After Hu Die left, Yang Mu locked the bedroom door and lay down in the room to regain his strength.

About an hour and a half later, a noise outside drew his attention. Yang Mu rose and opened the window to look up at the sky.

A helicopter flew low, drawing the zombies on the ground towards the sound.

The quarantine zone had become a zombie-infested world, with all the living cowering inside their homes, unable to escape.

Yang Mu observed many windows flung open as people on their balconies shouted at the sky, hoping the helicopter might land, but it had already flown away.

A dark figure sliced through the air, landing on the balcony of the building across. It was the zombie dog.

On the balcony, a woman who had been crying for help had her head bitten off by the zombie dog, which then devoured her in a few gruesome bites, a sight that was both chilling and horrifying.

Yang Mu quickly closed the window.

The zombie dog prowled around the rooftops of these nearby buildings. Whenever it detected a living person, it would move in to hunt. Even if a helicopter arrived, there would be no place to land with the zombie dog around.

If the problem with the zombie dog wasn’t resolved, escaping would be nearly impossible.

Frowning, Yang Mu pondered over the possibility that the zombie dog might possess some level of intelligence.

Could it be considered a variant?

Previously encountered variant zombie hunters had strange crystal shards appearing around them during their mutation. Was this a random occurrence, or was there a connection?

If it were the latter, and if the zombie dog was also a variant, might there be a crystal shard nearby?

Lost in thought, Yang Mu continued to search the room.

The previous occupant of the room had likely been a young woman, as evidenced by the female clothing found.

Upon opening a drawer, Yang Mu discovered several sets of women’s lingerie, made of sheer lace.

His eyes widened as he examined them closely.

“Good grief, what purpose do these things serve? I don’t understand women at all. Isn’t it ‘see no evil, speak no evil’? What kind of woman wears such attire? A night club entertainer?”

Hesitating for a moment, Yang Mu took photos of the lingerie with his phone and sent them to Hu Die via WeChat, questioning his curiosity.

Before long, Hu Die responded with a message.

“Hehe, you’re quite amusing, Brother. Such clothing isn’t exclusive to night club girls; respectable women wear them too. Women always want to present themselves as beautiful and sexy. It’s a sign of maturity. Are you interested in these lingerie? If you share some of your food with me, I’ll wear them for you.”

Yang Mu’s heart skipped a beat.

Though he had never tasted the delicacies of a roasted piglet or braised pork, he had certainly seen many pigs. Yet, despite his extensive experience, he had never encountered such temptations.

The women he had met in the Wen family were always aloof and cold, never showing any feminine charm.

Encountering someone like Hu Die was indeed a unique experience.

Yang Mu lay back on the bed and couldn’t help but respond to the message.

“One sausage.”

“If I wear one piece and send you a photo, and if you ensure I’m well-fed, I could come over to your place tonight and change right in front of you.”

“Really?”

“Of course. But let’s be clear: I do have a boyfriend. Since this is a cooperative arrangement, I’m willing to show you a bit of allure. Just don’t try anything inappropriate.”

Yang Mu recognized Hu Die’s tactic—she was juggling both sides, not abandoning her current relationship while enticing him.

Putting down his phone, Yang Mu closed his eyes and began to daydream, imagining various forms of punishment for Wen Sijia.

Time passed slowly until dusk, and the sky began to darken. There was a knock on the bedroom door.

Yang Mu, somewhat disoriented, got up and opened the door to find Liu Dongfeng standing there with a smile.

“What’s up?”

Yang Mu still held the axe, with the fire extinguisher hanging from his waist.

“Brother, we’re all trapped under the same roof. Let’s have a chat.”

“About what?”

“I heard you have food in your backpack? It’s evening now, and we haven’t had breakfast or lunch. We’re all starving. The room is spacious, but there’s no food. How about sharing some of your provisions? We can then figure out a way to clear the zombies at the door and head down to my place. I have plenty of food there.”

“Oh? Well, you can go out and deal with the zombies, then come back for the food. I don’t have much, and I can’t spare any for you.”

Yang Mu was about to close the door when Liu Dongfeng’s brother-in-law, Wang Liang, pushed it open, his face showing irritation.

“Why are you so selfish? We’re all trapped and need to help each other. Why won’t you share your food? I heard you stole it from someone’s home!”

Yang Mu narrowed his eyes, glancing through the two men at Chu Hong sitting in the living room. She had apparently divulged everything to them—truly a chatterbox!

Yang Mu smirked coldly, shaking the axe in his hand, and said to Wang Liang, “Kid, even if my food was stolen, it was earned by skill. If you want a share without working for it, fine. Offer something in exchange.”

“Alright, I’ll pay you! I’ll buy it with money.”

“Money? What use is money here?”

“Then what do you want?”

“A packet of crispy noodles, in exchange for your phone.”