Early the next morning, Lin Tao, sporting dark circles under his eyes from being harassed half the night, climbed up to the rooftop. He hadn’t expected that simply trying to sleep would turn into a near brawl among the women. At first, they had stealthily tried to slip into his sleeping bag, but it quickly escated into a full-blown tug-of-war. Lin Tao had even prepared himself to feign ignorance and let things happen, but the sheer number of women vying for his attention was overwhelming.

  Cao Mei and Zhang Hong were among the more obvious contenders, but even some women whose names he didn’t know seemed determined to get their share. The commotion had infuriated Boss Hu, who was sleeping by the staircase. His eyes turned green with envy as he shouted, “Is he a panda or something? I’m a handsome man too, you know!”

  Of course, Boss Hu’s outburst only earned him a series of disdainful gnces before the women resumed their competition for Lin Tao. While having many women around might seem like a dream, it quickly became overwhelming, especially when they had been deprived of male company for nearly a year. The phrase “like wolves and tigers” perfectly described their behavior. In the end, a terrified Lin Tao had to climb onto a rge water tank to finally put an end to the chaos.

  ---

  “Which of you has fired a gun before?”

  About half an hour after descending from the rooftop, Lin Tao returned, this time with a rge backpack slung over his shoulder. He dropped the bag on the ground, and several bck shotguns cttered out.

  Boss Hu, standing nearby, was practically hopping with impatience. He knew Lin Tao’s question wasn’t directed at him, but he still raised his hand eagerly and said, “Me! Give me one! I know how to shoot!”

  “Hold on,” Lin Tao waved his hand, stopping Boss Hu’s frantic movements. He turned to the women and asked, “Which of you has fired a gun before? No one?”

  The women exchanged uncertain gnces. Gun control in China was strict, and few men had even seen a real gun, let alone these delicate women. Even among men, not many knew how to handle firearms.

  Lin Tao looked at them with disappointment and was about to give up when a tall girl standing at the back stepped forward. She gnced at the guns on the ground and said softly, “Give me one. I’ve hunted abroad.”

  “You’re… Bai, right?” Lin Tao recognized her. Though he couldn’t recall her full name, her tall figure and striking looks had left an impression. She was also the only woman who hadn’t actively tried to flirt with him the previous night. Even during the group bath, she had avoided his gaze, quickly finishing and dressing without a word, giving off an air of independence.

  “Mr. Lin, you really have a short memory. My name is Bai Ru,” the girl replied with a hint of sarcasm.

  “Ah… my apologies,” Lin Tao said with an awkward smile, unfazed by her tone. He bent down, picked up a shotgun from the bag, and tossed it to her. “It’s a domestic riot gun. The recoil is pretty strong. Not sure if you can handle it.”

  “Did you find this from the armored truck at the entrance?” Bai Ru asked as she took the gun. She expertly worked the bolt, ejecting two bck non-lethal rounds before revealing a red lethal shell. Satisfied, she cradled the gun and said, “It’s simir to what I used in South Africa. But this one needs maintenance. It’s rusting in pces. If it’s not cleaned soon, it might turn into a pipe bomb.”

  “How did you know about the armored truck? You couldn’t have seen it from up here,” Lin Tao asked, frowning at the ponytailed beauty. Her gun-handling skills seemed at odds with her delicate appearance. She was stunning, even more so than Cao Mei and Zhang Hong, who were considered the most beautiful among the group. Yet, her familiarity with firearms suggested she was no novice.

  “It’s not that strange. When the virus broke out, the first person to turn into a zombie was the driver of that truck. After biting his colleague to death, he ran out and attacked others. Without a driver, the truck couldn’t move. Seeing these guns, it’s easy to guess where they came from,” Bai Ru expined as she continued to work the bolt, ejecting the remaining three rounds. She then held out her hand and said ftly, “Hand it over.”

  “What?” Lin Tao was confused, thinking she meant ammunition.

  “Don’t tell me you don’t have gun oil and cleaning tools. If not, no one would dare fire this piece of junk,” Bai Ru said with a pyful shrug.

  “Oh, right. I have those,” Lin Tao said, finally understanding. He rummaged through his backpack and handed her the necessary items. As she inspected them with satisfaction, Lin Tao chuckled helplessly. He picked up another shotgun and tossed it to Boss Hu, who had been waiting impatiently. Looking at the st remaining gun, Lin Tao hesitated. For him, a pistol was enough to deal with zombies. Shotguns had limited range, but they could be useful for the weaker women, allowing them to protect themselves and reducing the burden on him.

  “Mr. Lin, I want to learn how to shoot!” Cao Mei suddenly raised her hand and called out. After a moment’s thought, Lin Tao handed her the gun and instructed, “Let Bai Ru teach you.”

  “Huh? But I wanted you to teach me!” Cao Mei pouted, clutching the gun reluctantly.

  “I have other things to take care of. Bai Ru will teach you,” Lin Tao said firmly. He turned to Bai Ru, who had already disassembled her gun into a pile of parts. His eye twitched as he said, “Bai Ru, you have half an hour to teach her how to shoot. I don’t care how good her aim is, just make sure she doesn’t shoot any of us.”

  “That might be a challenge,” Bai Ru said, holding the barrel and giving Cao Mei a doubtful look. The tter’s face turned pale with anger.

  “Whether it’s possible or not, all of you need to remember this: always keep the muzzle pointed downward. No matter how panicked you are, make sure you identify your target before firing. These guns are for protecting yourselves and your companions, not for killing them,” Lin Tao said sternly, looking at Bai Ru and Cao Mei. When they nodded seriously, he turned to a girl wearing new jeans and a blue T-shirt. “Li Li, you’re an employee here. Take me down to the warehouse.”

  But Mr. Lin, the warehouse is on the third floor," replied Li Li, the investment department manager who had worn a professional skirt the previous day. Her petite frame and doll-like features contrasted sharply with her surprisingly voluptuous figure - a striking combination of youthful innocence and womanly curves that defied their food-deprived circumstances. "When the outbreak started, dozens of trapped employees gathered there. There could easily be over a hundred infected now.

  “Mr. Lin, is it really necessary to go down? Are we running out of food?” Zhang Hong stepped forward, her eyes filled with concern.

  “Ha! You finally noticed we’re running out of food?” Boss Hu, now emboldened by the shotgun on his shoulder, pointed at the scattered food wrappers on the ground and sneered, “You ten women eat more than ten pigs. Not only did you finish all the food in the snack area, but you also devoured the supplies we four worked so hard to gather. If we don’t find more food soon, we’ll be left with nothing but air!”

  Zhang Hong and the other girls blushed at his words, but Zhang Hong retorted angrily, “It’s not entirely our fault! Some of the food had already gone bad and was inedible. That accounted for half of it!”

  “Enough,” Lin Tao interjected. “We have plenty of water, but without food, we won’t st a week. Finding food is our top priority now.” Boss Hu reluctantly shut his mouth but still shot Zhang Hong a threatening gre.

  Lin Tao turned back to Li Li. “We’ll head down now. You just stay behind me and Boss Hu and guide us. Zhang Hong, take your sisters down the fire escape to the first floor. Each of you needs to collect at least two rge backpacks for food.”

  “Got it. Sisters, let’s get ready. We’re leaving this damned pce!” Zhang Hong cpped her hands, efficiently organizing the girls.

  “Mr. Lin, I’ll go down with you,” Bai Ru said, having already reassembled her shotgun. She expertly loaded it with one hand and, seeing Lin Tao’s puzzled look, tilted her head and smiled. “At least we women should contribute, right? No pain, no gain. We won’t just freeload.”

  Lin Tao studied her for a moment before nodding silently. He drew his pistol and fshlight, then led the way into the dark stairwell…