He found a piece of clothing in the room and tossed it onto the woman.

“I know Yelena Tieshu has a daughter, but I don’t know her face or name. How will you prove he's your father?”

The woman was still crying, dressing herself between sobs.

Different women always carry different scents. This one, still a girl, had a figure that was just starting to develop. Her legs were long, her delicate features hinting at beauty yet to fully blossom. In two years, she would be a stunner.

Through her tears, she grabbed a small bag from the sofa, pulling out an ID and throwing it at Yang Mu.

“I am Yelena Li, the real deal!”

Yang Mu looked at the ID and believed her. Yelena Li. With so few bearing that surname, she must be Yelena Tieshu’s daughter.

Good heavens, only fifteen?

For her age, her figure was impressively mature. She must be around 1.7 meters tall, too.

“If you’re Yelena Tieshu’s daughter, what are you doing in a place like this? This is a low-end neighborhood.”

“I came to meet a streamer. That guy outside is MC Worker; I’m a fan. I’ve given him over a million in tips. It was our first meeting, and he wanted to sleep with me. I refused, and after the zombies came, he tried to force me.”

Yang Mu was speechless, glancing at the young man outside. Just a kid—probably 17 or 18.

It was a bunch of children: a low-life streamer and a scientist’s privileged daughter.

This girl was a fool. Having the money to throw around at a streamer was one thing, but to come in person? Faced with the apocalypse, who could blame the guy for taking advantage of a rich, naïve little girl?

The room was sparsely decorated, a few pieces of streaming equipment giving an illusion of sophistication. In truth, it was filthy, with beer bottles scattered everywhere.

Yang Mu peeked outside. The living room was small, with many doors.

This was a rental. He couldn’t make sense of the situation, so he closed the door.

“Yao Niang! Yao Niang, open the door! I swear I won’t do anything bad!”

The boy was knocking at the window, while Yelena, now dressed, kicked the glass door and shouted, “Go to hell!”

For a girl who could easily throw away over a million in tips, she was clearly spoiled at home. Now that she felt safe, her temper flared, and she yelled outside, even making a mocking gesture.

Yao Niang must have been her online alias.

Yang Mu, inspecting the room, asked, “The rescue team’s been dispatched for a while. Why are they just now coming for you?”

“My phone was dead. This jerk wouldn’t let me charge it. I finally got through to my dad, and that’s when he realized I was trapped in the quarantine zone. He said the helicopter’s on its way.”

Yang Mu felt a bit of relief. His efforts hadn’t been in vain.

As long as she really was the number one priority, there was a chance to escape.

What about Chu Hong? Wen Sijia had asked him to take care of her.

There wasn’t much he could do. He’d have to wait for the helicopter and see.

And the zombie dog? Would it affect the helicopter’s landing?

Just as Yang Mu was pondering, the sound of a helicopter grew closer.

Damn, being the top priority really made a difference. No matter how wealthy Chu Hong’s father was, in times like these, the nation’s contributors took precedence. Yelena’s father, as a scientist researching genetic biology, was invaluable, and his daughter would benefit from that prestige.

“They’re here! Let’s get to the rooftop.”

Yang Mu, already experienced, quickly tied together anything usable in the room, fashioning a six-meter-long rope.

He opened the balcony door and moved a table outside.

The boy outside tried to rush in, but Yang Mu kicked him down.

Yelena, seeing this, softly said, “Why’d you kick him? I’ll deal with him myself when we get back.”

Yang Mu was speechless again.

Just moments ago, she had fiercely resisted him, and now, it seemed she still had feelings for this "little puppy." Women, seriously.

Ignoring the nonsense, Yang Mu quickly moved a cabinet onto the table, then climbed up, deftly grabbing hold of a ledge and pulling himself onto the rooftop.

Yelena, watching in awe, shouted, “Are you Jackie Chan? How are you so good? Hey, what about me?”

Once on the rooftop, Yang Mu began securing a loop in the rope while scanning the area. The helicopter was indeed approaching, just a few hundred meters away.

Tossing the rope down, Yang Mu said, “The helicopter’s almost here. Don’t waste time—tie the rope around yourself, and I’ll pull you up.”

“Can you even lift me? I weigh almost 50 kilograms.”

She was still a young girl, her body not fully grown yet.

“I could lift you even if you weighed twice that.”

“You’re the one who weighs twice that! Fine, pull me up.”

Without much effort, Yang Mu hoisted Yelena onto the rooftop.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“Yang Mu.”

“Yang Mu, Yang Mu, pull up the puppy too!”

“Are you out of your mind? He tried to assault you, and you still want to save him?”

“Hmph! I’m going to take him back and make him pay! I want my revenge!”

Yang Mu rolled his eyes but tossed the rope back down to haul up the streamer.

Now that Yelena was the top priority, Yang Mu wasn’t about to argue. It wasn’t his concern if she wanted to play games with her “little puppy.” Not his daughter.

The helicopter hovered above, just a few meters away from the rooftop.

The sky darkened further, and the sound of the helicopter drew attention. Survivors from nearby buildings opened their windows, shouting desperately.

The combined noise stirred the zombies below, making them more agitated.

Yang Mu grew anxious, just wanting to board the helicopter and leave. Saving Chu Hong was no longer on the agenda.

It’s said that the more you fear something, the more likely it will happen.

Just as the helicopter began to descend, a deafening roar echoed from a nearby rooftop.

A zombie dog!

It leaped from building to building, closing the distance fast.

The helicopter’s door opened, and four heavily armed soldiers jumped out, their movements swift and precise.

Two others remained inside, likely also soldiers.

“Han Dong, get the number one priority! We’ll cover you!”

“Yes, Captain!”

One of the soldiers broke away, sprinting toward them.

The remaining three opened fire on the approaching zombie dog.

The helicopter, hovering a meter above the rooftop, didn’t land, its mounted guns also opening fire.

In less than thirty seconds, the zombie dog was riddled with bullets. Yang Mu’s heart raced—these weapons were incredibly powerful. Truly professional.

It made him realize that the post-apocalyptic novels he’d read often exaggerated. Most underestimated the strength of military forces. These soldiers, with their weapons, could probably take on hundreds of zombies with ease.

Wait—Yang Mu’s gaze fell on the zombie dog’s body.

Something wasn’t right... It looked much smaller than when he first encountered it.

Yang Mu’s face paled. Could it be that there was more than one zombie dog on the rooftops in this area?