Yang Mu was somewhat surprised to find that Xiao Yao needed sleep as well. After only two hours of training, she fell asleep and could not be roused.

With no other option, Yang Mu placed her in the wardrobe and closed the door.

He finally understood Song Ren’s feelings from the previous night—sharing a roof with half-zombies indeed instilled a profound sense of dread.

The good news was that Xiao Yao's nails and teeth did not emit any secretion. Nonetheless, Yang Mu had washed her hands and brushed her teeth before putting her in the wardrobe—something he himself had never been so meticulous about.

It was still noon after his shower. When he emerged from the bedroom, he saw that everyone had already arranged their sleeping quarters.

Liu Dongfeng, Wang Bing, Gu Dason, Song Ren, and the little puppy were all occupying the living room's sofa beds.

Ye Lianali, Hu Die, and Chu Hong each had their own bedroom.

In the four-bedroom, two-living-room apartment, Yang Mu received the special privilege of sleeping in a bedroom, being the only male granted such a luxury.

Everyone seemed to be in low spirits, particularly Liu Dongfeng and Wang Liang.

Yang Mu surveyed the scene, noting nothing unusual, and returned to his room to pull out Wang Liang's phone. He opened the photos and looked at Jiang Yuanyuan.

As he stared, his brow furrowed deeply, troubled by his thoughts.

At that moment, Yang Mu’s own phone buzzed with a WeChat message from Hu Die.

“It’s so nice to see you again, though we didn’t get a chance to speak.”

“What do you want to say to me?”

“You’ve looked so impressive these past two times—riding away from the zombie dog and last night’s ambush.”

“Just doing what needed to be done.”

“By the way, I want to break up with Gu Dason. You know, we have no feelings for each other.”

“How would I know about your relationship?”

There was a pause on Hu Die’s end, then she changed the topic:

“Still claiming Chu Hong isn’t your girl? Last night you were a hero rescuing her. Did she offer herself to you? You spent the night together.”

“You’re quite nosy. This game isn’t interesting. I just want to survive and leave the quarantine zone. No need to pursue me further. Rest assured, I’ve considered it—teammates are still necessary.”

“Hmm!”

“Because with teammates, you can serve as a shield in times of crisis.”

“Yang Mu, don’t be so heartless. I know you’re a good person.”

Damn!

Yang Mu was perplexed—had Hu Die just given him a ‘good person’ card?

Was he really a good person?

Oh well, does it matter?

Yang Mu perceived the apocalypse as merely a reflection of the animal kingdom.

The law of the jungle prevails—survival of the fittest, indifferent to gender or morality. Everything is about existence, about killing, about continuation—nothing more.

He stood up and walked to the balcony, where his backpack lay, containing Song Ren’s binoculars.

He took them out and looked down. The zombies below were still densely packed, a terrifying sight.

At that moment, the doorbell rang.

Yang Mu hurried out of the bedroom and saw everyone standing anxiously, eyeing the door with trepidation, none daring to approach.

Yang Mu strode to the door, peered through the peephole, and saw two fully armed soldiers.

It must be the Kamikaze Squad, he thought.

Given last night’s chaos, there could certainly be survivors, and it was possible that the elite soldiers of the Kamikaze Squad had also escaped; otherwise, their reputation would be in vain.

Yang Mu hesitated briefly, a habit before taking action.

He then slowly opened the door, just a crack.

“We are survivors. What brings you here?”

Stolen story; please report.

“Hello. We are the Kamikaze Special Forces. The lower floors are overrun with zombies. We have gathered the remaining survivors and moved them upstairs, intending to establish a defensive perimeter on this floor. We need to ensure that the upper levels remain free of zombies and virus carriers and prevent any from reaching the lower floors. Please open the door so we can inspect.”

Inspection was fine, but there was a half-human, half-zombie inside the house.

However, Yang Mu considered that there was no need for secrecy; after all, Xiao Yao was meant for scientific study.

“Do you have a team leader?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I have a special situation and need to speak with your highest-ranking officer.”

The two soldiers exchanged glances, and one of them called out to the side, “Captain, we have survivors here with some issues. They need to speak with you.”

Footsteps approached, and within half a minute, a handsome man in his mid-twenties with short hair appeared.

“My name is Xiang Hai. Please open the door for inspection. We need to establish a defensive perimeter on the forty-fifth floor. If you are not afraid of danger, you may continue to stay here, but we need to confirm there are no zombie virus hazards before we proceed.”

The Kamikaze Squad had learned from past experiences where internal infections had thwarted their operations. Even if it was troublesome, they needed to ensure there were no internal threats.

“Inspection is fine, but there’s a matter I need to discuss with the leadership first.”

“I’m not a leader; just call me Xiang Hai. I’m the squad leader of the Kamikaze Team’s third unit. What’s the issue?”

“Come inside to discuss. This matter is classified, and I prefer not to disclose it to too many people.”

Xiang Hai hesitated for a moment but then, without further delay, entered the house. He wasn’t afraid it was a trap; he was confident in his skills.

Yang Mu led Xiang Hai to Xiao Yao, waking her up after five minutes, and removed her mask and contact lenses.

“What is this? A zombie?”

Xiang Hai was startled, drawing his weapon.

“Don’t be alarmed. This is not a zombie; it’s a half-zombie.”

Yang Mu explained the process of Xiao Yao’s transformation and her characteristics to Xiang Hai.

Xiang Hai gradually lowered his gun, his face reflecting astonishment.

Yang Mu said, “Although the zombie virus is currently only a localized outbreak, no one can guarantee it won’t eventually spread worldwide. Now we’ve discovered an anomalous being with zombie characteristics yet approachable to humans. I trust you can imagine the significance of this? She might very well be the key to unraveling the mysteries of zombies. Of course, this is just a possibility.”

“Ah... Young man, you’re absolutely right! I must immediately relay this information.”

Xiang Hai, visibly excited, promptly picked up the communicator to report the situation.

The response from the other end seemed equally concerned, instructing Xiang Hai to wait as the information was to be reported to higher authorities.

Moments later, a woman’s voice came through the communicator.

“This is Captain Xiang Ru of the War Tiger Team calling the Kamikaze Team leader.”

“Little sister, when did you return to the country?” Xiang Hai was clearly surprised.

“Just arrived. I was specially recalled for this zombie crisis. Brother, are you inside?”

“Are you feigning ignorance?”

“Yes, I’ve been assigned a task. I’m coming in to extract you, the top figure, and the half-zombie.”

“You’re coming in too? It’s quite dangerous here…”

“Brother, I am a national soldier. Moreover, don’t forget, the War Tiger’s rank surpasses that of the Kamikaze Squad. You remember our title, don’t you?”

“Alright then, I’ll wait for your arrival. Please be cautious.”

Xiang Hai, not wishing to argue further, ended the call.

“I’m curious, what is the title of the War Tiger Special Forces? The elite among the elite?”

“No, they are known as… the Kings of Soldiers!”

Yang Mu’s mind briefly short-circuited. With the proliferation of “King of Soldiers” novels in recent years, was he now encountering such legendary figures in reality? And the leader of these kings was a woman?

Familiarizing himself with Xiang Hai over the matter of Xiao Yao, Yang Mu and he reached an agreement.

Xiao Yao would remain with Yang Mu, and once the War Tiger Team arrived, they would all break out together until they were safe.

This was certainly a favorable outcome for Yang Mu, though he remained unsure if the War Tiger Special Forces truly possessed such formidable strength.

Subsequently, Xiang Hai inspected the house, confirmed it was safe, and prepared to leave to continue his duties.

As he departed, Yang Mu inquired:

“How many people are in your team, and how many in the War Tiger?”

“We lost some team members yesterday. Currently, the Kamikaze Team has nine members, and the War Tiger Team comprises seven. I don’t know much about them, only what my sister has mentioned.”

“Seven people…”

Yang Mu’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

What could seven people do against thousands of zombies?

“They all claim to be Kings of Soldiers. They usually operate solo and have been trained since childhood. They joined the military at thirteen and were seasoned by fifteen, participating in various combat missions abroad. They are truly formidable. As for others, I don’t know, but you’ll understand once you meet my sister.”

Seeing Xiang Hai’s confident demeanor, Yang Mu was curious to know just how capable the War Tiger Team truly was.

After Xiang Hai left, Yang Mu opened the door to observe the bustling corridor, where some survivors were helping the special forces by moving furniture to block three stairwells and two elevator shafts.

Noting the smiles on people’s faces and their mutual greetings, Yang Mu took a deep breath, feeling a pang of nostalgia for peaceful times.

Even though he was idle in the Wen family’s household, merely serving as a domestic, it seemed a bit more pleasant than this apocalyptic world.

Having grown accustomed to a peaceful era, the chaos of the present was hard for Yang Mu to adapt to, let alone others.

With nothing to do, Yang Mu exited his room and joined the others in their efforts.

The stairways were nearly completely blocked, making it unlikely for zombies to ascend. Yang Mu felt relieved, thinking that even if the War Tiger Team proved ineffective, at least they would have some safety on the upper floors for a while. Food concerns were resolved, as the special forces had found plenty, having opened all the rooms.

Reaching a stairway on the forty-fifth floor, Yang Mu slipped up to the top and found a number of survivors there as well.

They all seemed grateful to be alive, exchanging polite greetings.

Yang Mu found it peculiar—before all this, he wouldn’t have even spoken to strangers on the same floor. Was this the reason? Does advancing civilization lead to greater estrangement between people? After all, does the development of civilization only confine the human heart within its own cage?

As he pondered while walking, Yang Mu stopped in front of an open door.

He frowned slightly and turned his head, noticing a small stone emitting a golden glow not far inside the room.

Was this a raw stone? The one he had previously was blue, but this one was golden?

Yang Mu hurriedly entered the room and grasped the golden raw stone in his hand.

Before he could investigate further, he suddenly heard a tense breathing sound. Yang Mu quickly turned his head and his face turned pale.

Was this... an anomaly?