Yang Mu gazed at the little puppy for quite some time.

The puppy, growing uneasy under the prolonged scrutiny, showed a flicker of panic before Yang Mu finally spoke.

“What’s your name?”

“Boss, my name’s Guandong.”

“Nice name. You know this area well?”

“Yes, I’ve got a few friends nearby. Look at that block over there—once we get there, we can rest. After eating, we head north for about 500 meters to Minghai Road. There's a tunnel being built, sealed off with galvanized steel, about two kilometers long. If we stick to the steel, we’ll be much safer. The pedestrian path is on the other side, so it’s unlikely anyone will be there, and the zombies won’t have easy access.”

The puppy offered what seemed like a well-reasoned suggestion, then flashed a smile at Yang Mu, looking as obedient as ever.

“Not a bad idea. Let’s go.”

“Alright.”

The puppy immediately took the lead, guiding everyone around the fruit market.

Yelena sidled up to Yang Mu and whispered, “This kid’s full of tricks. Letting him lead? Watch out, he might lead us straight into a trap.”

“You know he’s trouble, and you still went to his place?”

“Went there for what?”

“Delivered yourself on a silver platter.”

“Uncle! Don’t say that. He’s still a minor... I just thought he was cute. Didn’t expect him to be so eager. Honestly, if I were two years older, I might have gone along with it.”

Yang Mu felt a wave of frustration. He was only twenty-one, yet this little girl had the nerve to call him “uncle”?

Kids today had such strange thoughts. She knew she was too young for certain things, but her actions didn’t align with her understanding. Her words were mature, but her behavior childish—a walking contradiction.

He ignored her, striding forward after the puppy. Watching the puppy’s back, a faint, cold smile curled at the corner of Yang Mu’s mouth.

The block the puppy had mentioned was just beyond the fruit market, not far, though the route was somewhat winding.

The puppy seemed genuinely familiar with the area. They encountered no real danger along the way, reaching their destination in just over ten minutes—Minghai Youth Apartments.

“Boss, take a look—there are three buildings, all walled off. Two gates, both locked. My friends have already secured the area, cleared out the zombies, and locked the gates. No zombies inside now! This used to be a place for single white-collar workers to rent. On the day the apocalypse hit, most were at work. So even though there are over a hundred rooms in these three buildings, my friends say there are only a dozen survivors left. They’ve also gathered plenty of food from nearby shops and the fruit market.”

“Hmm. We’ve been on the run for too long, and everyone’s exhausted. A short rest is definitely in order. Let’s head over.”

“Okay, I’ll call my friend to open the gate.”

After a brief wait, the gate was opened by a man in his early thirties, muscular and clearly a frequent visitor to the gym.

His gaze immediately swept over Hu Die, Yelena, and Chu Hong, paying no attention to the men.

The puppy greeted him cheerfully, then led everyone into the courtyard and toward the first building.

Chu Hong hurried over to Yang Mu, tugged on his arm, and whispered in his ear, “That gym guy’s no good. He was staring at my chest!”

“What’s there to stare at?”

As Yang Mu said this, he sneaked a glance at Chu Hong’s upper body, frowning slightly.

Human senses are complicated.

Yang Mu had long known that Chu Hong was well-endowed. But back then, he had only found her annoying—an obstacle standing between him and Wen Sijia, always with an air of superiority.

Now, with her diva attitude gone, she was just a girl, no different from any other.

Since Yang Mu had come to see her as an ordinary woman, his perspective had shifted.

This change had unfolded over the past two days, leaving Yang Mu somewhat off-guard.

Chu Hong, on the other hand, was still grappling with the shift in their dynamic.

She told Yang Mu that the gym guy was no good, but Yang Mu’s response—“What’s there to look at?”—infuriated her!

In the past, Chu Hong might have grabbed Yang Mu by the ear, pressed his face to her chest, and asked—

“Are you blind? Can’t you see these curves?”

But now, she held back, sensing a change in Yang Mu’s attitude toward her.

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His hostility had softened, his cold sarcasm now carrying a playful edge.

For Chu Hong, sarcasm and flirtation were one and the same.

Back then, she was nothing but a source of irritation to me, an obstacle between myself and Wen Sijia, always maintaining that lofty, untouchable demeanor of an aristocratic young lady.

Now that Chu Hong has shed her pretentious airs, she’s merely a somewhat endearing girl, just as Yang Mu had previously mentioned—no different from any other woman.

Having already reduced her to the status of an ordinary girl, seeing her once more through the lens of a man naturally altered my perception.

This transformation took place over the past couple of days, unfolding so rapidly that even Yang Mu was caught off guard.

Unlike Yang Mu, Chu Hong has not yet grown accustomed to the shift in their dynamic.

She told Yang Mu that man might not be trustworthy, catching him sneaking a glance at her chest. Yang Mu replied, “What’s there worth looking at?...!”

She was livid!

In the past, Chu Hong would have marched over, grabbed Yang Mu by the ear, pressed his face against her chest, and asked—

“Are you blind? How could you not admire such splendor?”

But now, she let it slide, clearly sensing that Yang Mu’s attitude toward her had begun to shift.

What was once outright rejection had now morphed into cold, mocking sarcasm—not entirely unfriendly, but not welcoming either.

This was a good sign. In Chu Hong’s view, sarcasm was merely a form of playful banter.

Many may not agree, but to Chu Hong, the two were synonymous. Her earlier jabs at Yang Mu were never true scorn, but simply her unique way of interacting.

After all, if a man didn’t catch her eye, Miss Chu wouldn’t bother with him at all.

Under the guidance of the fitness trainer, the group reached the fourth floor of Building One.

Yang Mu pulled out his phone and sent a WeChat message to Hu Die.

Hu Die, walking alongside Gu Dasen, still felt her legs trembling, the tension in her body just beginning to subside. She had even vomited earlier in the container.

Her phone chimed, and when she glanced at the screen, her eyes widened in surprise. She looked up, thoughtfully gazing at Yang Mu’s back.

They arrived at Room 403, opened the door, and inside were five men.

The quiet, handsome man leading the group appeared to be about twenty-four or twenty-five, exuding the warm, approachable charm of a "nice guy." His gentle smile alone could easily enchant countless young women.

“Hello, I’m Liu Yang. Welcome to this small haven in the apocalypse.”

Before Yang Mu could respond, Yelena darted forward, positioning herself directly in front of Liu Yang.

“Wow, wow, wow! Are you a social media celebrity? You’re so handsome! Little brother, you’re the most handsome man I’ve ever seen—truly, unbelievably handsome!”

Liu Yang remained calm and collected. Though not an internet star, he was no stranger to such attention from girls, his good looks rendering him irresistible. By now, he was used to it.

At last, Yang Mu lazily strolled over to Yelena’s side, yawning before speaking in a drawl:

“The world is indeed unfair, always has been. I’m twenty-one, and you call me 'uncle.' This kid’s what, twenty-four or five? Just because he’s good-looking, you call him 'little brother'? There’s no justice! I’m very upset now, and the consequences will be severe!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Yang Mu swung his fist, landing a punch that distorted Liu Yang’s handsome face.

While Liu Yang crumpled to the ground, Hu Die swiftly drew her bow.

The fitness trainer who had led them in tried to intervene, but Hu Die’s arrow pierced an inch into his chest. With a cry of pain, he collapsed.

Hu Die’s heart raced as she saw her arrow hit its mark—this was all part of Yang Mu’s plan.

The WeChat message had been brief, only eight words: *If I strike, you make sure to wound.*

Yang Mu then pulled two handguns from his backpack. Though they were empty, the others didn’t know that, and they could still serve to intimidate.

With the sudden shift in control, Yang Mu wielding two guns and Hu Die’s bow fully drawn, everyone in the room froze in fear—even those closest to Yang Mu were taken aback.

“Yang Mu, was that really necessary? I call you 'uncle,' and him 'little brother,' and you beat him until he looks like a pig?”

Yelena simply couldn’t comprehend Yang Mu’s behavior.

Yang Mu cast a cold smirk at the people surrounding him, the gun's muzzle sweeping back and forth to aim at them. He then approached the fallen Liu Yang, delivering a series of ruthless kicks to his face, each strike rendering him bloodied and desperate, pleading for mercy, unable to rise.

Finally pausing, Yang Mu glanced at Yelena, whose face had turned pale with fear, clearly taken aback by his ferocity.

“Sometimes, men can be rather petty. So, will you still call me 'uncle'?”

“No, no, no! I’ll call you 'little brother' instead!”

Yelena felt a chill, suspecting that Yang Mu might be unhinged, and resolved not to provoke him again.

Yang Mu then turned his gaze toward the young man, noticing his similarly pale complexion, which elicited another cold smile from him.

“Chu Hong, retrieve the rope from my backpack and toss it to the young man.”

Still in a daze, Chu Hong quickly complied with Yang Mu’s command.

The rope landed at the young man's feet, and Yang Mu instructed, “Take that rope and bind them all together. Gu Daisen will supervise. If the knots aren’t secure, I’ll blow your head off! Anyone who dares to resist will face the same fate!”

The group exchanged glances, nervously eyeing the gun in Yang Mu’s hand, and ultimately no one dared to move.

Reluctantly, the young man approached, binding everyone under Gu Daisen’s watchful eye.

“Boss, why are we doing this? They’re all my friends, not bad people,” he protested.

Ignoring the young man, Yang Mu turned his attention to Hu Die.

Instantly understanding his intent, Hu Die searched the room, eventually finding more rope to bind Liu Yang and the fitness trainer as well.

With the situation under control, Yang Mu smiled as he stowed the two empty guns, personally inspecting the bindings to ensure they were secure before sinking into the sofa.

“Alright, young man, your companions have been dealt with. Now, tell me why you lured us here and what your intentions are.”

“Uh, Boss, what do you mean?”

“Hey, don’t stall! Do you want me to get physical? With your slight frame, I could crush you with a single hand. Speak up!”

Yang Mu’s glare caused the young man to retreat several steps, pressing against the wall in fear.

Finally, Chu Hong regained her composure.

She had been pondering why Yang Mu suddenly resorted to violence, unwilling to believe it was merely because of Yelena.

Even the former Yang Mu would not be so petty as to go mad over being called 'uncle,' let alone the current Yang Mu, who was cunning and astute.

Yang Mu must have sensed something amiss, yet nothing unusual had occurred along the way. This charming male host had only exchanged a few brief words with Yang Mu—what could possibly be problematic about those words?

Observing the young man's fluctuating expression as he leaned against the wall in silence, Yang Mu exhaled slowly and remarked:

“Unusual behavior often conceals ulterior motives. The moment you mentioned your intention to guide us, I sensed you were plotting something. Throughout this journey, you have acted timid and cowardly; what prompted your sudden eagerness to lead? Moreover, in your desperate attempt to gain this guiding privilege, you absurdly divulged that your friends live nearby and that the tunnel on Minghai Road is under construction. Hmph! Allow me to pose a question: if your friends are aware that this path leads to Exit C, why do they not escape but continue to hide in this place?”

Chu Hong and the others frowned, sensing that there might indeed be an issue. However, if they were to question the young man's intentions based solely on this doubt, it seemed a lack of substantial evidence. What was Yang Mu's logic, after all?