The seven bandits were tightly bound and thrown onto the ground in front of the camp’s gate. Half of them were still dazed and disoriented, while the other half were nervously rolling their eyes, likely plotting something.

The short, dark-skinned bandit, the most astute of the group, quickly realized the mysterious and powerful force that had protected Pei Hao. Seizing the opportunity, he immediately tried to switch sides:

“Youth, that force just now was protecting you, wasn’t it? It was truly powerful and terrifying-I’m thoroughly impressed! Living alone on this mountain must be lonely and cold. Why not take me in as your follower? I’m smart, capable, and strong-I can help you become the king of the apocalypse!”

The bald leader, shocked by how quickly his comrade betrayed him, was so enraged that he forgot his usual laconic demeanor and angrily spat out, “Ah Si, you traitorous scum! How dare you switch sides!”

Ah Si, the short bandit, showed no shame, instead distancing himself further from the leader. “Brotherhood is only for this life, not the next! Since we weren’t born on the same day, month, or year, there’s no need for us to die on the same day, month, or year. From now on, I, Ah Si, am this young man’s loyal dog. We will share a deep bond and never part!”

“Boss, let’s not keep in touch anymore! You cross your bridge, and I’ll walk my road to wealth. I’ll burn paper money for you every year during Qingming Festival, so rest in peace!”

Pei Hao: “…”

Did he agree to any of this? Could they stop making decisions on his behalf?

The bald leader fumed even more at Ah Si’s words, cursing vehemently. But Ah Si ignored him, focusing instead on ingratiating himself with Pei Hao. Before Pei Hao could even start interrogating them, Ah Si had already spilled everything about their background.

It turned out that this group came from a men’s prison in the neighboring city of Qing. All seven of them were hardcore criminals serving life sentences or awaiting execution, with several murders to their names. They were infamous for their brutality, committing all manner of heinous crimes.

“We, the Seven Deadly Sins gang, are unmatched in strength. Wherever we go, we are feared and respected. We’ve already looted a lot of supplies and were planning to sail north on a yacht, recruiting followers along the way, building a powerful base in the apocalypse. Soon, nothing in this world will be able to threaten us!”

Ah Si proudly declared their ambitions before shifting gears to try and recruit Pei Hao:

“Young man-no, young hero! Here’s a golden opportunity to join us. Get in on the ground floor, and you’ll be richly rewarded in the future! I can see you’re a visionary and will definitely understand our goals.”
“A man’s dreams are nothing more than these three: to be more handsome than any movie star, richer than Bill Gates, and to have countless wives and concubines. I was born with natural beauty, achieving the first dream at birth. If you join us, I’m sure the other two dreams will soon come true as well.”

Pei Hao looked at the short, dark-skinned Ah Si, who barely reached 1.6 meters in height and had a rather unappealing appearance. His expression turned into one of indescribable awkwardness.

But Ah Si seemed to take offense at this expression and pressed further, “What? Don’t you think I’m handsome? Time may be a cruel mistress, but I was incredibly handsome in my youth. Everyone in my village called me the Brad Pitt of Hexi Village.”
Yun Zhen, who had been quietly observing from outside, widened her eyes in shock, nearly blurting out a question. But she restrained herself, remembering that she had to maintain her “divine” presence.

Could the Brad Pitt and Bill Gates Ah Si mentioned be the same ones she knew? She had always assumed that the tiny post-apocalyptic world existed in a different timeline or parallel universe. But now, it seemed there might be more to the story. She would have to find a way to investigate further, sensing that there was a bigger mystery at play.

Pei Hao, unaware of Yun Zhen’s internal conflict, found himself at a loss for words. This was the first time in his life that he encountered such a difficult question to answer.
Raised in a wealthy family, Pei Hao was accustomed to the politeness and decorum of high society, where he had learned to navigate social niceties effortlessly. Harsh words rarely passed his lips.

But when Ah Si asked him this absurd question, Pei Hao instinctively began to choose his words carefully. Then he realized-why should he bother being polite to a vicious criminal?

Clearing his throat, Pei Hao replied bluntly, “Time may be cruel, but that only applies to those who were good-looking to begin with. As for you, time hasn’t managed to do much at all. I don’t have a mirror on me, but maybe I could fetch you a bowl of water so you can take a good look at yourself?”
Ah Si seemed to hear the worst news of his life. His face darkened with rage, and he snapped, “You’re just jealous of my stunning good looks! You brat, prepare to die!”

He tried to trip Pei Hao with his leg, but it was too short to reach. Angrily, he spat at Pei Hao, but Pei Hao easily dodged, and the spit landed squarely on the tall thug behind him.

The tall thug looked at the spit, sighed, and sincerely tried to console Ah Si: “Brother Si, don’t be upset. Being short and ugly isn’t your limit. After all, you’re also poor and dark-skinned. Life is long, and some truths can’t be hidden forever. You have to learn to face yourself.”

“You’re dead, Gao Guoren! I’ll never forgive you!” Ah Si howled, launching himself like a jumping fish and headbutting the tall thug.

The tall thug took the hit to his face, stunned as blood trickled from his nose.

But he wasn’t one to back down. With a swift kick, he sent Ah Si flying to the side, where he crashed into the others. The resulting collision caused a chaotic pileup, with everyone shouting and cursing at each other.

At first, Pei Hao stood by, watching in disbelief. But as he observed more closely, he realized something was wrong.

The gang members’ nails were sharpened to a point, and some had hidden blades in their hands. They were using the brawl as a distraction, trying to cut through the tape and free themselves.
No wonder these men managed to break out of prison during an apocalypse-they were experts at playing the victim, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Their cunning was truly remarkable.

Pei Hao stepped forward, ready to knock them out one by one.

But Yun Zhen acted even faster. She grabbed all seven bandits, stacking them head to foot in a pile, and wrapped them tightly together with layers of clear tape.

By the time she was done, the seven criminals were bound into a large, immobile ball.

During this process, several of the bandits screamed in terror and passed out from the shock.
Only the bald leader, Ah Si, and the tall thug managed to stay conscious, though they were clearly terrified, their faces pale.

Pei Hao tapped the bound criminals with his metal staff, his expression serious as he interrogated them: “Tell me honestly-where is your boat docked, and how many of your comrades are left?”

The three who were still awake were drenched in cold sweat, but they stubbornly refused to speak, biting their lips in silence.

Even Ah Si, who had previously been all smiles and sweet words, was now deadly serious, no longer trying to curry favor.

It was clear that they still had comrades in hiding. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so confident in their refusal to cooperate.

“Looks like they really do have more allies out there,” Yun Zhen murmured, furrowing her brows as she opened the system map to start searching…