It took two days’ work to install all seven water towers.

Three were assigned to unit 1803, while Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen each got two. Just twist the tap, and the water is ready.

Jiang Ning used space water, but she still filled them every day just for show.

Unconsciously, the flood had lasted two months. The second batch of hydroponic vegetables had already been planted. Xiaobai seemed to be pregnant again. The first litter of rabbits had grown to over a pound.

Zheng Weili was restless; once her injury was mostly healed, she would often go out.

Jiang Ning got lazier and lazier, pushing everything off and fully embracing a “lie flat” mode.

Even Huo Yishen, who usually ran like a machine, took a break. Besides daily dog training sessions, he carved out two hours to spar with Jiang Ning, then moved on to cooking.

In everything else he was flawless, but cooking was not his talent. Under Jiang Ning’s coaching, it was barely passable—nowhere near delicious.

“Not bad, congratulations on graduating.”

Though it felt a bit insincere, Jiang Ning really wanted to keep the food all to herself.

There were plenty of delicacies stored in the space, but she couldn’t pull them out in front of Huo Yishen.

With no way to repay her, Huo Yishen handed her a walkie-talkie. “You can contact me if you need anything.”

Jiang Ning was stunned. Why hadn’t she thought to stock these?

Maybe back then, she hadn’t imagined they’d form a team.

“Thanks.” This was much more convenient—just say something if there was a problem, no need to run back and forth knocking on doors.

Huo Yishen didn’t come over again, so Jiang Ning treated herself and the dog to a hearty barbecue, downing some sugary sodas—pure bliss.

The next morning, the walkie-talkie buzzed with static, then a voice came from next door. “Jiang Ning, are you giving Dou Dou a lesson today?”

“Yes, around ten.”

“Why don’t you come over?” Huo Yishen suggested. “While you’re giving Dou Dou exercises, I can teach you reconnaissance and infiltration techniques.”

Reconnaissance and infiltration techniques were serious killing skills—silent kills involving all kinds of neck snaps, throat punches, neck twists, sprint tackles followed by chokeholds.

Oh right, that infamous American move, the neck kneeling technique—“I can’t breathe!”

That was a classic reconnaissance and infiltration technique.

Jiang Ning instantly got interested. Considering her own living room wasn’t big enough to practice, she readily agreed, “Okay.”

Reconnaissance and infiltration involved close-quarters combat—body contact and grappling.

Huo Yishen laid out a crash mat. The first move was the neck twist Jiang Ning had seen that day.

He stood behind her and suddenly closed in like lightning. One hand reached for her pale, slender neck, the other touched her jaw…

A fierce momentum surged. Jiang Ning instinctively wanted to resist, but he pressed close to her popliteal fossa from behind, both hands firmly gripping her neck and jaw. Just a little force and her head would be relocated instantly.

The sense of danger instantly triggered near-death memories from her past life. She couldn’t die at the hands of those cannibals.

Just as she was about to counterattack, a voice came from above her head: “Jiang Ning, don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you.”

Steady, deep, yet resolute.

Jiang Ning shook off the chaotic thoughts and realized Huo Yishen was feeling the joints on her neck. “Focus your attention, don’t think randomly.”

Her memories of the apocalypse were too traumatic; even if everything restarted, she still strongly resisted male physical contact.

Jiang Ning kept taking deep breaths, telling herself not to confuse time and space—what she was doing now was self-improvement.

Only by becoming stronger could no one bully her.

Huo Yishen had already noticed her abnormality last time and quickly withdrew his hands. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“Sorry, it’s my own problem.”

Jiang Ning adjusted herself and forced a stiff smile. “Again.”

Resetting everything, this time it was different.

Huo Yishen began again, feeling her neck and explaining the joints and pressure points.

He really twisted her neck, but with little force.

After teaching the key points, they switched roles. Unfortunately, Huo Yishen was so tall that trying to twist his neck was a pipe dream.

Jiang Ning was 167 cm, not short, but Huo Yishen looked about 190 cm, almost a whole head taller.

Huo Yishen sat on a folding stool. “Start.”

This was Jiang Ning’s first time touching a man’s neck—and examining it so carefully.

Her fingers slid over the bones on his neck. “Here?”

Not quite right. Huo Yishen grabbed her hand and shifted it slightly. “Yes.”

His jawline was sharp and easy to grip, both hands applying force simultaneously.

Jiang Ning had studied medicine and was familiar with human anatomy. Once she overcame the psychological barrier, she spent half an hour twisting Huo Yishen’s neck.

Dou Dou finished her homework and opened the door. Cola dashed out right after.

Seeing the owner twisting the trainer’s neck playfully, the dog instantly got excited. “Woof!”

It pounced, pushing hard against Huo Yishen.

“Owner, come on, twist its neck.”

“Can you twist a dog’s neck?”

“Yes.”

The dog kept disrupting, making the lesson impossible to continue. Huo Yishen squatted down to touch the dog’s neck.

But Cola was wary and sensed his bad intentions, instinctively baring her teeth.

Huo Yishen put on a stern face and commanded, “Stand at attention.”

Cola gave up playing and seriously obeyed.

However, her body resisted.

But when Jiang Ning touched her, her body went soft like water, her tongue hung long as she kept leaning on Jiang Ning.

Come on, owner, come on!

This dog seemed a bit naughty, so Jiang Ning took her back to unit 1803 for quarantine.

The dog was very important, but Jiang Ning had to seize every moment to improve herself.

This was the apocalypse. Whether the people in the apartment block or survivors outside, countless souls were becoming demons in this harsh environment.

If she wanted to survive, she had to get stronger before they did.

The lessons continued. Jiang Ning quickly learned various neck-twisting positions.

Her comprehension was very high, and she quickly applied principles to new moves.

After bringing the dog back from 1803, Jiang Ning ate a simple fried rice noodle meal, then sat on the sofa studying human skeletal diagrams carefully.

Which bone, if struck, would cause instant death?

Which pressure points, if hit, would make the body weak and limp quickly?

These were all one-hit-kill secrets!

“Woof!”

Jiang Ning snapped out of her thoughts to find the dog sulking, refusing to eat kibble and even turning her back.

“Oh no, who made my Cola angry?”

She quickly put aside the medical book and cuddled the dog to soothe her. “My Cola is the cutest.”

Hmph, turning her head, acting aloof.

After petting her head for a while, Jiang Ning pulled out a braised chicken leg to coax her. The dog finally forgave her and offered her neck.

Come on, keep twisting.

Jiang Ning then realized that’s what she was mad about.

Such a jealous dog.

“Cola, no matter who I meet or spend time with, you will always be the most important one in my heart.”

Dogs without security feel this way. Jiang Ning hugged her. “Survival will only get harder. The 18th floor isn’t a safe haven. I know you want to get stronger to protect me, but I want to get stronger to protect you too. Let’s both get stronger together and always protect each other, okay?”

Cola tilted her head, half understanding.

She blinked and put her paw on Jiang Ning’s hand.

Such a warm-hearted dog. Rewarded with a ham sausage.

In the afternoon, Huo Yishen trained Cola for four hours—biting, scratching, stair running parkour, up and down about 80 times.

After training, the dog lay in her bed panting.

After thoroughly studying human bones and pressure points, then learning reconnaissance and infiltration techniques from Huo Yishen, Jiang Ning found everything came easily.

Huo Yishen was amazed—he had never met someone with such high aptitude.

In just a few days, she mastered all the techniques and even used surprise moves during sparring, making it hard for him to concentrate.

Huo Yishen taught generously—not only reconnaissance and infiltration but also combat and close-quarter fighting.

Especially close-quarter combat, where they wrestled on the anti-slip mats, tangled up like a twisted knot, impossible to separate.

It was a fight, both competitive and aggressive, each with the will to defeat the other.

A pair of dog eyes watched closely. Whenever Jiang Ning was losing, Cola would jump in to take her side.

Dou Dou was so worried she almost cried. “Brother, sister, stop fighting.”

She liked both and didn’t know whom to help.

Finally, Dou Dou grabbed hold of Cola, refusing to let go.

“Woof!”

“Let go of it!”

Seeing the owner pinned beneath Huo Yishen, Cola bared her teeth, face full of ferocity.

Let go, she’s going to attack him!

Dou Dou couldn’t hold her back. Cola lunged forward…