Fortunately, Jiang Ning dodged quickly; otherwise, she would have gotten blood all over her feet. 

When she saw what kind of monster it was, it really left her speechless. 

It was just too used to conning people. Last time, it was covered in wounds, and this time, it was spitting blood. 

The dog had already assumed an attack stance, only to realize it was its own underling acting up. It took a few steps back in disdain, growling angrily at its rogue behavior. 

After its outburst, it whimpered to show concern. 

The dogs communicated with each other in dog language.   

The Tibetan mastiff lay on the ground, coughing weakly while wagging its tail at Jiang Ning, exposing its soft belly. 

In just over a month, this once mighty and robust creature had become skin and bones, looking like it was at death’s door. 

Jiang Ning was speechless. She first sprayed disinfectant on the blood, then disinfected the Tibetan mastiff thoroughly before dragging it into the yard. 

After being away for over a month, the siblings took charge of disinfecting the interior, while Jiang Ning found a rope to bind Ah Ben’s limbs. 

Its size was comparable to an adult, so the dosage for one was about right. 

Taking advantage of this moment, Jiang Ning went to the backyard to check on Da Hui and Xiao Bai. 

The smog virus had come on fiercely, and she thought she’d have to deal with their bodies upon returning. Surprisingly, they had survived and were munching on dry hay together. 

It seemed that the smog virus had a lesser impact on poultry; otherwise, the dog couldn’t have recovered so quickly. 

The rabbits didn’t even acknowledge Jiang Ning upon her return. 

The dog stayed close to suffering Ah Ben, afraid of getting splattered with his blood yet also hesitant to move too far away and lose sight of him. 

Jiang Ning couldn’t be bothered with Ah Ben. After disinfecting Coke, she went upstairs. 

For the past month, aside from resting when she was sick, she had been working nonstop every day. Even a body made of iron couldn’t withstand it. 

Although she now had antibodies, compared to the critically ill patients in the research institute, her family was undoubtedly much luckier. 

If even mild symptoms were this painful, one could only imagine the torment of severe cases. Moreover, the virus could easily mutate, so there could be no room for negligence. 

With the air purifier on, she thoroughly washed from head to toe with hot water and drenched her clothes in disinfectant. 

Whether it was people or objects, a thorough cleaning was essential. 

She turned on the light and took out some delicious-smelling food: chicken soup, braised pork hock, seafood. The three of them and the dog enjoyed the meal to their heart’s content. 

This was the most satisfying meal they had had since the smog began. 

After eating and drinking their fill, Jiang Ning put on protective clothing and went out to check on Ah Ben. 

Goodness, it really was tough. It was still breathing. 

Despite being on the brink of death, it didn’t forget to wag its tail at Jiang Ning, with two pitiful eyes… 

Jiang Ning couldn’t bear it. She untied the ropes binding its limbs and gave it a bowl of high-calorie dog food. 

After eating, the dog didn’t leave. Its large, emaciated body huddled in a corner of the yard wall, its watery eyes looking helpless, pitiful, weak, and cautiously ingratiating. 

Oh dear, was it planning to pledge allegiance to a new master? 

“Woof!” 

Coke lay on the glass of the rooftop, encouraging its sick underling. 

The Tibetan mastiff raised its head, looking pitifully at its boss from a distance. 

Jiang Ning sighed and silently closed the door. 

Returning to the second floor, she rubbed her forehead and discussed with Huo Yishen, “How should we distribute the medicine we brought back?” 

Even though all the medicine had been donated anonymously, it was still obviously not enough. This was just the southern provinces. The smog virus had spread from the northern island nation all the way south, no, even in all directions. It was foreseeable that the cities the virus passed through… 

Everyone has selfish motives; otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken the medicine from Ma Guangnian. After all, for those infected, every minute and second was torture, especially with continuous coughing which makes life truly unbearable. 

She tried to think positively, but she was also very aware that the survivors at the bottom wouldn’t get the medicine quickly. 

Many people might not even live long enough to get the medicine. 

She only had 50 doses in hand, and the dog had already taken one. 

Huo Yishen thought for a moment, “The virus has mutated since last time. Many people die just a few days after showing symptoms. Even if you want to help, some people might already be gone.” 

Jiang Ning felt a heavy weight on her heart, but this was a natural disaster, an unpredictable and cruel apocalypse. 

She picked up the walkie-talkie and contacted people one by one, prioritizing by distance rather than rank. 

After a long time, a response came through—a severe cough, a hoarse voice, weak and powerless, “Sister-in-law, are you and Brother Huo doing okay?” 

Doudou, nearby, asked anxiously, “Uncle Qin, how is Brother Xiao Mu?” 

“Doudou, Xiao Mu is hanging in there. He keeps talking about wanting to see you again…” 

Before he could finish, a bout of violent coughing interrupted him. “Doudou…” 

Father and son were both struggling to breathe. Qin Chuan was in great discomfort but still managed to recount the recent events to them. 

Many people in the community were infected. The walkie-talkie channel had gone from panic, noise, crying, and pleas for medicine to a slow, eerie silence. Now, no one spoke on it anymore. 

Every day, someone got infected, and every day, someone died. 

The smoggy weather was hot and windless. The faint smell of corpses grew stronger until it permeated everywhere. 

Eventually, it was the Rong family who took the lead, and the residents followed suit. Everyone dressed in protective gear, or if they didn’t have any, they wrapped themselves heavily in bedsheets or clothes to remove the corpses from the villas and burn them with gasoline. 

No one knew exactly how many people had died. Every two or three days, they would clean up and take turns among the residents. 

The air buzzed with green-headed flies, a strong attack on both sight and smell, causing many to lose their appetite for days. 

But they had no choice but to press on. Otherwise, the stench would become unbearable, and it could lead to plagues or accelerate the spread of the virus. 

Qin Chuan had hoarded some medicine, and with the medicine packs Jiang Ning had given, their illness wasn’t as severe, but they were still on the brink of death. 

He was hanging on, trying to take care of his son, while his son wanted to see Doudou. 

No matter how many times they called, there was no response from next door, as if the people had vanished. 

Every day, people came, desperately knocking on the door of Building 50, begging or cursing, but all wanting to survive. 

Qin Chuan was worried too, but he knew both of them were capable and should have gone to find a cure. 

Seeing no response, some frustrated residents tried to break into Building 50 for medicine. Several times they were stopped by the people from Building 42 and it even resulted in fights. 

The fierce residents of Building 42 didn’t hold back, and those who were beaten finally gave up. 

Jiang Ning was surprised that, knowing she wasn’t there, Zhang Chao and his group still guarded Building 50. 

She smiled and inquired about Qin Chuan’s health. 

Qin Chuan’s breathing was rapid, “Today I coughed up blood. It feels like my organs are about to be expelled, and I’ve been having intermittent fevers.” 

“Don’t worry, your symptoms are far from fatal.” 

Having worked at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute, Jiang Ning was either dissecting bodies or dealing with patients. She diagnosed him over the walkie-talkie, “Eat well, sleep well, and you’ll get through this.” 

She thought for a moment and then asked, “How are the others doing?” 

Qin Chuan hesitated, “Sharp mouthed monkey is okay, but…” 

There were many families over there, but there weren’t enough medicine packs to go around. Some families, despite having lighter burdens, had endured poor living conditions in recent years, leading to physical weakness, and several deaths had already occurred. 

There were men, women, and even children among them. 

Qin Chuan was almost out of medicine himself, and no matter how much it pained him, he couldn’t change the harsh reality.