Yang Mu had previously seen Wang Liang’s phone, a Lei Xin TX.

This was the pinnacle of current domestic technology, a conceptual smartphone priced around fifty thousand yuan.

Yang Mu had wanted to buy one, but it was prohibitively expensive. Although he had saved some money over the years at the Wen family, he was reluctant to spend it. He didn’t care much for money, but he knew its necessity.

If he could trade a fifty-cent packet of crispy noodles for a fifty-thousand-yuan phone, it would be quite a bargain, at least from his perspective.

Wang Liang outright refused, shaking his head vigorously.

Yang Mu sneered, forcefully pushing Wang Liang out of the doorway and locking it behind him, ignoring the knocks from outside.

Soon, the noise subsided. Their commotion had attracted the zombies outside the living room door, causing Wang Liang to fall silent in fear.

Yang Mu moved to the window, pulled over a chair, and sat to observe.

As night deepened, lights began to flicker in some nearby buildings—those with bold inhabitants, while most kept their lights off.

Where had the zombie dog gone? Yang Mu searched but found no trace.

The night fell swiftly, turning as dark as midnight by seven o’clock.

Yang Mu opened the window and lowered the rope he had prepared earlier, securing it to the window of the floor below.

He needed to venture out; waiting here was not an option.

After observing for a few minutes and determining it was safe, Yang Mu climbed down the rope with agility.

Reaching the lower window, he was relieved to find it open.

Yang Mu pushed aside the screen and stepped onto the window frame to peer inside.

It appeared to be another small bedroom, dark and empty except for the moonlight casting faint illumination.

Yang Mu grasped the window frame, swiftly leaped inside, and stealthily approached the bedroom door, carefully opening it a crack.

The living room was also shrouded in darkness. Yang Mu’s heart raced as he noticed a figure stumbling about in the room—undoubtedly a zombie.

Hesitating for a moment, Yang Mu closed the door, using the bed to block it, creating a gap of about seven centimeters.

He worked slowly and silently to avoid making noise, taking nearly two minutes.

Once prepared, Yang Mu opened the door just enough to expose the small gap, through which he began to lure the zombie by knocking.

The zombie, attracted by the sound, stumbled toward the door, trying unsuccessfully to force its way through the narrow opening, blocked by the bed.

Yang Mu seized the opportunity to strike with the axe, hacking at the zombie’s head through the small gap.

This method proved effective, allowing him to attack while the zombie could not retaliate.

After numerous strikes, the zombie fell.

Before Yang Mu could relax, another zombie emerged from an unexpected corner and became stuck in the gap.

That was a close call! Darkness was indeed perilous. If he had been careless and engaged with the first zombie, this second one could have ambushed him.

Yang Mu repeated the process, killing the second zombie with several strikes.

He knocked on the bedroom door once more. With no more zombies appearing, he moved the bed aside cautiously and exited to inspect the house.

This unit mirrored the layout of the one above, with a master bedroom featuring a balcony.

Yang Mu gathered everything from the master bedroom into the living room, then moved heavy items to block the master bedroom door.

This was mainly to secure the balcony and prevent the zombie dog from entering.

After checking the other rooms, Yang Mu was pleased.

This unit was more populated than the one upstairs, with a refrigerator full of food and additional supplies, including two bags of rice totaling forty kilograms.

With this food, Yang Mu felt less urgency; even if escape proved impossible, he would not face starvation for at least ten to fifteen days.

Continuing his search, he found a pack of “Emperor” cigarettes.

These were quite expensive—about one hundred eighty yuan per pack, totaling eighteen hundred yuan for a carton.

He then discovered a large hiking backpack, discarded his small bag, and transferred all his food and toiletries into the larger one.

Even with plenty of food, he needed to ensure his backpack was always well-stocked, as it was essential for survival in an emergency.

He found several apparently unused new underwear—two pairs for men and two for women—and packed them all into the backpack. He also found a thick rope, roughly seven or eight meters long, similar to those used in tug-of-war. Despite its weight, Yang Mu carried it over his shoulder, and he also found a large cleaver in the kitchen.

This tool was rare in the city, resembling those used in northern rural areas for chopping wood. It had substantial heft, a thick back, a sharp blade, and a curved hook.

Yang Mu tested it in his hand, finding it more convenient than the axe and potentially more lethal due to its larger striking surface.

Despite the axe’s smaller impact area, its concentrated damage might be more fatal.

After some deliberation, Yang Mu decided to keep the cleaver as a backup weapon.

With these items gathered, he rechecked all the doors and windows in each room, fashioned a new rope from bedsheets, and secured it in the small room he had previously entered, allowing access to the next floor.

Yang Mu did not descend further but instead returned upstairs along the same route. The situation remained uncertain, requiring caution and strategic planning.

A glimmer of hope remained in Yang Mu’s mind—perhaps rescue teams would arrive by morning. If he could leave the quarantine zone with them, he would gladly accept.

Back in the house, he ate some food, then searched for the air conditioner remote, turned it on, and took a cold shower in the small bathroom off the bedroom. Afterwards, he lay in bed, scrolling through his phone.

The social media feed was chaotic, with people posting apocalyptic scenes.

On various video apps, influencers seemed to focus on end-of-world themes, with some from the ancient district of Han City live-streaming the zombie scenes from their balconies, their excitement palpable. The youthfulness of their reactions only amplified their lack of composure.

As he watched, Yang Mu gradually fell asleep. The ringing of his WeChat notifications woke him up at midnight.

Checking his phone, he saw messages from Hu Die.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m so hungry.”

“Want to eat!”

“Hey, are you asleep? They’re asleep too. Could you open the door so I can come in?”

There were several messages from 11:30 to midnight.

Yang Mu stared at the messages for a while before replying:

“Come in, I’ll open the door for you.”