Bathed in the pale glow of the moonlight, Bai Ze noticed a figure lying motionless on the ground not far from the safe house.

The stranger fixed his gaze directly on the building.

Quickly, Bai Ze turned off the lights inside, careful not to reveal that he had spotted the intruder.

He slipped behind the curtain, peering cautiously through the bulletproof glass to monitor the person’s movements.

Time crawled by. Before long, more figures emerged from the shadows and appeared to be carrying something in their hands.

Cai Jun, accompanied by a group of subordinates, returned with cans of gasoline scavenged from abandoned cars along the roadside.

“If we can’t break down the reinforced door tonight,” Cai Jun growled, “we’ll use force.”

“What’s the status? Have they made any moves today?” His voice carried a hint of barely contained fury.

“Boss, just the guy came out today,” one of his underlings reported promptly, “but he didn’t leave. Just exercised outside the door.”

“Hmph. Did anyone see you?”

“Relax, boss. I stayed completely still all day. There’s no way they could’ve noticed me.”

“Good. You’ve done well. Once we take that house, those women in there... I’ll have my fun first, then you can have your turn.”

The subordinate’s grin spread wide, barely able to contain his glee. “Thanks, boss!”

Cai Jun’s mood lightened somewhat.

After days of running and hiding, his desperation for a secure refuge had peaked. Yet, even when such a place presented itself, it remained out of reach. And with four stunningly beautiful women inside, his impatience boiled over.

The clock struck midnight.

Bai Ze had observed the group from his hidden vantage point, noting their lack of activity. However, as sleepiness began to creep over him, he saw the men suddenly making a move toward the safe house.

They crouched low, careful to avoid drawing attention from anyone inside.

Bai Ze surmised they were wary of him. After all, owning such a secure and well-equipped safe house was no ordinary feat.

“So, you’ve come to take what’s mine? Fine, let’s play. Courtesy demands reciprocity.”

He retrieved his shape-shifting weapon. At midnight, it automatically transformed. Tonight, it had become a concealed weapon capable of launching a poisoned needle. The needle’s potency was formidable, capable of rendering an elephant unconscious in seconds.

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Silently, Bai Ze descended to the first floor.

By then, one intruder had already begun tinkering with the lock at the front door.

He smirked coldly. Three layers of security safeguarded the reinforced door. Even if they managed to crack the first, the remaining two would engage, sealing the entire entrance completely. Without his override, no one could open it.

Ignoring their futile attempts, Bai Ze took the elevator to the rooftop and leaped outside.

He deliberately distanced himself from observing their next move.

Soon, he arrived at their previous hiding spot, where he discovered numerous beer bottles filled with gasoline.

“Bold move,” he murmured. “If you’re so eager to kill me, I won’t sit idly by.”

Without hesitation, he stored all the gasoline in his spatial dimension.

Meanwhile, the intruders continued their futile attempts at the door.

“Boss, it’s no use. The lock’s too weird. I got it open, but it just won’t budge!”

Cai Jun’s expression darkened, his rage simmering. “Useless fool! Can’t even handle this! Move to Plan B. Go fetch the gasoline.”

“Yes, boss!” Four of his men hurried off.

From his hiding spot, Bai Ze watched as the four approached. He quickly concealed himself behind a tree.

When they reached the stash, confusion overtook them.

“Huh? The gas was right here! Where’d it go?”

“Did you put it in the wrong spot? Hurry up and find it, or the boss blows a fuse.”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s split up and search.”

Seeing them scatter, Bai Ze grinned.

He targeted the nearest man, aimed his weapon, and fired.

The poisoned needle embedded itself in the man’s skin, and he collapsed silently, unconscious within seconds.

Impressed, Bai Ze marveled at the weapon’s efficiency. It worked even faster than he’d expected.

One by one, he stalked the remaining three, neutralizing them in the same silent manner.

When all four lay unconscious, he dragged them together like sacks of rice. There was no need to tie them up; the drug’s effects would keep them incapacitated for a day and a night.

With this task complete, Bai Ze waited for his next opportunity.

Back at the safe house, Cai Jun grew restless as time dragged on with no sign of his men returning. His frustration boiled over.

“You! Go check on them! Quit dawdling!”

A few subordinates exchanged nervous glances before scurrying off, but none returned.

Cai Jun’s unease deepened. Could something have happened to them?

His imagination churned with possibilities, each more unsettling than the last.

Finally, he could bear it no longer. “Forget the lock. Everyone, follow me!”

The remaining six men trailed him back to the gasoline stash, only to freeze in shock.

Not only were the bottles gone, but so were the men.

“Boss, you don’t think... they ran off with the gas, do you?” one ventured hesitantly.

Cai Jun’s face turned ashen, his fury barely contained. Slowly, his sharp gaze swept the surroundings, seeking any clue.

Yet the silence and emptiness offered nothing. This only heightened his unease.

He knew his men too well. They wouldn’t dare flee, especially under these dire circumstances, with zombies lurking everywhere. If they didn’t run, then only one possibility remained: someone attacked them.

The lack of bloodstains confirmed it was a human assailant, and one skilled enough to execute the attack flawlessly.

Suddenly, one of his men collapsed beside him. Alarmed, Cai Jun crouched to inspect him and found the man merely unconscious, a poisoned needle lodged in his skin.

Tracing the needle’s trajectory, his gaze landed on a tree not far away. Instantly, he signaled his men to fan out and encircle it.

Bai Ze observed their movements with amusement. So they’d found him. No matter. With his strength at 33 points, these men were no match for him.

He stepped into view, calm and confident.

Cai Jun’s eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the unexpected figure.

One of his men, the one assigned to watch the house, suddenly exclaimed, “It’s him! He’s the owner of the safe house! But how could he have known we were here?”

Cai Jun shot him a scathing glare. “Idiot! You were the one on watch. You tell me!”