Apocalypse: Resources consumed by women will be returned ten thousandfold.

--Translated by likesnovel--

More and more survivors began emerging from the surrounding buildings.

Everyone moved cautiously through the Blood Mist.

Yet despite their careful steps, hope shone brightly in their eyes.

Many of them even walked directly past the community swimming pool.

Completely unaware that beneath the seemingly calm surface...

A terrifying monster was lurking less than a few dozen meters away.

Jiang Fan silently observed everything.

Then he frowned slightly.

"Strange..."

"That mutated frog isn't attacking anyone?"

He couldn't understand why.

Still, seeing that survivors had begun scavenging for supplies again, he had no intention of wasting time.

"I should check Yida Plaza one more time."

"There might still be something valuable left."

Now that large numbers of survivors were leaving their homes, Yida Plaza would inevitably be picked clean sooner or later.

If he arrived too late...

There might be nothing left worth taking.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, Jiang Fan's body sank into the ground.

After witnessing both the mutated frog and the blood-red giant birds, he had become even more cautious.

In a world filled with monsters like these...

Carefulness was the key to survival.

Moving beneath the earth, Jiang Fan encountered numerous survivors along the way.

Everyone was taking advantage of this rare opportunity.

They rushed out in search of food and supplies.

For the first time in days, people finally dared to leave the safety of their apartments.

Unfortunately...

Luck wasn't on everyone's side.

Some accidentally touched poisonous plants that had survived the herbicide.

Others were bitten by venomous snakes hiding in the grass.

They collapsed onto the ground almost immediately, their bodies going limp.

...

Inside another residential building...

Song Yuanfan stood by the window, staring outside with excitement.

His face had become gaunt from hunger.

Yet his eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Big Sis!"

"Most of the plants are dead!"

"I can see people everywhere outside!"

Song Siyin lay weakly on the bed.

She barely had the strength to sit up.

But the moment she heard the news, a glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.

"Hurry to Yida Plaza!"

"We have to find food!"

The building had lost electricity long ago.

They had no way to receive outside information.

Song Siyin had also been unable to contact Jiang Fan.

She had already resigned herself to waiting for death.

Who could have imagined that things would suddenly change?

Song Yuanfan had secretly saved 2 cans of food.

As a result, he was in much better condition than his sister.

"That's right!"

"The government must have started a rescue operation!"

"If we're too late, all the supplies will be gone!"

Song Siyin struggled to rise from the bed.

But after moving only slightly, cold sweat instantly covered her body.

Her vision darkened.

She knew exactly what this meant.

Severe hypoglycemia.

If she didn't eat soon...

She wouldn't survive much longer.

"I'm coming too."

Initially, Song Yuanfan didn't want to bring his sister along.

She would only slow him down.

But when he thought about the dangers outside...

His mind immediately changed.

If they encountered a monster...

At the very least, his sister could buy him some time.

After all...

She would definitely protect him.

He was the Song family's only male heir.

"Fine."

Song Yuanfan helped Song Siyin to her feet.

The siblings put on the thickest clothes they could find.

Then Song Yuanfan secretly tucked a kitchen knife into his pocket.

After that, they left the apartment together.

...

Most of the plants had indeed died.

But the Blood Mist remained.

It still covered everything around them.

There wasn't the slightest sign of it dissipating.

Supported by her younger brother, Song Siyin slowly forced herself forward.

Occasionally, other survivors emerged from the mist.

Everyone looked at one another with suspicion and caution.

Then they silently continued on their separate paths.

Yida Plaza was only a few hundred meters away.

Yet the siblings spent more than 1 hour reaching it.

Song Yuanfan was anxious the entire time.

He feared that all the food would be taken before they arrived.

He repeatedly urged his sister to walk faster.

But Song Siyin had already reached her limit.

All she could do was grit her teeth and keep moving.

Finally...

They arrived at the entrance of Yida Plaza.

Countless figures gradually emerged from the Blood Mist.

Every single person looked emaciated.

Their clothes were wrinkled and dirty.

Their faces were filled with exhaustion.

The elite citizens of Mohai City...

Now looked no different from refugees.

When hunger consumed everything...

No one had the energy to care about appearances anymore.

...

Meanwhile...

Li Qingquan slowly made his way down to the lobby on the 1st floor.

People constantly passed by him.

Every face was filled with excitement.

Some even greeted him proactively.

"Hello, Doctor Li!"

"Doctor Li, aren't you going out to gather supplies?"

"When the apocalypse ends, someone like you will definitely hold an important position!"

...

No matter the era...

Doctors remained members of society's upper class.

Especially an experienced traditional medicine physician like Li Qingquan.

No one knew when they might need his help.

Previously, everyone had been too busy struggling to survive.

They had no time to think about social status.

But now that the pressure of imminent death had eased slightly...

People were gradually returning to their old habits.

It was as though the old world...

Was trying to resurrect itself amidst the ruins of the apocalypse.

Li Qingquan forced a bitter smile and shook his head.

"What position could an old man like me possibly return to?"

An elderly woman nearby immediately spoke in a flattering tone.

"Just look at Doctor Li. So humble."

"Nothing like that arrogant brat from the convenience store."

Li Qingquan frowned slightly but chose not to respond.

At that moment, Grandpa Xu happened to walk out of the building.

The instant he saw Li Qingquan, his expression darkened.

Not wanting any unnecessary conflict, Li Qingquan simply turned around and left.

The elderly woman glanced awkwardly at Grandpa Xu, let out a dry laugh, and quickly followed after Li Qingquan.

Grandpa Xu stood there staring at Li Qingquan's departing figure.

His teeth clenched so tightly that a grinding sound escaped between them.

"Li Qingquan..."

"You'll pay for my grandson's life!"

In his heart, he had already placed all the blame for his grandson's death on Li Qingquan.

...

Li Qingquan carefully inspected the area surrounding the residential complex.

"It seems the herbicide really was effective..."

At first, he still held a glimmer of hope.

But before long, the smile on his face gradually faded.

Beneath the withered remains of plants destroyed by the herbicide, he spotted a purple mushroom pushing through the soil.

Then another.

And another.

And another...

Soon, he discovered large patches of purple mushrooms growing everywhere.

With countless other plants dead, all the space and resources had fallen into the hands of the survivors.

As a result, they were growing even faster than before.

Not only that.

He also found a pine tree that appeared to be dead.

Yet at its base, a fresh green shoot had sprouted.

In a single night, it had already grown nearly 50 centimeters tall.

Li Qingquan let out a long sigh.

His gaze swept across the blood-red world before him.

Despair filled his eyes.

"So it still wasn't enough..."

He collected samples of the newly sprouted plants, along with several Shepherd's Purse plants that emitted a foul odor similar to animal manure.

Then he hurried back home.

At a time like this, there was no way he would remain outside for long.

Even wild vegetables that smelled terrible were still better than starving to death.

...

Meanwhile, Yida Plaza was becoming increasingly crowded.

Large numbers of survivors had gathered in search of food.

But when they arrived, disappointment quickly spread through the crowd.

There wasn't a single employee left inside the mall.

No one was managing the place.

No one was maintaining order.

And most importantly...

The electricity had long since been cut off.

People could only rely on flashlights to search through the darkness.

"What the hell happened? Why is the supermarket completely empty?"

"Brothers, stop wasting your time! There's nothing left downstairs!"

"Go look somewhere else!"

"Don't listen to him!"

"He's trying to trick everyone into leaving so he can loot the place himself!"

"Damn it! Believe me or don't. I couldn't care less!"

...

Amid the crowd, Liu Mengyao gripped a rolling pin tightly in her hand.

Following behind Huang Qian and her boyfriend Xiao Qiang, she entered Yida Plaza.

The moment she saw the chaotic scene inside, her heart sank.

"This is bad..."

"We came too late."

Xiao Qiang secretly glanced at Liu Mengyao's figure.

Then he quickly composed himself and spoke calmly.

"It's fine."

"Let's head upstairs."

"Most people rushed straight to the supermarket."

"But there are still restaurants on the upper floors."

"There should be some food left."

Liu Mengyao exercised regularly and practiced dancing year-round.

Her figure was exceptionally attractive.

Perfect curves.

A slender waist.

Long legs.

A nearly flawless physique.

Even the loose sportswear she wore couldn't hide her natural beauty.

When she noticed Xiao Qiang's lingering gaze, disgust flashed through her heart.

A poor sports student...

Actually daring to entertain thoughts about her?

How ridiculous.

But things were different now.

For the time being, she still needed Xiao Qiang's strength and protection.

So she pretended not to notice anything.

Huang Qian's eyes immediately lit up.

"My husband is so smart!"

"Let's hurry upstairs!"

"Of course!"

Xiao Qiang lifted his chin proudly.

Once again, he felt as though he had demonstrated his value in front of Liu Mengyao.

Back in the old world, he would never have dared to dream about a woman like her.

He was just an ordinary student.

No money.

No status.

No background.

Someone like Liu Mengyao had always been completely out of his league.

But everything had changed now.

This was the apocalypse.

After being trapped together for days...

Living side by side every single day...

Thoughts he had never dared entertain before gradually began taking root.

As long as he could prove to Liu Mengyao that he was strong enough...

Capable enough...

Useful enough...

Then one day...

She would inevitably look at him differently.