When Sister Yun arrived with a few men, she was greeted by the sight of six men hanging off the back of a tricycle like candied hawthorns on a stick.

They were tied up with their own clothes.

Yu Xifeng was squatting off to the side, using snow from the ground to clean her pole.

“Sister Yun!” Yu Xifeng pointed to the line of captives behind her. “These guys tried to rob us. Let’s take them to the underground shelter and trade them in for contribution points.”

The men Sister Yun brought all looked at each other in shock. One chubby man standing especially close to Sister Yun blurted out, “This is the ‘girl-next-door’ you were talking about? What kind of neighbor is that? She’s a beast.”

Sister Yun: “Uh…”

The tricycle had sunk deep into the snow, and that stretch of road had to be carried.

Carried by the six unlucky guys they’d caught.

The chubby man was named Peng Luda. Sister Yun told Yu Xifeng she could just call him Fatty.

Fatty pulled out a small flask of alcohol from his pocket and grinned foolishly. “Not much help I can offer, but have a drink to warm up.”

Sister Yun casually tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, her expression showing a touch of faint charm. “She’s a friend. Lives with me.”

Ah, so that was Sister Yun’s man.

In the underground shelter, having someone you could trust, take turns resting with, and watch each other’s backs was a valuable thing.

Compared to Peng Luda, Sister Yun looked far slimmer, almost delicate beside him.

She said, “He’s off duty tomorrow. Let’s have a meal together then. I’ve still got two packs of instant noodles—let’s cook up a soup later.”

Yu Xifeng agreed.

The underground shelter looked bare and undecorated—more like a space poured with cement than anything homely.

The bright fluorescent lights cast heavy shadows on the walls.

Yu Xifeng had been here in her previous life.

Back then, her spot was way on the outer edge, next to the toilet, crammed so tightly she couldn’t even see her feet.

When she came here while house hunting, she quickly secured a single room closer to the center: a door with a lock, electricity, water, a bunk bed with two levels, a wooden table and chairs—a bit over twenty square meters, complete with a private toilet.

Compared to her past life, calling it heaven wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

But the room required extra payment for electricity, which was like a hidden rent.

Water here was also pricier than in the outer zones.

She was considered well-off now and could afford the fees that had once kept her out.

Yu Xifeng first studied the door. She set up a camera at the entrance.

From her storage space, she took out a sensor patch and a water bottle, rigging up a small trap above the door.

If anyone tried to sneak in, the bottle would fall and crack their skull wide open.

There was no mattress available, so Yu Xifeng used a high-quality inflatable mattress she had scavenged from a villa community.

When spread out, it was 1.2 meters wide and 1.8 meters long—just the right size for the metal frame bed. She layered a fleece blanket on top for extra comfort.

This time, she had come early to the shelter not just to claim a good spot, but for another reason.

In her previous life, she had learned her combat skills from someone—an old man with the surname Cai, whom people called Grandpa Cai.

Back then, she’d gotten into a bloody fight just to protect a cluster of mushrooms she’d found.

The guy who tried to rob her ended up crippled and lying on the ground.

Yu Xifeng, drenched in blood, climbed to her feet and saw Grandpa Cai standing nearby, smiling.

By that time, she had already been struggling through the apocalypse for over half a year.

Her opponents were always vicious—men trying to rob her with brute force.

Whether by brains, tricks, or her naturally deceptive appearance, Yu Xifeng almost never lost a fight—after the first two months, at least.

She developed her own tactics: swift, ruthless, dirty when needed, and quick on her feet.

Grandpa Cai had once joked that her moves were like monkey tricks—chaotic but amusing.

He often said her style was too aggressive and damaging to both others and herself.

But someone struggling just to survive had no right to worry about “wellness.”

When she wouldn’t listen, Grandpa Cai changed tactics, teaching her proper form, force application, and techniques. That was when Yu Xifeng finally started to take it seriously.

Over time, her fighting skills diversified. She no longer fixated solely on attacking a man’s weak spots.

Whether in one-on-one fights or brawls, she began to hold her own with ease.

She’d never formally tested herself, but estimated that she could handle seven or eight ordinary men without firearms.

Her upper limit should be around ten.

Grandpa Cai had once mentioned having a grandson.

His greatest regret in life was not letting that boy suffer a little and learn martial arts. One careless mistake later, his grandson paid the price.

Yu Xifeng had heard from others that Grandpa Cai’s grandson died in the shelter.

So this time, she came early, hoping to find Grandpa Cai and, if possible, save that boy.

It was the least she could do to repay Grandpa Cai.

In her past life, she’d struggled so much she hadn’t even checked on how the old man ended up.

If he could train her, he must have been skilled—but age was not on his side.

When Grandpa Cai left, he didn’t tell anyone.

In the years that followed, Yu Xifeng never saw him again.

That evening, she ate rice balls and drank a bowl of meatball soup.

The meatballs were homemade, a little lumpy and misshapen, but marinated in rich spices and quite tasty.

After setting up her room, Yu Xifeng did some warm-ups to wake her body, then moved on to exercises that didn’t require equipment.

Around midnight, she climbed into bed and fell asleep.

When she woke up, it was just past seven. Since the lights were off, the room was still dark. In the underground shelter, there was no real sense of day or night—looking at a clock felt surreal.

She worked out for an hour, ate two flatbreads with hot milk tea, and headed out.

Sister Yun’s spot was on the outskirts but close to the inner ring, with two walls for support. Compared to Yu Xifeng’s past life, it was much better.

Sister Yun had clearly done her homework. Her area was about five to six square meters and included a small zone for firefighting equipment—a very cost-effective spot.

Yu Xifeng wandered the shelter all morning but didn’t find Grandpa Cai. He probably hadn’t arrived yet.

She wasn’t worried—there was time. They’d run into each other eventually.

At noon, she had lunch with Sister Yun and Fatty. She brought along a can of fruit as a gift.

Since there was no sunlight underground, a vitamin boost was a good idea.

Sister Yun had somehow acquired a folding bed that doubled as a couch when stowed.

The room was divided into zones using curtains or clothes, each arranged neatly and efficiently.

In the very back were stacks of honeycomb briquettes.

Sister Yun had Yu Xifeng sit on the couch while Fatty pulled a folding stool from a drawer, popped it open in a few moves, and sat across from her.

A bucket under the table was heating water.