Calling for monthly tickets, recommendation votes! If you have bullets, fire bullets; if you have cannons, fire cannons; two rockets would be even better, helping Hei An (Darkness) charge up the monthly ticket charts!!! …… “You, you’re going alone?” The girl froze for a moment when she saw Bai Long walking toward the exit, unable to stop herself from asking. Bai Long turned around, flashing a dashing smile. “What, does the beautiful lady want to accompany me to watch the blood-flowers bloom?”

The girl shuddered at the sight of the zombies’ ferocious visages, her pretty face turning noticeably paler. Bai Long smiled, said no more, and turned away, his large silhouette vanishing into the grim, cold wind.

The girl stared after him for a long moment, then turned her head. Casually glancing over, she saw Ye Chen and the others still eating their roasted meat. They didn't spare a glance for the two people standing by the door, nor did they seem concerned about the departing Bai Long. A wave of confusion washed over her—wasn't that man one of their companions?

Outside the building, the fierce wind howled like a swarm of dancing demons.

The man appeared to be around 25 years old, quite handsome and robust. On the daily, life-or-death path of killing zombies and foraging for food, he hadn't even had time to trim his beard, giving him a somewhat disheveled look. He glanced at the piece of meat Ye Chen held, swallowed hard, then forced a smile and tentatively stepped one pace into the room. “Hello there. My name is Guo Feng, and this is my girlfriend, Fan Xue. What a coincidence, running into you fine heroes here.”

Ye Chen paid him no mind. Back in his previous life, struggling in the wilderness, he often encountered such "coincidental acquaintances." After a brief look, he returned his gaze to his food. Mo Feng, sitting beside him, never even turned his head, keeping his gaze lowered as if deep in thought about something else entirely.

Zhuge Fan, still young, felt that ignoring the man would be awkward for him, so he offered a polite, “Hello.” He wanted to say more but couldn't find a topic.

Guo Feng was clearly better at conversation. Finding the young man pleasing, his smile regained its composure as he slowly walked further into the room. “Winter is coming soon, and it’s getting cold. How about a swig of strong liquor to warm up?” As he spoke, he took off the black leather backpack slung over his shoulder and pulled out two bottles of Beijing Erguotou.

Ye Chen, who had remained silent, suddenly lifted his head and regarded the man with a deep, knowing look before returning to his meal.

Zhuge Fan frowned slightly at the sight of the Erguotou in his hand and shook his head. “I don’t drink.”

Guo Feng seemed to have expected this, offering a slight smile. He then turned to Ye Chen and Mo Feng, saying, “Brothers, want a taste?”

Both acted as if they hadn't heard, offering no response.

The smile on Guo Feng’s face stiffened slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching almost imperceptibly, but he quickly recovered. He sheepishly tucked the strong liquor back into his backpack, securing it carefully. These two bottles of “blended” liquor had brought him enormous profits in the past. Naturally, he didn't notice the fleeting curve on Ye Chen's lips—a look that suggested either contempt or perhaps sorrow.

Guo Feng, pulling his girlfriend Fan Xue along, casually walked up to the fire pit. Based on his earlier observations, he had concluded this small team wasn't the brutal sort that immediately seized the weak to use as bait for monsters. A slight smile touched his lips. His eyes swept across the group and settled on the pretty girl sitting opposite. Her melon-seed face, flushed by the firelight, made her look like a ripe apple, incredibly charming.

His eyes seemed to brighten, and the smile on his face deepened. As a spoiled young master from a wealthy family in peacetime, he’d had his share of women and considered himself skilled at handling them. After the apocalypse began, if this woman hadn't proven somewhat useful, he likely would have killed her and pickled her long ago.

He possessed the spoiled nature common to many second-generation heirs, yet because his uncle was involved in the underworld, he had absorbed a measure of ferocity over time, which helped him survive. He could tolerate six months without bathing or brushing his teeth, enduring the terrifying sleepless nights of the apocalypse. Every time he recalled it, he offered thanks to the uncle whom he had sneakily ambushed, killed, and consumed the blood of.

“Brothers, where are you all from? I’m from Zhejiang. How about you?” Guo Feng smiled warmly, glancing lightly at Mo Feng and Ye Chen. Seeing that neither seemed inclined to answer, he quickly shifted his focus to Zhuge Fan, making it seem as if he were addressing the youth rather than the other two.

He knew this young man was kind-hearted and most likely to reply.

Zhuge Fan smiled faintly, a bit shyly. “I’m from Zhejiang too.”

Guo Feng’s eyes lit up, and he laughed happily. “Looks like we’re from the same province! Which part of Zhejiang are you from?”

Zhuge Fan scratched his head. “Hangzhou.”

Guo Feng slapped his thigh loudly. “What a coincidence! I’m from Hangzhou too!” (In reality, he was from Ningbo.)

Zhuge Fan offered a weak smile. He didn't particularly want to talk, but since the man insisted on asking, he felt it would be impolite not to answer.

Guo Feng engaged Zhuge Fan, asking about various things in Hangzhou. Every time Zhuge Fan mentioned something, Guo Feng would clap his thigh in praise, acting overly familiar. Despite the roasted meat being held right next to him by Ye Chen, he deliberately avoided looking in Ye Chen’s direction, not even a glimpse!

A moment later, the door opened. Bai Long strode in, clapping his hands and smiling. He glanced at Fan Xue, automatically omitting her boyfriend from his notice, and walked over to her. “Beautiful lady, did you miss me?”

The corner of Guo Feng’s mouth twitched slightly, but he didn't show anger, maintaining his smile. Fan Xue covertly glanced at him; seeing he wasn't angry, she let out a small sigh of relief. She looked at Bai Long, surprised to see no trace of blood on him. “What about those monsters?”

Bai Long plopped down beside her, unconcerned. “They’ve been taken care of.”

Guo Feng’s pupils contracted, but he concealed it well, bursting into booming laughter. “Brother, you’re truly formidable! Dealing with so many monsters at once—I’m impressed!”

Bai Long looked up at him, seemingly just noticing the man beside him for the first time. He gave a slight nod and said no more. His smile was reserved only for the ladies; clearly, this brute prioritized lust over friendship.

Fan Xue, lacking deep cunning, couldn't hide the astonishment in her eyes upon hearing this. She gasped softly, “Th-that capable!” Hearing the beauty’s awe, Bai Long felt a surge of vitality. He declared proudly, “Of course! Not bragging, but back in the peaceful era, I was quite the brawler in school, always in group fights. It was exhilarating!”

Group fights? Yes, it was a group fight—a group ganging up to beat him.

Fan Xue smiled faintly. Regardless of whether Bai Long was lying, she had no intention of exposing him; provoking a powerful man was unwise. Her ability to secure the pillow spot among Guo Feng’s many girlfriends stemmed from her perceptiveness. She understood a man’s temperament and knew exactly how to act at any given moment to make him look upon her most favorably.

Thus, her smile was perfectly calibrated—neither stiffly perfunctory nor overtly worshipful, but imbued with the faint, budding adoration of a young woman.

Bai Long smiled, glanced at her, and asked, “Are you hungry?”

Fan Xue’s eyes instantly brightened. A ravenous hunger seized her, the gnawing emptiness of days without food suddenly provoked by Bai Long’s single question. She blushed slightly and mumbled, “A little.”

Bai Long’s smile grew even warmer. He turned to Ye Chen. “Give me another piece.”

Ye Chen shot him a look, annoyed at the beast’s inherent wickedness. With a casual flick, he tossed over a piece of meat from the worst position. Bai Long saw the slight, muttered something under his breath, but held back, afraid Ye Chen might take back even that scrap. He immediately presented the large piece generously to Fan Xue. “Eat, this is delicious.”

Fan Xue looked at the warm piece of meat in her hand, feeling as if she were caught in a dream. In the apocalypse, food was everything. Many had turned on their brothers over a single morsel, yet this was being given to her so freely?

She glanced strangely at Ye Chen’s group, then at her boyfriend Guo Feng, whose face had soured. The clever Fan Xue understood the implication behind Bai Long giving her the meat. A small conflict arose in her mind: should she share some with her boyfriend? She was torn.

Guo Feng forced a smile. “Eat it quickly if it’s for you, before it gets cold.”

Fan Xue glanced at him, bit her lip slightly, and didn't say more. She began tearing into the meat quickly and was soon astonished to find how incredibly rich in nutrition the piece was. A small bite seemed to fill her entire body with strength.

To mask his awkwardness, Guo Feng cornered Zhuge Fan, chatting about trivial matters. Soon, after Ye Chen finished eating the two leopard legs, he prepared to sleep.

Guo Feng’s throat worked as he stared at the bone remaining from the leopard leg. He said nothing further and settled down with the others to sleep. Fan Xue glanced worriedly at Bai Long, fearing the man might suddenly demand the bed beside her that night, putting her in an impossible dilemma.

To her surprise, when it was time to sleep, Bai Long smiled at her, then very gentlemanly turned and settled down to sleep elsewhere.

“Get some rest. You two should leave on your own tomorrow,” Ye Chen issued a dismissal as he settled down.

Guo Feng’s smile looked strained. “Where are you heading? Perhaps we are going the same way.”

“Hooo…” The only reply was a soft snore.

The night grew deep.

The firelight struggled, gradually dying down, plunging the room into blackness. Not long after, Guo Feng, who had been snoring in sleep, suddenly sat upright. He glanced around, saw everyone was asleep, and a cold, sinister smile curled the corner of his mouth. He glanced at his girlfriend beside him; seeing she was soundly asleep, he couldn't be bothered to wake her, thinking to himself, “Damn slut, when dawn breaks, you’ll be begging that man to take you in, won’t you? Hmph!”

He quietly stood up and gently opened the door. Seeing that no one had noticed him, he felt a surge of nervous tension as he tiptoed out.