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

--Translated by likesnovel--

Jiang Fan took out a box of candles from his personal storage space.

They were birthday candles he had collected from a cake shop.

"Tang Xuerou, light the candles."

"Okay."

Tang Xuerou picked up a lighter and lit them one by one.

The faint candlelight flickering in the dark room immediately brought a sense of comfort to the 4 women.

They sat around the candles in silence, staring at the dancing flames.

At that moment—

A system notification suddenly rang out in Jiang Fan's mind.

**[Ding! Tang Xuerou used 1 candle. 500x return activated! The rewards have been stored in the personal dimensional space.]**

"Hm?"

Jiang Fan paused.

Lighting a candle counted as consumption too?

Previously, he had tested things like tissues and laundry detergent, but the system had never provided any returns.

Could it be...

That the result depended on **how the item was used**?

Jiang Fan pondered for a moment before taking out a pack of tissues and handing it to Tang Xuerou.

"Burn it."

Tang Xuerou blinked.

"Huh?"

But seeing that Jiang Fan had no intention of explaining, she didn't dare ask further.

Secretly, she wondered whether he was burning offerings for deceased relatives.

She opened the pack and obediently set a tissue on fire.

**[Ding! Tang Xuerou used 1 tissue. 500x return activated! The rewards have been stored in the personal dimensional space.]**

Jiang Fan's eyes lit up instantly.

It worked!

So the key really was related to the method of use.

But then why hadn't he received returns when someone used tissues to wipe their hands before?

Was it because the item hadn't been completely destroyed?

...No.

Even toilet paper gets torn apart during use, yet the system had never returned any.

That meant the crucial factor probably wasn't simple damage.

Jiang Fan continued thinking and took out a brand-new towel.

"Burn this too."

Tang Xuerou became even more confused.

Still, she followed his instructions without question.

**[Ding! Tang Xuerou used 1 towel. 500x return activated! The rewards have been stored in the personal dimensional space.]**

It worked again.

Jiang Fan frowned.

Could burning count as a form of **complete destruction**?

To test his theory, he took out a brand-new smartphone.

"Burn it."

Tang Xuerou obediently complied.

This time, however, the result was different.

No notification appeared.

Although the phone melted and was partially charred, the system provided no return.

Interesting...

Jiang Fan narrowed his eyes.

Then he continued experimenting with different items.

A pair of **Balenciaga stockings**.

Burned.

Return received.

A gold ring.

Burned.

No return.

The 4 women watched the scene with bewildered expressions.

None of them had any idea what Jiang Fan was trying to do.

Yet he offered no explanation.

His mind was rapidly analyzing the results.

"Tissues, towels, and stockings trigger returns."

"Smartphones and gold rings don't."

"Could it be because those items can't be burned completely?"

"No... the phone can burn too. Just not completely."

"Maybe the system determines whether an object can be reduced entirely to nothing through combustion?"

But the more he thought about it, the less convinced he became.

The flame from a birthday candle was far too weak.

It couldn't possibly melt gold or most metals.

What if he used a high-temperature furnace?

If a smartphone or gold ring were completely melted down, would the system trigger a return?

Or was the condition tied to the material itself?

Did metal simply not qualify?

Or did the system evaluate the temperature of the flame?

After a moment of thought, Jiang Fan took out a pair of brand-new thick-soled sneakers.

"Burn these."

Tang Xuerou held the shoes over the candle flame.

Soon, the upper portion began burning, releasing a foul smell.

But the system remained silent.

Jiang Fan spoke again.

"Check whether there's still gas in the stove."

"If there is, use the stove flame."

The temperature of a natural gas flame was far higher than that of a birthday candle.

Tang Xuerou walked into the kitchen and tested the stove.

Fortunately, a small amount of gas remained in the pipes.

The flame was weak but still usable.

She placed the sneakers over the burner.

Suddenly—

**[Ding! Tang Xuerou used 1 pair of sneakers. 500x return activated! The rewards have been stored in the personal dimensional space.]**

Jiang Fan's eyes immediately shone with excitement.

Just as he suspected!

The temperature of the flame mattered!

In theory—

Everything in existence could burn.

As long as the temperature was high enough, any material could eventually be reduced to nothing.

That meant...

If he could create a sufficiently high-temperature heat source, he might be able to trigger returns from nearly every object in the world.

Jiang Fan's mood improved considerably.

He casually took out a tube of **YSL lipstick** and tossed it to Tang Xuerou.

"A reward for you."

Tang Xuerou's beautiful eyes instantly sparkled.

She hurriedly caught the lipstick, her face full of joy.

"Thank you, Brother Jiang!"

She had never imagined that, in the middle of an apocalypse, she would still have the chance to own luxury-brand cosmetics.

Outside, people were starving and struggling just to survive.

Yet she could still use expensive makeup.

Thinking about that, Tang Xuerou felt even more fortunate.

Fortunate that she had chosen to follow Jiang Fan from the very beginning...

The other 3 women looked at Tang Xuerou with obvious envy, then turned hopeful eyes toward Jiang Fan.

Unfortunately for them, Jiang Fan offered no additional rewards.

A little competition among women was often enough to make them work harder.

Jiang Fan took out more than 10 boxes of candles and said,

"There are plenty of candles left."

"From now on, before going to bed every night, light 2 or 3 candles in each room."

"Hu Lili, you'll be responsible for this."

"If you do a good job, I'll reward you with lipstick."

Hu Lili's eyes immediately lit up.

"Yes, Brother Jiang!"

Before long, 20 candles had been lit simultaneously.

Warm candlelight filled the apartment.

It couldn't compare to electricity, but it was far better than the endless darkness outside.

Within the boundless night, Jiang Fan's apartment stood out like a beacon.

The survivors in Building A stared at the brightly lit room across from them in disbelief.

"Whose apartment is that?"

"How do they have so many candles?!"

"They've lit up the entire place!"

"What a waste!"

"Hmph! Let's see what they do after they run out!"

...

What they didn't know was that, thanks to the system's returns, Jiang Fan now possessed over **10,000 candles**.

Even if he burned them day and night, he wouldn't run out anytime soon.

In a particularly good mood, Jiang Fan waved his hand.

"Still not bright enough."

"Light another 20."

"Make this the standard from now on."

"Yes, Brother Jiang."

Hu Lili immediately lit 20 more candles without hesitation.

The apartment became even brighter.

The expressions of the 4 women visibly relaxed.

For the survivors in Building A, however, the sight was infuriating.

"Damn it!"

"Just how many candles does that guy have?!"

...

Meanwhile, the survivors living below the 21st floor were gripped by fear.

Earlier, even though the red fog had reduced visibility, life had still been bearable as long as electricity remained.

But now...

The entire city had lost power.

Many families didn't have candles or flashlights.

Aside from the faint glow of their phones, they had no source of light at all.

The moment the power went out, the red fog swallowed even the moonlight.

Every room fell into absolute darkness.

A darkness so complete that people couldn't even see their own fingers.

Some residents left their gas stoves burning just to maintain a tiny source of light.

But after more than 30 minutes, the remaining natural gas in the pipelines was exhausted.

The final flames flickered out.

Everything below the 21st floor was swallowed by darkness.

Panic erupted immediately.

Outside the windows, the cries of monsters and mutated beasts echoed from time to time.

Tonight felt more terrifying than any night before.

Some people hid beneath blankets, trembling uncontrollably.

Others, especially those living alone, simply couldn't endure the suffocating darkness.

Feeling their way through the halls, they left their apartments and began climbing the stairwells.

Eventually, large numbers of survivors gathered around the 22nd to 24th floors.

Being surrounded by other people gave them at least a small sense of security.

"We really can't stay downstairs anymore."

"Should we move up here permanently?"

"Who would let strangers into their homes these days?"

One man snorted in dissatisfaction.

"This is exactly when people should help each other!"

"Why won't anyone open their door?"

Someone else replied,

"And if they don't?"

"They'll have to come out eventually."

"The moment they open the door, we'll rush in."

Others shook their heads.

"That's unnecessary."

"There are still plenty of empty apartments upstairs."

"The problem is that we can't get through the security doors."

Several strong men gathered together and repeatedly kicked at the reinforced doors.

The result?

A few minutes later, they returned exhausted and breathless.

"No use..."

"Damn it!"

"The people upstairs are completely heartless!"

"They won't even let us stay for one night!"

After force failed, many began shouting in the hallways.

"Isn't there anyone kind enough to help?"

"Please let us stay for just one night!"

"It's already this late!"

"Are you really going to leave us outside?"

"Please!"

"My child is only 3 years old!"

"Just open the door!"

They shouted for a long time.

No one answered.

No one was foolish enough to let strangers into their homes under these circumstances.

Gradually, resentment began to build.

"I know everyone on this floor!"

"We're neighbors!"

"We see each other every day!"

"How are you going to face us later?!"

"Selfish bastards!"

"It's only one night!"

"What are you so afraid of?!"

"Assholes!"

"If you've got the guts, never come outside again!"

"The moment I catch you, I'll make you regret it!"

...

The residents of Floors 22 through 24 listened to the curses from behind their doors.

Yet not a single person dared respond.

Everyone remained silent, hiding inside their apartments.

After countless failed attempts to get inside, the stranded survivors had no choice but to spend the night in the hallways and stairwells.

The concrete floors were cold and hard.

No matter how they tried, they couldn't sleep comfortably.

Eventually, some gathered their courage and returned to their apartments to retrieve bedding.

Once one person started, everyone followed.

Bamboo mats.

Folding beds.

Reclining chairs.

Blankets.

Pillows.

Piece by piece, supplies were carried upstairs.

Nobody dared separate from the group, so they crowded together between Floors 22 and 24.

Before long, the area had transformed into a miniature refugee camp.

Dirty.

Chaotic.

Filled with arguments and complaints.

The apartment owners on those floors could only grumble silently to themselves.

None of them dared speak out.

Because no one knew...

If these desperate people were pushed too far,

they might become enemies even more dangerous than the mutated creatures roaming outside.