Reaching the 20th floor, Yang Mu could go no further.

Though formidable, he was no invincible hero. What took a mere sentence to describe—moving over a dozen people from the 6th to the 10th floor—had actually consumed a grueling forty minutes.

Upon entering the hallway from the stairwell, he encountered several zombies, effortlessly dispatching them. Killing zombies had become second nature; as long as he wasn’t outnumbered three or four to one, victory was his.

Seeing Yang Mu’s strength left the others in awe, further cementing their belief that following him was the right choice.

They found an open office space, spacious with rows of desks, small private offices on either side, and even a conference room.

“We’ll rest here. Sleep if you need to. Tomorrow morning, we’ll search for food.”

The decision to bring these people along wasn’t made lightly.

When Chu Hong was assaulted, Yang Mu noticed Liu Dongfeng had taken a step forward. If Wang Yunzhi hadn’t stopped him, he might have intervened to save Chu Hong.

For that reason, Yang Mu decided to bring Liu Dongfeng along, and by extension, Wang Yunzhi and Wang Liang too.

Naturally, Hu Die and the primary characters had to come, so Gu Dasen and the little puppy were also part of the group by association.

As Yang Mu spoke, he put in his earphones and entered a private office, noticing a drainage pipe outside the window—an escape route, should they need one. As he turned to close the door, Chu Hong slipped inside.

“What do you want?”

“Yang Mu, I want to thank you.”

“Get lost. Saving you doesn’t mean I don’t find you annoying.”

Yang Mu pushed her aside, locked the door, and sat on the sofa, pulling out his phone.

Chu Hong almost lost her temper, but remembering how different this Yang Mu was from before, she swallowed her pride and moved closer, sitting beside him.

“What are you looking at... Ah! Is that Fang Zhongzheng? You’re video chatting?”

Chu Hong looked surprised, settling in closer to Yang Mu, even brazenly taking one of his earbuds.

Yang Mu initially wanted to push her away, but his eyes caught a shadow inside her low-cut blouse.

Fine, he’d let it go.

“I’ve picked up a lot of phones recently. After unlocking the simpler ones, I added my WeChat contacts. They’re the most efficient surveillance devices—handy for keeping an eye on things and making quick escapes.”

“You’re full of surprises! I didn’t even see you leave a phone behind when we left the sixth floor.”

“It’s on the balcony. I have no desire to kill anyone, but I can’t afford to take any chances with people who might become a threat.”

“Wow, you’re like a spy! It’s thrilling.”

At that moment, Fang Zhongzheng revealed that the dead man was his father, leaving both Yang Mu and Chu Hong stunned.

“No wonder he was so insistent you take him with us. His father was that man who stood up for what was right. If we had known, we should’ve brought him along.”

Yang Mu shook his head. “His father is his father. He is who he is. If he had told me the truth from the beginning, I wouldn’t have left him behind. I got him out of the immediate danger. He should be grateful, not think I owe him anything more.”

In the video, Fang Zhongzheng attempted to shoot Triangle Eyes but found the gun had no bullets.

Undeterred, he searched the room and found a large utility knife, ruthlessly killing Triangle Eyes before turning on Liu Dan’s husband, laughing maniacally after each kill.

Chu Hong pressed closer to Yang Mu, her voice dropping to a whisper.

“He’s terrifying, killing without hesitation.”

“He’s a twisted soul with severe personality defects. In a way, he’s psychotic.”

“You know so much! Is this psychology? Where did you learn it?”

“Learn? I’ve never studied anything. Most of what I know I figured out on my own. If you insist on praising me, call me a philosopher.”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Chu Hong found Yang Mu’s arrogance annoying, yet considering his recent actions, it seemed he had earned the right to be smug.

In the video, Fang Zhongzheng finally reached Liu Dan, his knife poised.

“Don’t... please, don’t kill me.”

“You’re quite beautiful.”

Fang Zhongzheng’s voice was soft, almost a whisper.

He set the knife aside and slowly approached Liu Dan.

“There’s only the two of us left here. Shall we escape together?”

“Yes... yes, let’s.”

“You’re so beautiful, your skin so fair.”

As he spoke, he gently bit Liu Dan’s lips.

Watching the scene unfold, Chu Hong blushed, her breathing growing shallow. Yang Mu’s presence seemed to stir something deep within her, making her heart race.

After ten minutes, Chu Hong could no longer bear it. She laid her head against Yang Mu’s chest, her body weak and trembling.

“Turn it off, please?”

Her voice was faint, quivering.

“If this man survives, he’ll become my enemy.”

“Then why did you leave him the rope?”

“Because it’s already there. What, do you expect me to go back and cut it?”

“You’re right. That wouldn’t be very heroic.”

“Exactly... I’ve got something to do.”

“Where are you going?”

“Keep watching the phone. You’ll see.”

With that, Yang Mu rose and left the room. He returned to the tenth-floor apartment, where he had left the rope, and quickly descended to the sixth-floor balcony. Inside, he silently approached a pair of unclothed bodies entwined on the floor.

Suddenly, Fang Zhongzheng became aware of someone’s presence. He sat up with a shout, reaching for his gun, completely forgetting it was out of bullets.

Yang Mu swiftly kicked the gun aside and followed with another kick, sending Fang sprawling to the ground.

"Yang Mu? You’ve come back? What are you going to do? What are you going to do?"

Yang Mu gazed at him coldly, shaking his head. "I’ve never had a thirst for blood, but you... your mind is too twisted, and your heart, too cruel. Now, you've tasted murder, and that's dangerous for me. I can't wait for the day you seek your revenge."

As he spoke, Yang Mu moved toward the door, gripping the handle.

"You... you’re breaking your word. You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?"

"As I’ve said before, I’ve never been one for killing. My whole life has been about survival—tough, exhausting survival. But I’ve made it this far, becoming who I am today. So... farewell, boy. Don’t blame me. If you must blame someone, blame yourself. You’ve made me feel threatened, and once again, I choose self-preservation."

With that, Yang Mu quickly pulled the door open, darted toward the balcony, and the zombies flooded in, tearing into Fang Zhongzheng and Liu Dan with ravenous fury. Their screams echoed through the room.

From the balcony, Yang Mu retrieved the phone he had discreetly placed earlier. On the screen, Chu Hong’s stunned, delicate face appeared.

The microphone on the other end had been turned off, so Yang Mu remained silent, pulling a face at the camera before switching off the phone and pocketing it. Then, grabbing the rope, he swiftly scaled back up to the tenth floor, pulling the rope in after him.

Fang Zhongzheng was no more—not killed by Yang Mu, but devoured by the zombies.

Yang Mu strolled back to the office with ease. Upon entering, he saw Chu Hong still sitting on the long sofa, her expression frozen in shock.

"Yang Mu, I’m impressed. You really went back to eliminate the threat, didn’t you?"

"Did I? I didn’t kill anyone."

"But they died because of you. Clever move, placing that phone in the room to watch their every action after you left. You realized Fang Zhongzheng wasn’t as weak as he seemed, that he could become a danger to you. So you went back and let the zombies take care of him. That’s... ruthless."

Yang Mu walked over, pushed Chu Hong to one side of the sofa, and lay down, using her legs as a pillow.

"What are you doing?"

"I saved your dignity. Can’t I at least use your lap as a pillow?"

Chu Hong pouted but sighed, choosing not to resist. After all, he was right—she owed him.

Yang Mu shifted into a more comfortable position before continuing, "As you said, if he were truly weak and harmless, I would’ve left him alone. But you saw it too—he kills without hesitation, with even less remorse than I do. People like that have iron willpower. Even without practice, he could have escaped using the rope I left, and once he climbed out of that sixth-floor window, his only thought would be revenge. At that point, I’d be in the open, and he’d be lurking in the shadows, planning his strike. Tell me, wouldn’t that leave me vulnerable?"

"......"

"When I was twelve, I stole food from a young beggar. We were about the same age, and after taking his food, I left, thinking nothing of it. A day later, at dusk, he returned with over twenty other beggars and trapped me in an alley, nearly beating me to death. That’s when I learned an important lesson: when a wolf turns back, it’s for one of two reasons—either to repay a favor or to seek revenge. That boy was a wolf, and when he came back, he nearly killed me. Now I’m the wolf, and I turned back not for revenge or gratitude, but to ensure Fang Zhongzheng wouldn’t become a wolf that comes back to bite me. There’s no wrong in that."

"Alright, I suppose that makes sense."

"Mhm. Now stop talking, I’m going to sleep. Keep watch for me."

"Okay... Yang Mu, why did you steal from the beggar?"

"Because I was a beggar too."

"What?"

Chu Hong frowned, taken aback by this revelation. She had never imagined Yang Mu had such a past.

Looking at him now, with all his strength and confidence, who would have guessed he was once a beggar?

Twelve years old and already a beggar... He must have suffered greatly as a child.

No wonder he said his tears had long since dried up.

The room’s light was still on. Chu Hong lowered her head slowly, gazing at Yang Mu as he lay on her lap. His profile was strikingly handsome—sharp yet softened by a certain gentleness.

In fact, Chu Hong had met Yang Mu before his marriage to Wen Sijia.

Back then, he had just started working as a driver. Chu Hong had driven past him once while he was opening the car door for Wen Sijia’s father.

That brief glance had left a deep impression—his handsome face had been unforgettable even then.

She never expected he would later become Wen Sijia’s husband.

As the night deepened, Chu Hong, who had been spoiled and pampered her whole life, found herself in rare stillness. At this hour, she would usually be out partying or racing with other rich girls, indulging in her wild lifestyle.

Suddenly, a long, mournful howl echoed from outside the building. It was a chilling sound, like the wail of a ghost, piercing through the night and into her ears, sending shivers down her spine.

Startled, Chu Hong glanced down at Yang Mu, who seemed to be fast asleep. A sense of calm washed over her.

There’s no need to be afraid. It’s not that bad... Yang Mu is here with me, after all.