Wang Liang first stood stunned, then his face contorted with fury.

Before he could speak, Yang Mu interjected:

"I possess food and experience in dealing with monsters. If I join your team, I intend to share these resources and also bear some risks associated with the uncertainties. Is it unreasonable for me to expect some form of compensation? After all, this is a matter of life and death. If you refuse, I'll remain in this room, as I have enough provisions to last seven or eight days. I am quite democratic and won't force you to comply."

"Fine, take it."

Wang Yunzhi, Wang Liang's elder sister, had bought the phone for him and thus had the authority to decide. She took the phone from Wang Liang's hands and handed it directly to Yang Mu.

Wang Liang stomped his feet in frustration but was powerless to object.

Yang Mu's face broke into a smile. He bore no ill will towards the adolescent Wang Liang; he merely desired the phone, rumored to have full projection capabilities. Projecting movies onto a wall was impressive and the internet speed was incredibly fast.

"And the charger as well."

Left with no alternative, Wang Liang reluctantly retrieved the charger from his backpack and threw it to Yang Mu.

Yang Mu collected the phone charger and then began distributing the food to everyone.

Chu Hong’s eyes were reddened, likely from a restless night and tears. As a pampered young princess, her discomfort in this dire situation was understandable.

After handing her the food and water, Yang Mu left, heading back to his bedroom, intending to venture out to clear the zombies once they had eaten.

Chu Hong followed him inside, sitting by the bed and eating while watching Yang Mu.

"My father called. He said no aircraft can land, and ground troops have been dispatched. However, their advance is slow, and a rescue seems distant."

"Oh."

"I also spoke to Si Jia. She said you would protect me."

"She said that?"

"Yes. She mentioned that even though you didn't explicitly agree, you didn't refuse either, so she took it as an implicit consent."

Yang Mu was taken aback. It seemed Wen Si Jia had grown accustomed to being treated like royalty, believing the world revolved around her.

Though somewhat irritated, Yang Mu merely pursed his lips and remained silent.

Regardless, Wen Si Jia remained Yang Mu’s swan.

In the face of the sudden apocalypse, Yang Mu had to be extremely cautious to survive, but that did not imply he was stingy.

At least towards women he cared for, he still held a generous spirit.

Protecting Chu Hong? Since it was Wen Si Jia’s wish, he would do his best under the condition of self-preservation.

Seeing Yang Mu’s silence, Chu Hong didn’t know what else to say and continued eating in silence.

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Unbeknownst to Yang Mu, Chu Hong had lied. Her conversation with Wen Si Jia had not been as described.

After calling Yang Mu, Wen Si Jia contacted Chu Hong.

"I did mention it, but he didn't say much. Chu Hong, you’ll have to rely on yourself. You know, Yang Mu was just a driver before, only twenty-one this year. For the past two years at my house, he’s done nothing but household chores. He lacks practical experience and won’t be able to protect you; he can barely protect himself."

"Si Jia, I thought he might be like that, but..."

"But what?"

"Nothing... Fine, I’ll be cautious. But if possible, you should still ask Yang Mu to protect me, after all, he's a man. Maybe you can occasionally message him to check on me, okay?"

"Alright, I’m worried about both of you."

Chu Hong’s quick thinking had produced significant results, even if she hadn’t quite grasped Yang Mu’s mindset. If Yang Mu knew he had been underestimated by Wen Si Jia, he would be quite displeased.

Having packed everything, Yang Mu slung his backpack over his shoulders, gathered his machete, and retrieved an axe.

After waiting for Chu Hong to finish her meal, he gathered everyone in the living room to explain the combat plan and objectives in detail.

"You all reside on the sixth floor of this building. Our goal is to reach that floor. Avoid using the elevator due to limited maneuverability; we will use the stairs and advance cautiously. Floors seven, eight, and nine will be abandoned. We will lock the stairwell doors on these three floors to ensure the stairway between the sixth and tenth floors remains clear. Zombies are already present in the corridor outside, so we’ll start by clearing them. Gu Dasen, Wang Liang, move the wardrobe from that bedroom to block the door, leaving a narrow gap to prevent zombies from entering while allowing us to kill them."

Everyone agreed with this approach. After eating, they had regained their strength and knew they couldn’t be too picky. Gu Dasen and Wang Liang moved the wardrobe to block the door.

Yang Mu felt no further explanation was needed; true understanding comes through experience.

He instructed Chu Hong, Hu Die, and Wang Yunzhi to stay behind with whatever weapons they could find, while Liu Dongfeng and he stood opposite the gap.

"Alright, Gu Dasen, hold the wardrobe steady. Don’t let it move under any circumstances. The three women are to provide support, and I will open the door."

With that, Yang Mu moved forward, unlocked the door, and pushed it open.

The space outside was small—each floor of the building had two units, with an elevator in the middle and a stairwell on the left. The enclosed area was approximately twenty square meters, currently occupied by five wandering zombies.

The door’s creak immediately attracted the zombies, which charged at the wardrobe, trying to force their way in.

The gap between the wardrobe and the door, initially five centimeters, had expanded to fifteen centimeters due to their force, with half a zombie’s body already squeezed through.

"Do you want to die? Hold the wardrobe in place!"

Yang Mu shouted as he swung the axe at the zombies.

Liu Dongfeng, in a panic, also attempted to strike, but his knife slipped from his hand.

"Useless! Quickly, everyone, push the wardrobe to prevent the zombies from getting through, or you’ll all be dead!"

Sweat streamed down Liu Dongfeng’s face. After a moment of hesitation, he ran to push the wardrobe. The three women also helped, narrowing the gap once more.

Yang Mu labored tirelessly, hacking away for seven or eight minutes before smashing the heads of all five zombies, their bodies collapsing in a heap at the door, blood pooling and splattering into the room.

Yang Mu slumped onto the sofa, breathing heavily and fuming with anger.

The others, exhausted and shaken by the stench of blood and decay from outside, gained a deeper appreciation of Yang Mu’s ferocity.

"Don’t just sit there; this is only the beginning. Move the wardrobe aside, remove the zombie bodies, and remember to check for any that might still be alive. Anyone bitten will be immediately executed!"

The group, dazed and numb, slowly got up as Yang Mu issued his orders.

After moving the wardrobe, Wang Yunzhi and Chu Hong screamed, Hu Die took a few steps back, and Gu Dasen, like a frightened girl, hid behind Hu Die. Wang Liang and Liu Dongfeng stood pale and dazed.

The five bodies, stacked together, each had their heads smashed dozens of times with the axe, their skulls gouged with blood and translucent mucus dripping from them. The sight rendered the doorway akin to the entrance of hell—who could remain unafraid?

Yang Mu sat on the sofa, gazing at the door, reflecting on his childhood experiences.

Human traffickers used to bring many children, selling the obedient ones and using chainsaws on the rebellious ones, discarding the severed limbs in trash bins.

Compared to that scene, this was nothing.

Yang Mu smiled coldly and urged:

"Still not moving? Waiting for the New Year?"