Renault charged into the horde of zombies with a fire axe in one hand and the **Zhanmadao** in the other.

The improvement in his overall attributes had significantly boosted his mobility and efficiency.

This allowed him to slay zombies with ease.

Following behind, Guo Haoyu was a bit stunned. Watching Renault move like a god of war, he felt lost, unsure of what he was supposed to do with the fire axe in his hand.

Who am I? What am I doing?

In no time, the dozen or so zombies near the entrance were cleared out by Renault and Guo Haoyu, and before more zombies arrived, they slipped into the convenience store.

Renault and Guo Haoyu loaded most of the high-calorie foods, compressed biscuits, and purified water from the convenience store into the car.

Once the Range Rover was packed to the brim, Renault finally flashed a satisfied smile.

"We need to go now. Before it gets dark, we need to find a place to stay."

Renault’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he glanced at the darkening sky. The sun, a deep red, was about to set, signaling the approach of the first night in the apocalypse.

In the apocalypse, night was the domain of the zombies!

As strong as Renault was, he still didn’t dare to engage zombies head-on at night, as in the absence of sunlight, the strength of the zombies would double!

Soon, Renault stopped the car in front of a small building that appeared to be untouched.

"Get ready to clear out the zombies inside. We’ll stay here for tonight."

Renault parked the car and turned to Guo Haoyu.

They were still a day’s drive from Huanjiang City.

The special zombie wouldn’t appear until about a week after the apocalypse began, giving Renault five more days to strengthen himself.

Only Renault knew the big secret hidden within that special zombie.

**Bang!**

Guo Haoyu swung the fire axe, smashing open the security door at the building’s entrance.

Not far from the small building, a pair of eyes were fixed on them.

"Keep it down. There may not be many zombies around, but if they gather, we’ll be in serious trouble."

Renault glared at Guo Haoyu, whose noisy actions were attracting unwanted attention.

"Got it, I understand."

When the door was opened, a faint fragrance wafted out from inside the house. Renault was puzzled. How could there still be a scent in the apocalypse?

He quickly stopped Guo Haoyu from moving forward and whispered:

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"Something’s off here. I’ll check the first floor for any remaining zombies. You go upstairs and take a look."

Guo Haoyu nodded, clutching his fire axe as he headed upstairs.

Renault, holding the **Zhanmadao**, began to search each room on the first floor.

Strangely, he found no signs of zombies.

Just as Renault was starting to get suspicious, Guo Haoyu came down from upstairs.

"Boss, I found something—there’s a little girl here!"

"What?"

Renault set his weapon down on the couch and headed upstairs.

In the room where Guo Haoyu stood, a little girl was crouched in the corner, hugging her head. She was trembling but didn’t lift her head.

"It’s her. She doesn’t seem to talk. I tried asking her something, but she didn’t respond."

Renault walked over and examined the little girl. Based on her physical condition, it was clear that she hadn’t been infected by the zombies—she was probably just in shock.

"Hey, are you hungry?"

He pulled a lollipop out of his pocket and held it out to the little girl, his voice soft.

The little girl lifted her head, her eyes filled with fear. She looked at Renault, then at the lollipop in his hand.

"It’s okay, you can eat it if you’re hungry."

"Mom says... I shouldn’t take candy from strangers."

"So you can talk. I thought you were mute."

Hearing the little girl speak, Guo Haoyu scratched his head, surprised.

"If you’re hungry, come downstairs. We’ll be right there."

Renault patted the girl’s head and placed a small loaf of bread beside her.

He stood up and said to Guo Haoyu:

"We’ll stay downstairs for the night. Block off the front door with something heavy to keep the zombies out."

"Got it, Boss!"

Guo Haoyu eagerly headed downstairs.

Seeing Guo Haoyu’s behavior, Renault couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head. When did this guy start calling him "Boss"?

He didn’t linger any longer and stepped outside.

The house’s defenses were still weak, so Renault set about reinforcing the building’s defenses since they would be staying here for a few days.

The little girl watched as Renault left the room. Carefully, she tore open the small loaf of bread and, with tears in her eyes, began to eat.

...

Soon, Renault and Guo Haoyu had blocked off all the weak spots in the house. They sat on the first-floor couch, each with a bottle of beer.

"Damn, how did the world end up like this? It’s insane. The government still hasn’t said a word."

Guo Haoyu took a big swig from his beer bottle and sprawled out comfortably on the couch.

"Give it time. The apocalypse destroyed all the electronic equipment. The government will need time to restore communication."

Renault pulled out his phone from his pocket. The radio app would be the last function the phone could still use.

"Boss, what are your plans going forward? I’ve got nothing here, no connections or anything."

Renault nodded, his gaze growing deep. He asked, "What about your family?"

Under normal circumstances, people would be worried about their families. Why was Guo Haoyu acting so strangely?

"My family’s in the military district, so they should be fine. But they’re probably worried about me by now."

Guo Haoyu finished his beer, resting his hands behind his head and staring blankly at the ceiling.

On the coffee table, there was a portable stove with a pot of porridge bubbling away, filling the air with a comforting aroma.

Being able to enjoy a bowl of hot porridge and a good night’s sleep in times like these was a rare luxury.

Renault went into the kitchen and brought out two clean bowls, serving up the porridge.

The little girl crept downstairs, carefully holding the handrail as she peeked at Renault and Guo Haoyu.

Or more accurately, she was staring at the bowls of porridge.

**Grumble grumble~**

Renault turned to look at her and smiled.

"Come on, we can’t finish all this porridge by ourselves."

The three of them sat together. The little girl clutched her bowl, blowing on the porridge to cool it down.

"Hey, little girl, what’s your name? I’m Guo Haoyu, but you can call me Brother Haoyu. And this is my boss, Renault. He’s great at killing monsters!"

Guo Haoyu grinned, his own bowl of porridge in hand, looking at the little girl.

Hearing his voice, the girl quickly set her bowl down on the table. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke:

"My name is Alice. That’s the name my mom gave me. My mom... she protected me... but then... w-wahhh..."

As Alice spoke, she was suddenly overwhelmed by memories of the moment when zombies broke into her home, and her mom had held them off at the door.

"Alice? You’re saying your name is Alice?"

Renault’s eyes narrowed, and memories began flooding back. He hadn’t expected to meet this little girl here.

This girl... she would become an extraordinary figure!