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

--Translated by likesnovel--

Jiang Fan laughed in satisfaction.

This was practically tearing down a wall with bare hands.

Inside the room,

Tang Xuerou, who had just finished showering and hadn’t even fully dried herself, froze on the spot.

"Is... is he still human?"

Her mind was filled with shock.

How many strengthening fruits had Jiang Fan eaten?

The fear she once had toward him was slowly fading.

Instead, a strange sense of "security" began to replace it.

Since the Red Mist appeared,

she had been living in constant fear and anxiety.

But now, that feeling had noticeably diminished.

Jiang Fan picked up a dagger and lightly sliced his own arm.

No mark appeared.

He increased the force slightly.

This time, it was only a faint sting.

A pale white trace appeared on his skin, but the skin did not break at all.

"Hahahahaha!"

He burst into laughter.

"Cold weapons don’t work on me anymore!"

He was in an excellent mood.

Suddenly, he lifted Tang Xuerou effortlessly into his arms.

She let out a small startled sound.

"Ah!"

Jiang Fan took out 1 Perception Fruit and 1 Body Enhancement Fruit.

"Eat them. Consider it a reward for putting me in a good mood."

Tang Xuerou asked with anticipation,

"What kind of abilities are these?"

Jiang Fan replied calmly,

"Same as before. One enhances perception, the other strengthens the body."

"If you keep consuming them, your skills might level up."

"But how far they evolve depends on luck."

"They... can still level up?"

Tang Xuerou’s eyes lit up, and she quickly ate them.

But this time,

no evolution occurred.

A hint of disappointment flashed across her face.

However, it quickly turned back into hope.

As long as she kept following Jiang Fan’s instructions,

she would still have a chance to obtain more fruits.

She wasn’t stupid.

She understood how valuable "superpowers" were in this apocalypse.

It was a chance to survive.

System notifications rang in Jiang Fan’s mind.

【Ding! Tang Xuerou has consumed 1 Awakening Fruit - Perception】

【200x Return Activated!】

【Obtained: 200 Awakening Fruits - Perception】

【Stored in Personal Space】

Another notification followed.

【Ding! Tang Xuerou has consumed 1 Awakening Fruit - Body Enhancement】

【200x Return Activated!】

【Obtained: 200 Awakening Fruits - Body Enhancement】

【Stored in Personal Space】

Jiang Fan didn’t pay much attention to the results.

Instead, he took out a large amount of food.

Instant noodles.

Hot pot sets.

Vacuum-sealed steaks.

Chocolate.

Coke and Sprite.

In the past, before the apocalypse,

Tang Xuerou wouldn’t even glance at such food.

But now...

they had become precious luxury items.

Her eyes widened instantly.

"Th-This much...?"

She hadn’t eaten properly for days.

Before this, she had only managed a little bread.

Now, seeing the food in front of her, she was practically drooling.

"Eat," Jiang Fan said casually.

Tang Xuerou immediately started eating.

System notifications kept ringing nonstop.

【Ding! Tang Xuerou has consumed 1 chocolate】

【200x Return Activated!】

【Ding! Tang Xuerou has consumed 1 steak】

【200x Return Activated!】

【Ding! Tang Xuerou has consumed 1 bottle of Coke】

【200x Return Activated!】

......

Jiang Fan kept pulling out more food.

The table quickly piled up so high there was barely any space left.

A steaming hot pot released waves of aroma into the air.

Steaks, sausages, fish balls—everything was neatly arranged.

Nearby were stacks of chocolate, Coke, and Sprite.

The scene looked almost unreal.

Meanwhile,

Tang Xuerou sat beside the table,

eating nonstop.

Suddenly,

Jiang Fan picked up his phone.

He took a few photos.

Then sent them into a group chat.

"Safe house with food: @everyone Looking for girls."

"Food included. DM if interested."

"Send a full-body photo without heavy filters first."

The image he sent showed:

A table filled with luxurious food.

A boiling hot pot, stacked steaks,

ham, sausages, and fish balls arranged densely.

Coke and Sprite bottles everywhere.

And in the picture...

a long-haired woman sitting there,

while Jiang Fan casually rested his foot on her lap.

Almost instantly,

the group chat exploded.

JunGe A#1201: "Damn... this is insanely luxurious!"

Xiao Ping Room C#2707: "Steak?! Bro, can I have some? I only need half!"

Sun Jianmin, Community Director Building B Room 1808: "So many steaks opened at once? Are you even going to finish that? This is wasteful!"

Sun Jianmin: "In a crisis like this, we should save food. Wasting it is shameful!"

Zhou Tianhao, Tianxing Martial Gym Coach Building A Room 1708: "Kid, send me the food and I’ll protect you!" [image]

He even showed off his glowing muscles again.

Building B Room 809 (Local Heartthrob): "Bro, can I have some instant noodles? I’ll pay you 100 yuan!"

Aunt Zhang Building A Room 705: "Girls, don’t be fooled! That kid probably doesn’t have much food. He’ll run out soon enough!"

This comment instantly changed the minds of several hesitant women.

Right...

How much food could he really have?

The group chat continued to erupt in heated chaos.

“They must’ve prepared all that food in advance, right?”

“Exactly! Food is limited. They’ll run out sooner or later!”

“Girls, think carefully. Do you really think a guy like that will let you go easily?”

“This is basically assault! Why not call the police?”

“We tried. No one answers. The line has been busy for days.”

However,

there were still some people questioning how he could dare to openly share food if supplies were truly scarce.

……

Jiang Fan glanced at the messages in the group chat with a cold smile and said nothing.

He was too lazy to argue.

Let them believe whatever they wanted.

It didn’t matter.

Anyway...

these foods would spoil quickly.

Soon enough,

they would be the ones coming back to beg him.

The ones who were going hungry weren’t him.

At that moment,

a user who had been silent for a long time spoke again.

“Rabbit” reappeared.

Rabbit, Room A#303: “That woman must be ugly.”

In the previous photo, Tang Xuerou had lowered her head and turned away from the camera, so her face wasn’t visible.

Jiang Fan curled his lips slightly.

“Smile.”

Tang Xuerou, who knew nothing about the chat situation, instinctively forced a gentle smile.

Click!

The shutter sounded.

Jiang Fan immediately sent the new photo into the group.

Meals and accommodation included: [Image]

In an instant,

Tang Xuerou froze.

Her face turned pale.

“It’s over… everyone knows I’m living here…”

A wave of humiliation surged through her, almost bringing her to tears.

And in the next second,

the group chat exploded again.

“Damn!! She’s gorgeous!!”

“Who is this? I think I’ve seen her in this building before.”

“Wait… isn’t this Tang Xuerou?”

“Yes! The director’s daughter! Is that guy crazy?! He actually touched the director’s daughter!”

“He’s definitely dead!”

……

Some were shocked, some jealous, some threatening, and others trying to negotiate.

But Jiang Fan didn’t care at all.

After eating and drinking his fill,

he returned to the bedroom and looked at the hole he had just punched through the wall.

The other side was Tang Xuerou’s room.

She had lost her key and couldn’t return to her own place.

If he wanted,

he could easily break through again.

If he kept tunneling through the walls, avoiding load-bearing structures,

he could connect the entire floor.

More importantly,

this method didn’t require breaking doors,

didn’t require smashing windows,

and wouldn’t attract outside attention.

If an emergency occurred,

he could escape to another room instantly.

Or if a door was blocked,

he could silently exit through another unit.

Jiang Fan made his decision immediately.

Without hesitation, he punched the wall again.

BOOM! BOOM!

Within minutes,

a large opening was created.

He crawled through.

Tang Xuerou watched everything with wide eyes, disbelief filling her face.

“He… he’s too strong…”

At that moment,

a wave of panic rose in her heart.

“How am I supposed to deal with a man like this…”

“The saying ‘only exhausted oxen die, never exhausted fields’…”

“…doesn’t even apply to someone like him!”

“This is… a demon ox!”

Jiang Fan crawled through the broken wall and brushed off the dust casually.

Tang Xuerou’s room was far better furnished than his rented unit.

Solid wood flooring.

Decorative stone walls.

Luxury appliances.

High-quality furniture.

Everything looked expensive.

Tang Xuerou followed in afterward.

Returning to her own home made her feel slightly more relaxed.

Jiang Fan walked around the room and said in a satisfied tone,

“This place is good.”

“From now on, we’ll stay here.”