A total of twelve women, after briefly tidying themselves up, followed Lin Tao and his group with apprehensive expressions. According to Zhang Hong’s simple introduction, seven of these women were her colleagues, while the rest were people she had met in this pce. Surprisingly, eight of them were originally flight attendants, with Zhang Hong as their team leader. They had been invited by the supermarket for a promotional event before getting trapped here.

  Lin Tao initially pnned to take them to the first floor for a night's rest before leaving, as the air quality there was significantly better than on the second floor. The limited space on the second floor made it unbearable, especially considering that over a year had passed. No matter how beautiful these women were, the accumuted waste made the air suffocating. Moreover, in order to conserve water, the girls had not bathed for nearly a year. As they put it, they had never imagined in their lives that they could ever get this filthy.

  Looking at the group of women, whose appearances were hardly distinguishable from beggars, Lin Tao suddenly realized he wasn’t much cleaner himself. A thought struck him, and he asked, “Are any of you employees of this supermarket?”

  “I am!” A woman, dressed differently from the others, raised her hand and stepped forward. Her bck professional suit, though tattered, still retained some sembnce of its original form. She introduced herself as the supermarket’s leasing department manager.

  “Is there a water tank on the roof? A big one?” Lin Tao gestured with his hands as he asked.

  “Yes! We have a rge storage tank, plus additional tanks installed for the gym and beauty salon. There are quite a few up there,” the woman, who appeared to be in her te twenties, confirmed after some thought.

  “Perfect! Go pick out some clothes, and then we’ll head to the rooftop,” Lin Tao said with a snap of his fingers.

  “What for?” Zhang Hong asked, puzzled.

  “To take a bath, of course! Right, Brother Lin?” Axue grinned happily as Lin Tao nodded.

  “There’s still over half a tank of water left!” Hu Laoda excimed excitedly, standing atop one of the square water tanks after lifting its lid.

  “Haha! Ladies, get the pump ready!” Zhang Hong, the leader among the girls, waved her hand. The women immediately put down their newly selected colorful clothes and took out a rge inftable pool they had scavenged from the second floor. With a pump in hand, they started infting it with eager determination.

  With many hands at work, the pool was quickly set up and moved next to the water tank. Seeing the excitement on the women’s faces, Lin Tao smiled slightly. Then, under their astonished gazes, he drew his pistol and fired two shots at the tank.

  Two streams of water, as thick as a thumb, gushed directly into the pool. The women cheered, reaching out to catch the precious liquid. How long had it been? Forget washing their faces—over a week ago, their water supply had completely run dry. In desperation, under Hongjie’s strict orders, they had even resorted to drinking their own urine to survive. The mere thought of that bitter, acrid taste made them want to cry.

  But now, with abundant water before them, all their worries were washed away. They ughed and pyfully stepped into the inftable pool. Even Hu Laoda, excited, pulled off his floral shirt, baring his chest as he prepared to jump in. However, just as he was about to, Cao Mei crossed her arms and walked over, eyeing him with disdain.

  “What do you think you’re doing? Pnning to join the girls for a bath?” she sneered.

  “So what? I need a bath too,” Hu Laoda retorted, displeased.

  “There’s plenty of water, but these girls don’t know you. Wait until we’re done. Go stand by the stairwell and keep watch—if a zombie sneaks up here, you’ll be the one in trouble,” Cao Mei said with a cold smirk, her beautiful face radiating confidence.

  “But Lin Tao doesn’t know them either! Why doesn’t he have to leave?” Hu Laoda grumbled, pointing at Lin Tao.

  “Because we’re fine with it. It’s none of your business.” With that, Cao Mei turned and walked away, swaying her slender waist.

  “Pfft! Just you wait,” Hu Laoda muttered under his breath, spitting in frustration before reluctantly picking up his floral shirt and leaving.

  “Master Lin, come on, take off your clothes. I’ll scrub your back for you!” Cao Mei pced her delicate hands on Lin Tao’s shoulders, sliding them down to unbutton his shirt.

  “No thanks. You dies take your bath—I shouldn’t be here,” Lin Tao said awkwardly, stopping her hands mid-action.

  “We don’t mind, so what are you afraid of? Come on, let me serve you. Take off your clothes—don’t let the new girls say you’re not generous!” Without giving him a chance to refuse, Cao Mei skillfully stripped him down until only his briefs remained, which he insisted on keeping.

  As Lin Tao stepped into the pool, the water reaching his calves, he suddenly realized all eyes were on him. Whether it was Cao Mei clinging to him, Axue undressing, or the women showering in their underwear below, they all turned their gazes toward him, their expressions filled with surprise.

  “Haha, if this is awkward, I can leave,” Lin Tao said, turning to step out, only for Cao Mei to grab him.

  “What’s there to be awkward about? A woman’s body is meant to be seen by a man—but only by the right one,” she said, then turned to the other women with a serious expression.

  “What I’m about to say might be unpleasant, but as a fellow woman, I hope you’ll listen. Drop your pride. No matter how reserved or conservative you were before, the world has changed. If you want to survive, dignity and modesty mean nothing. If you ever visit a rger survivor settlement, you’ll see that the least valuable thing there is a pretty woman. When hunger drives you to eat even filth, you’ll understand what really matters.”

  She continued, “Once we leave this pce, Lin Tao won’t take care of you forever. At most, he’ll bring you somewhere safe and leave you there. After that, you’ll be on your own. If you believe you can survive without a man, fine, ignore my words. But if you know you can’t, then get used to it now. Strip down and adapt before it’s too te.”

  Her blunt speech stunned the women into silence. Lin Tao, embarrassed, was just about to slip away when Axue, the youngest among them, decisively stripped off her clothes.

  “I might be the youngest here, but I know Cao Mei is speaking the truth,” Axue said solemnly. “The world has changed. We need to adapt if we want to survive.”

  After a long silence, Zhang Hong finally spoke up. “Master Lin, we understand that what Axue and Cao Mei said is true. Our bodies aren’t as important as tradition has made us believe. We recognize you as a real man—a responsible man. As long as you don’t force us, we’re willing to follow your lead.”

  With that, she was the first to remove her blouse, revealing the bck ce beneath. One by one, the women followed suit, some boldly, others shyly, until they were all bathing freely.

  Meanwhile, Lin Tao stood stiffly in the water, caught between leaving and staying, utterly dumbfounded. His only giveaway was the slight bulge in his briefs, betraying the turmoil of emotions raging within him.

  As a man, how could he not be thrilled? At some point in his youth, he had fantasized about such a moment. But now that it was happening, he found himself at a loss for words. Watching the glistening bodies before him, he realized that, aside from the lingering dirt, the only thing left was a parched throat and a mind struggling to keep up with reality.