In a society governed by the same institutional framework, individuals with similar worldviews can be molded. This holds true not only for society but also for nations and teams alike. However, when everything collapses and institutions decay, the values that individuals exhibit under such frameworks gradually dissipate, revealing their intrinsic selves.

Wei Xiaofeng, Li Shengdong, and Wu Feng are the remaining three male special forces soldiers. At this moment, Li Shengdong and Wu Feng occupy the monitoring room, while Wei Xiaofeng sits on the floor of the dining area, leaning against the wall. He faces Yang Mu, observing the interaction between him and Chu Hong.

After frowning for a long while, Wei Xiaofeng finds Yang Mu increasingly displeasing. Why must he take a bite of food before offering it to others? Chu Hong, with her stunning beauty, is undeniably a goddess; how can a man treat her in such a contemptible manner?

As these feelings festered, the latent brutality within Wei Xiaofeng began to rise. He stood up and strode over to confront Yang Mu and Chu Hong.

“Disgusting! Just take a bite! Why put the entire piece in your mouth first? It’s soaked in saliva—how can anyone eat that?”

“Ha! Did you not claim you were easy to bully? Hmph! Back then, when you and Guan Haishan tormented me at home, I let it slide. But you must allow me to vent my frustrations now!”

“Venting is one thing; what’s with the saliva?”

Yang Mu and Chu Hong inadvertently slipped into a somewhat ambiguous interaction, akin to playful banter, though neither of them seemed aware of it. Before they could explore those feelings further, the moment was abruptly interrupted.

Yang Mu glanced up at the imposing figure blocking the light. “Brother, is there something you need? You’re blocking the light.”

“I came here specifically to block your light. You have food; either share it with others or keep it for yourself! Taking a bite and then giving it to someone else is simply insulting.”

“What? Your argument doesn’t hold water. I can give my food to whomever I wish, and I haven’t forced her. Chu Hong, have I forced you?”

Chu Hong looked between Yang Mu and the soldier, sighed, and replied, “We’ve known each other for a long time. There’s some history between us, and I’m quite content that he’s willing to share his food with me. I appreciate your kindness.”

Yang Mu’s eyes lit up, surprised that the once spoiled princess had shown such maturity. This revealed that Chu Hong’s nature was that of a thoughtful girl, only obscured by her upbringing and previous social circle, which had transformed her into a pampered young woman.

Wei Xiaofeng's face turned an angry shade of crimson. He found himself in the most awkward situation of his life. Here he was, attempting to rescue a damsel, only to discover she was allied with the very rogue he sought to confront.

Feeling utterly humiliated, Wei Xiaofeng scoffed, determined to abandon all pretense. “Yang Mu, while the food belongs to you, we’re all out of supplies now. You need to share it.”

A sly smile crept onto Yang Mu's face. He carefully wrapped the remaining spicy strips and placed them into his backpack before standing and addressing Wei Xiaofeng. “I previously informed your captain that food would only be distributed once.”

The voices of the two men drew the attention of others, who emerged to see what was happening. Yang Mu’s gaze fell upon Xiang Ru, who frowned slightly but remained silent. Wei Xiaofeng also glanced back at Xiang Ru before locking eyes with Yang Mu again.

“Previously, our captain agreed with you—food would only be distributed once. However, faced with life and death, words become meaningless. I will not abide by our captain’s orders in this special circumstance; this is my autonomous choice for survival! So, hand over the food, or I shall take it by force!”

“Ha! Now that’s an admirable disposition! A soldier ought to possess such a wolfish tenacity. Those who are timid and abide by rules are mere scholars. If that’s how you feel, then let’s settle this! You want to steal; I refuse to give it. What will you do?”

“Though I’ve been hungry for two days, and you’ve had food all this time, should it come to blows, I can incapacitate you with one move. Think carefully.”

“Buddy, you underestimate the last two days, and you underestimate me! If you were at your peak, I wouldn’t dare to act so boldly. But now... I fear you may need your friends to deal with me.”

“Ha! Are you attempting to provoke me? Kid, if I cannot defeat you, I’d rather starve than lay claim to your food, and I won’t ask for help! Come at me!”

Wei Xiaofeng stepped back, positioning himself in the middle of the dining area near the table, ready to make his move. Yang Mu cast another glance at Xiang Ru, who remained silent, her expression one of curiosity.

Not wanting to waste any more words, Yang Mu swiftly approached Wei Xiaofeng and threw a punch.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Not so clever! You choose to strike first? Too bad you’re up against me, Wei Xiaofeng!”

As he spoke, Wei Xiaofeng caught Yang Mu’s fist, straining to twist his arm.

At that moment, an unforgettable scene unfolded for Xiang Ru.

Yang Mu paid no heed to the hand that held him captive; instead, he planted one foot on the table, using that momentum to twist his body. His waist contorted astonishingly, one leg coiling around Wei Xiaofeng's neck, while the foot initially braced on the table swiftly swept down, its toes striking with precision at Wei Xiaofeng's most vulnerable area.

Xiang Ru was left dumbfounded.

The angle of his body’s contortion was nothing short of astounding. What kind of martial art was this?

As Xiang Ru remained in shock, Yang Mu unleashed another punch, landing squarely on the back of Wei Xiaofeng's head.

Wei Xiaofeng collapsed, and as Yang Mu’s leg relinquished its hold on his neck, the foot that had struck his groin gracefully settled onto the ground.

In a mere instant, Yang Mu had rendered Wei Xiaofeng unconscious.

How could Xiang Ru not be astonished? Wei Xiaofeng had trained rigorously in hard martial arts, boasting formidable resistance to impact.

This indicated that after Yang Mu had spun in mid-air and seized Wei Xiaofeng by the neck, he had cleverly concealed the power of his punch by using the strike to Wei Xiaofeng's groin as a diversion; otherwise, he could never have knocked him out.

Who exactly was Yang Mu?

His martial prowess appeared somewhat flamboyant, yet it was undeniably lethal.

While special forces soldiers often dabble in martial arts, Xiang Ru could not discern the specific school from which Yang Mu’s technique originated.

With a relaxed demeanor, Yang Mu returned to the corner, sitting down while clutching his axe.

"Don't look at me; I have no martial training. I've simply been terrified since childhood—afraid of villains. When I strike, every move is a matter of life and death, so don’t intimidate me. No one dares touch my food, or we’ll have a serious altercation!"

At that moment, the other two special forces soldiers reacted quickly, raising their guns toward Yang Mu.

Yet, Yang Mu displayed no fear; his gaze remained fixed on Xiang Ru.

Finally regaining her composure, Xiang Ru waved her hand, saying, "Enough! This ends here. His food is scant; even divided, it won’t suffice for a day. We must endure!"

With that, she turned and entered the rest area, and the other two soldiers slowly lowered their weapons, hesitating briefly before carrying Wei Xiaofeng to the monitoring room.

Chu Hong’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

Initially, she thought she understood Yang Mu, but now he seemed entirely new, revealing to her an entirely different world.

“Oh my! You’re incredible! How did you manage that? When you kicked off the table, your body seemed to fly!”

Yang Mu maintained a tranquil expression, discreetly rubbing his wrist where Wei Xiaofeng had grasped him; his strength was remarkable. Had he not succeeded in his rapid assault, a fight would surely have posed considerable difficulty.

“Sit still. Excess excitement and tension will hasten your metabolism.”

“You’re quite knowledgeable!”

“Knowledgeable? Hardly, I’m just rambling!”

“……”

Chu Hong was speechless, staring blankly at Yang Mu.

Yang Mu closed his eyes, preparing to rest once more, though his grip on the axe never wavered, wary of potential retaliation from the special forces.

However, this caution proved unnecessary, as Wei Xiaofeng, upon regaining consciousness, harbored no desire for revenge. Instead, he admired Yang Mu’s skills.

“Brother, I respect you! I’ve clinched first place in military competitions; though I underestimated you, for you to subdue me with a single move, I have no words. A soldier must know when to fight and when to concede; respecting the strong and striving to surpass oneself is essential. If we escape this alive, I want to be your friend!”

Yang Mu smiled but said nothing.

He was reminded of Xiang Hai…

As two days passed, the monitoring room fell into disuse, with corpses and two unconscious virus carriers confined within, the stench still permeating the air as the bodies began to decay.

The condition of the little demon exceeded Yang Mu's expectations; though slightly disoriented, she occasionally emitted sounds akin to a zombie's howl, yet she had not succumbed to total frenzy.

When Song Ren and Yang Mu approached her, she remained somewhat lucid, offering them a silly smile.

This brought Yang Mu a modicum of joy, though even he lacked the energy to attend to the little demon, and Song Ren was even more fatigued.

Yang Mu's pack contained two sausages, five bags of spicy strips, two pieces of chocolate, one loaf of bread, four bags of pickled vegetables, and two bags of salt.

Salt was a precious commodity, capable of boosting strength.

However, the scant rations consumed over the past few days had reduced their basic intake, rendering the remaining provisions insufficient to have any significant effect on the body.

If Yang Mu, who managed to eat something daily, felt this way, one could only imagine how others fared.

As the clock struck six in the evening, the feeble Gu Daxian crawled to Yang Mu’s side.

“Brother, I know you find Hu Die attractive. She has unnaturally fainted from hunger three times. Please give her something to eat. I... I’ll break up with her. You two can be together, alright?”

Yang Mu furrowed his brow as he regarded this already frail man, said to be quite cowardly.

In this apocalyptic era, humanity may have been in decline, yet the essence of truth, goodness, and beauty remained deeply rooted in the framework of civilization.

Human beings are not beasts; when the apocalypse arrived, not all would succumb to their primal instincts.

Seemingly cowardly, Gu Daxian was, in fact, a good man.

A faint smile graced Yang Mu's lips as he retrieved the loaf of bread from his bag and tossed it to Gu Daxian.

“Give it to her. I’m a married man and have no interest in your girlfriend.”

Yang Mu had begun to grasp why Hu Die had never proposed a breakup with Gu Daxian at the end.

Perhaps she did not love this man, yet she empathized with his kindness.

To Yang Mu's astonishment, Gu Daxian repeatedly bowed in gratitude before swiftly crawling over to Hu Die.

At that moment, Hu Die was, in fact, awake; she simply lacked the strength, having lost considerable weight over the past few days.

She lay on the ground in the dining area, having overheard the conversation between Gu Daxian and Yang Mu.

As Gu Daxian stuffed the dry bread into Hu Die’s mouth, she instinctively began to chew, tilting her head to meet Yang Mu's gaze.

Gradually, a smile emerged on her face, and tears welled in the corners of her eyes.

Yang Mu could not decipher the meaning behind her tears, nor did he possess the mood to ponder it.

The purpose of his life had emerged at the age of three, continuing to this day, encapsulated in three words—survive.