Chapter Thirty-One: This Man Is Truly Fierce

Everyone had already been brought back, and Fang Xia wouldn’t fuss over such a trivial matter. Perhaps it was because they all studied computer science, but Liu Rui and Li Xiaochun were both textbook beauties—especially Liu Rui, who was the very embodiment of classical Eastern elegance and an absolute heartbreaker for any straight man.

Seeing Fang Xia agree, not only Bai Xing but the other two women as well were visibly delighted; after all, no one likes the feeling of strangers being able to enter their room while they sleep. Drinks and snacks had already been set out by Bai Xing, who spared no effort in treating her roommates who had gone hungry for days.

The supplies stacked in the living room were the first thing they noticed upon entering, filling them with envy toward Bai Xing. Though they all shared a dorm, the difference in their lives after the apocalypse struck was as stark as heaven and earth. Thinking of how the two of them had to make a single loaf of bread last three days, and then seeing Bai Xing’s abundance of snacks—richer than anything she’d had even before the world ended—was a bitter pill to swallow.

“Don’t rush, take your time and eat. When you’re done, I’ll take you to shower and change into fresh clothes.”

Fang Xia could tell that Bai Xing was showing off a little. The competitive spirit among women never truly fades, no matter how close the relationship. Too exhausted to care what the three of them were up to, he simply lay down on the sofa and fell asleep.

He didn’t know how much time had passed when a familiar, warm body suddenly pounced on him. His hand reached out and instantly felt smooth, bare skin. Their eyes met in the candlelight—Bai Xing’s face was flushed red, her eyes brimming with allure.

They kissed passionately, and soon, Bai Xing’s head lowered further and further…

Fang Xia recalled what she had whispered in his ear earlier that day: the weather had turned cold, and she craved something warm…

A different sort of pleasure surged through Fang Xia, made even more thrilling by the knowledge that her two beautiful roommates were lying just in the next room. The whole experience became all the more exciting.

Inside that room, the two women weren’t asleep either. After days of deprivation, they’d finally taken a hot shower and changed into clean clothes, making it all feel like a dream. Then, they heard sounds from the living room that were far from innocent. Both blushed, but as adults, it wasn’t as if they’d never seen or heard such things before.

Still, it was taking such a long time—and judging by the sounds, it seemed Bai Xing was enjoying herself immensely.

That night, two people lay wide awake, unable to sleep…

Meanwhile, the instigators were wrapped in each other’s arms in the master bedroom, lost in sweet dreams.

The next morning.

Fang Xia was baffled when he saw the two women before him sporting dark circles under their eyes.

Didn’t sleep well, or slept too well?

How was he supposed to lead a team with them in this state?

But soon, the reason became clear.

[In the middle of the night, that went on for at least an hour or two. This guy’s stamina is insane.]

[I need to ask Qianya about it later—is it really that enjoyable?]

Fang Xia’s face turned crimson, and he hurriedly fled to wash up, thinking that women’s minds could be truly filthy.

By eight-thirty, the living room was full, and aside from Fang Xia, the crowd consisted entirely of young women. Bai Xing stood obediently by his side, while Liu Rui and Li Xiaochun led the other twenty-nine women, lined up in orderly fashion across from him.

“Ten lunchboxes and five water flasks—this is the week’s worth of food I promised you,” he announced.

The table in front was already set with the lunchboxes and flasks, and everyone present understood the significance of these items.

“You’re all aware of the situation now. The apocalypse is upon us. If you can’t prove your worth, you’ll be left behind.”

“I don’t care about the process; in a week, I want to see results.”

Fang Xia didn’t bother with lengthy speeches—actions spoke louder than words.

For the first three days, Bai Xing would stay with them, teaching survival and combat skills for the post-apocalyptic world.

Fang Xia was confident. In his previous life, without his help, these women had still managed to thrive. In this life, he had no doubt they would do even better. Too much intervention would only hinder them.

“Brother Fang, if we do well, will there be any rewards? None of us have had a proper shower in days,” Liu Rui suddenly asked.

All the women looked at him expectantly. For many, not being able to wash was even more unbearable than hunger. Up until now, conditions hadn’t allowed for such luxuries—survival alone had been a challenge. But after seeing Liu Rui and Li Xiaochun looking refreshed this morning, envy was palpable.

“Yes,” he replied. “Not only will you get to shower, but there’ll be all kinds of snacks—so long as you perform well.”

Saving their lives wasn’t enough to ensure their loyalty; they needed to see hope.

Fang Xia hadn’t realized this until Liu Rui brought it up. No wonder she had been one of the three major group leaders—a born leader through and through.

With Fang Xia’s promise, the fear that had weighed on the group dissipated, replaced by determination and energy.

He had three combat knives in total, and this time, he gave two to Liu Rui to distribute as she saw fit. The others would have to find their own weapons. If you set your mind to it, anything can be a weapon. Real knives were hard to find, but wooden or iron rods were plentiful and more than sufficient to take down a tier-one zombie.

Watching the group of young women descend the stairs, Fang Xia wondered how many would survive in the end.

Once they had all left, he set out on his own, intent on finding airdrop crates and gathering more supplies.

The twenty-first floor of the hotel was eerily quiet. Many, desperate for food, had braved the lower levels, only to become fodder for the zombies. Few had survived.

Unexpectedly, Fang Xia spotted that boy again, who looked about sixteen or seventeen—the same one who had traded with him for a bottle of water and a loaf of bread last time. The boy stared at Fang Xia with longing, but in the end, lacked the courage to approach.

Fang Xia paid him little mind; there were too many pitiful souls in this world, and without value, who would bother helping them?

Hadn’t he lived the same way in his previous life—surviving day by day in misery?

Following behind a group of young women certainly had its perks—he didn’t even need to dirty his hands with the zombies in the lobby.

After roughly orienting himself, Fang Xia vaguely remembered a large shopping mall in that direction, hoping to find what he needed inside.

For this trip, he had left most of his supplies back at the hotel, so he could carry back even more. Spatial storage was far too limited; he needed to acquire more.

The pressure of feeding thirty-two mouths was enormous!

At this point, Fang Xia felt no excitement over tier-one zombies. Only if he encountered a tier-two would he be interested in a challenge.

But the tier-two zombie he had come across a couple days earlier seemed like nothing more than a glitch in the game—an anomaly that had been immediately corrected.

Fang Xia hoped it would stay that way; a slower pace would better suit the development of his all-female team for now.

Nine o’clock.

Another airdrop rained down.

Within five minutes, figures darted through the city everywhere—even Fang Xia saw several people scrambling for the crates.

By now, all the survivors knew that these airdrop boxes were the key to staying alive.