang Xiang suddenly leapt forward and bit into his leg, pulling him back.

The man roared in anger, pulling out the short knife strapped to his leg and stabbing at Jiang Xiang.

Only He Lian, unaware of Jiang Xiang’s abilities, cried out in panic. “Be careful!”

A flash of human-like disdain passed through Jiang Xiang’s purple eyes as he revealed his claws. With a swipe, the short knife shattered into pieces. In the man’s stunned gaze, another swipe pierced through his skull, finishing him off in a split second.

Yun Shuiyao flicked her hair back and twisted her waist. “One for each of us, easy.”

He Lian approached nervously. “Sorry, this is my first time… I only injured one of them. Please give me a chance, I’ll try harder next time.”

“Mm.” Lan Shiru nodded calmly, then turned to gather her things.

He Lian stood frozen, her mouth open. “W-what do you mean?”

Yun Shuiyao smirked. “It means you need to work harder next time.”

Miao Miao draped her arm over He Lian’s shoulder. “Let’s go, it’s not safe here anymore. We need to leave immediately.”

He Lian was overjoyed. Did that mean they accepted her into the group? She flashed a rare smile after over a month, shouting. “Don’t worry! I’ll work hard from now on.”

Jiang Xiang glanced at her, a look of disdain in his eyes. Humans were so foolish—attracting more zombies? Who’s responsible for that?

He Lian shrank back, intimidated by Jiang Xiang’s brutality. She had thought he was a paper tiger, but he was the real deal. She was scared.

Miao Miao patted her shoulder to comfort her. “Big Dog is strict, but just work harder from now on.”

He Lian nodded earnestly. “Don’t worry, Big Dog. I won’t hold the team back. I’ll strive to be a useful member as soon as possible.”

Big Dog shot her a look of disdain and turned to walk away.

Lan Shiru circled the factory and then called out to the others. “He Lian, listen carefully, see if you can hear any other survivors nearby.”

He Lian was thrilled to be useful. She focused intently for three seconds. “Nothing for now.”

“Stay alert. Let me know immediately if anyone approaches.” Lan Shiru instructed.

“Got it.”

Miao Miao asked. “Sis, do you plan to collect it now?”

“Yes, the factory has the scent of fresh blood. It will soon attract more zombies. We need to leave as soon as possible.”

“Is there anything we can help with?”

“Not for now.”

Lan Shiru quickly circled the villa. She wasn’t entirely sure how she collected things, but she felt a vague sense of guidance and awareness.

The villa was just a sample, not deeply rooted. To make it more visually appealing to clients, even the foundation was left exposed, clearly showing the style and depth of the base.

Lan Shiru didn’t need the underground foundation pillars, just the 20-centimeter-thick cast-in-place concrete slab connected to the roof. To cut the connection, it would take considerable effort.

With both hands on the wall, Lan Shiru focused, trying to mentally cut through the slab. After many failed attempts, her face grew pale, sweat dripping down her face. The others—three people and a dog—watched in concern.

“Sis, maybe we should just forget it.” Miao Miao suggested.

“Boss Lan, having a RV is fine too. Don’t force yourself.” Yun Shuiyao added.

He Lian wasn’t sure about their situation, but seeing how hard Lan Shiru was trying, she felt nervous. “Even though a light-steel villa is lighter compared to traditional concrete buildings, it’s still not exactly light. If you really like it, I know where there are some shipping containers. How about we use one of those?”

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