The first floor of this supermarket was a shopping street, while the floors above were dedicated to retail goods. The path to the second floor was blocked by thick fireproof shutters, and time seemed to have been frozen by magic, forever stuck in that final second. Although the first floor was still adorned with colorful signs and various storefronts, the cold, empty aisles were now only traversed by Lin Tao and his three companions. The ubiquitous discount and special offer signs seemed to silently narrate the bustling and lively atmosphere that once existed here.

  "Wow, it's GUCCI!" A Xue, already carrying a backpack and dressed in loose casual clothes, excimed. She and Cao Mei rushed into the store, each holding an axe. In the past, they would have been swiftly tackled by security guards and hauled off to the police station. But now, the store was empty, not even a single living corpse in sight. Who was going to stop them?

  The two women seemed to be under a spell. They dropped their short-handled axes and began frantically trying on clothes from the racks, not caring if there were men nearby. They stripped off their clothes without hesitation—after all, it wasn't like they hadn't been seen before. It was as if they had returned to their old days of shopping sprees, grabbing bags and bags of items.

  Lin Tao shook his head with a smile, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and tossed one to Boss Hu. He leaned against the gss wall, leisurely smoking. Both men knew that once women started shopping, their enthusiasm was unmatched. It would likely take a while before they were done.

  "Miss, wrap this up for me. I'll pay by card!" Cao Mei excitedly held up a dress and instinctively looked toward the cash register. But the counter was empty, covered in a thick yer of dust, lonely and desote.

  "Hah! Have you lost your mind? Pay by card? Where are you going to pull a card from? Do you have a bank card stuffed in your backside?" Boss Hu leaned against the wall, amused. Cao Mei had been so engrossed that she had completely forgotten what day it was.

  Boss Hu's words caused the two women's expressions to darken. Their shopping frenzy suddenly came to a halt. A Xue sighed softly, and a white handbag slipped from her hand. She remembered it was a limited-edition commemorative piece, worth over a hundred thousand yuan. In the past, she could only admire it from afar.

  "Hurry up, pick a few things you like and let's go. We still don't know what's going on in here," Lin Tao said, flicking away his cigarette butt and straightening up.

  The two girls nodded silently, their initial excitement now tempered by reality. Aside from each picking out a set of underwear, they both changed into the practical outdoor clothes they had chosen earlier. After all, those clothes were more suitable for survival in this environment, unlike the fshy but impractical GUCCI items. When it came to choosing between practicality and luxury, the two women's minds were still clear.

  "Brother Lin, I picked this out for you. Your belt is a bit worn out," A Xue suddenly handed Lin Tao a delicate box containing a brown GUCCI belt.

  "Alright, I'll switch to this one when my current one breaks," Lin Tao nodded with a smile, accepting the gift. To be honest, he had never been fond of luxury brands like GUCCI. He preferred things that were more convenient and practical, like the nylon belt he was currently wearing. It was easy to adjust and, in a pinch, far more durable than the faux leather GUCCI belt. But regardless, it was a thoughtful gesture from A Xue, and Lin Tao carefully pced it in his backpack.

  "Wheeze... wheeze..."

  A series of unpleasant, asthmatic-like sounds echoed through the air. As Lin Tao and his group turned a corner, two female living corpses emerged as if by appointment. Dragging their stiff legs, they stumbled awkwardly toward the group.

  The two living corpses were female, though it was hard to tell from their appearance. Once a person turned into a living corpse, most of their hair fell out. If it weren't for the dark, flight attendant-like uniforms they wore, their bald, shriveled heads and ft chests would have made it impossible to determine their gender.

  "Hah, Cao Mei, look! You just mentioned paying by card, and the sales clerks are rushing over to ring you up!" Boss Hu, holding a long meat cleaver he had grabbed from a kitchenware store, pointed at the name tags on the two corpses' chests. The small golden tags identified them as GUCCI store clerks.

  "Boss Hu, you take the one on the left. Cao Mei, A Xue, the one on the right is yours," Lin Tao said, crossing his arms and standing to the side. This time, he clearly intended to stay out of the fight.

  "Got it! Just a little bitch. Watch me!" Boss Hu spat into his hands, rubbed them together, and charged at the taller living corpse with his meat cleaver.

  Seeing Boss Hu already engaged, Cao Mei and A Xue didn't hesitate. Perhaps Lin Tao's presence gave them courage. The two women exchanged a gnce, raised their axes, and charged forward with fierce cries.

  Lin Tao's pn was simple. Since these people had decided to follow him, he wasn't going to carry dead weight. Even if they were women, once trained properly, they could be just as capable as men. He had seen many outstanding female warriors in his time. The natural meticulousness and calmness of women often surpassed that of male fighters. If they wanted to survive, they would have to rely on themselves.

  "Ah!"

  "Hey!"

  Boss Hu, being a strong man, made quick work of the female living corpse. With a few chops of his cleaver, he severed its head and stood back, watching Cao Mei and A Xue with a smug expression. The women's fierce cries, however, made even Boss Hu feel a bit embarrassed.

  Although the two women were shouting enthusiastically, the smaller living corpse refused to go down. Despite being covered in wounds, it remained ferocious, its movements becoming even more aggressive as it grew angrier.

  "Ah!"

  A Xue's axe struck the living corpse's shoulder, but she had put too much force into the swing, and the axe became lodged in the creature's colrbone. A Xue, sweating profusely, tried with all her might to pull it free, but the axe wouldn't budge. As the living corpse's cws swung toward her face, A Xue let out a scream, trembling as she colpsed to the ground, closing her eyes and preparing for the end.

  A Xue y curled up like a quail, waiting for what felt like an eternity. But the expected gunshot or pain never came. She slowly opened her eyes to find that the living corpse, which had nearly taken her life, had been decapitated. Cao Mei stood beside the corpse, drenched in sweat, holding her blood-stained but still gleaming JEEP axe, looking just as shaken as A Xue.

  "Get up."

  Lin Tao walked over, his expression colder than ever. "Don't think I'll always be there to save you. If you can't even protect yourselves, you're not worth a single bullet in my eyes."

  "And one more thing," Lin Tao stopped abruptly and turned to A Xue. "Even if you're about to die, don't close your eyes."

  A Xue, her face pale, got up and walked over to the corpse. She stepped on the body and silently pulled her axe free from its shoulder. She then turned to Cao Mei, her expression complex.

  "Don't look at me like that. Saving you was a coincidence. But I don't want you to die either. Out of all the people at the factory, only a few of us are left. It hasn't been easy," Cao Mei said with a bitter smile, her tone carrying an indescribable sorrow.

  "If you know it hasn't been easy, then why did you kill Lingling? Do you know she was my best friend?" A Xue shouted at Cao Mei, her voice filled with pent-up anger. She had been holding this in for so long. Watching her best friend die in front of her, if she didn't confront Cao Mei now, she felt she would go mad.

  "About Lingling, I can only say I'm sorry. I didn't target her intentionally. But you saw it yourself—if I hadn't pushed her, both of us would have died. So why wouldn't I choose to sacrifice her to save myself? Or... would you have preferred we both died?" Cao Mei looked at A Xue with utmost seriousness, her slender fingers clenched tightly.

  "Don't you feel any guilt?" A Xue shouted, tears streaming down her face.

  "I don't feel guilty. If anything, I feel gratitude. I'm truly grateful to Lingling for blocking those terrifying living corpses for me. Without her, I wouldn't be alive. And I hope that in her next life, she isn't reborn as a human. Maybe as a free bird. Perhaps my push gave her a form of release. Do you really think living in this world is better than dying?" Cao Mei shook her head apologetically, then reached out to gently touch A Xue's stunned face. "Come on, silly girl. Since neither of us has the courage to die, let's live on. Stick close to that man. He might be our only hope."

  A Xue looked at Cao Mei with a mix of emotions. Finally, under Cao Mei's sincere gaze, she sighed helplessly and followed her, catching up to Lin Tao.