Lin Dong took a deep breath. Over the past six months, he had rarely stepped outside.
Many things had happened beyond his door—some neighbors had turned dark, killing and looting for food.
Some pretended to be weak, pleading desperately at his doorstep, begging for shelter.
There were also thugs who tried to break in, ready to solve their problems with violence.
He knew very well—the outside was chaos.
The thirty-two-story building wasn't fully occupied, but at least half the units had residents.
His building followed a layout of two units per floor across six connected sections.
Each section was linked by corridors, meaning each floor housed at least twelve households.
The entire building had 384 units. Even at half occupancy, that meant 192 households.
"Luckily, this complex was built for necessity. Many buyers were either investors or young couples preparing for marriage."
"Investors wouldn't live here, so the actual occupancy is only half—those people don't count."
"If we consider young couples, with two people per household, this building holds at least 384 people."
Lin Dong pondered. Of course, this was just an estimate—the actual number was certainly higher.
From what he knew, many buyers in Blossom Garden were young families with newborns, purchasing homes here to secure household registration and schooling for their children.
Such families often had more than three members—grandparents might also live in to help with childcare.
So the real population was undoubtedly larger than his calculation.
As for deaths caused by the flood disaster, the toll wasn't as high as one might expect.
Because the flood brought by the Great Rainstorm didn't appear all at once. Many had already fled upstairs when their homes were about to be submerged.
Aside from the few who ventured out for supplies and died in the floodwaters, most casualties resulted from fights over housing and resources.
When order collapsed, violence became the only law, and human life grew increasingly cheap.
Every day, he heard screams from the upper floors and wails echoing through the corridors.
Over these six months, he had witnessed too many horrifying scenes through his peephole.
The water didn't rise to the tenth floor overnight, nor did it reach 100 meters deep in certain areas... The government would surely evacuate most people in advance!
This was why he had relentlessly trained his physique and combat skills.
But now, with the system's appearance, he had no choice but to make a decision.
He had to find a way out—to hunt Mutated Creatures.
"Mutated Creatures..."
Lin Dong stood up, dressed, and stuffed foam padding into his chest and groin for basic protection and added buoyancy in case he fell into water.
He also dug out an electric bike helmet to guard against ambushes in the pitch-black hallways.
Fully geared, he slung a coil of rope over his shoulder, gripped a spear welded from a steel pipe and a kitchen knife, and picked up a flashlight. Everything was ready.
This trip had two goals: first, to scout a path downstairs, and second, to seek out Mutated Creatures.
Lin Dong stood by the door, listening for movement outside. Only when he confirmed it was clear did he quietly turn the knob and step out.
Peering through the security door, the hallway was pitch black, with the occasional smell of something burnt—likely from someone cooking here earlier.
He paid it no mind, quietly opened the security door, then gently closed it behind him.
After pulling out the key, Lin Dong didn't immediately turn on his flashlight. Instead, he stood silently at the stairwell for a moment.
The sound of torrential rain echoed from above, while faint voices drifted up from below.
Lin Dong headed toward the emergency exit. The moment he opened the door, a briny, damp sea smell hit him.
Along with it came a wave of foul odors.
Frowning slightly, he caught faint sounds of movement in the hallway.
Instantly alert, he switched on his flashlight and scanned the corridor cautiously.
The hallway was littered with trash, and the once-white walls were now covered in mold.
At the landing between two floors, a makeshift platform of piled-up garbage served as a simple bed.
Two women lay on that small bed. When the flashlight beam fell on them, they instinctively shielded their eyes.
One of them quickly called out, "My man works under Brother Erlong—don't try anything funny!"
The other stayed silent, shrinking further into the corner.
Lin Dong studied the two women carefully. They looked familiar.
The one who spoke seemed to be from the third floor, while the silent one was likely from the fourth.
Both women shared one striking feature—their ample chests.
The one who spoke was older, probably in her mid-thirties.
The woman from the fourth floor looked to be in her early twenties and was somewhat attractive.
Lin Dong knew exactly who "Brother Erlong" was.
Liu Erlong, the property manager of Blossom Garden, also lived in this building.
Before the Flood, Lin Dong had run into Liu Erlong a few times in the neighborhood.
Liu Erlong was tall and burly, clearly someone who worked out. He was always polite to residents and very active in the building's group chats.
After the Flood, he and a few other property staff had looted the convenience store at the entrance, and that was when his reputation started to grow.
Over the past six months, he had essentially become the most influential figure in this building.
"What are your names?" Lin Dong asked sternly.
The two women froze. The older one quickly replied, "Young man, I'm Fan Meiqin, a former tenant on the third floor. This is Ding Yan from the fourth floor. Xiao Ding, say hello to the young man."
The woman called Xiao Ding muttered lifelessly, "Hello, big brother."
Lin Dong glanced at Ding Yan. She seemed severely traumatized, likely having endured countless horrors over the past six months.
"Young man, are you a resident upstairs? Do you have any extra space? We've lost our homes to the flood. Please, could you spare us a room? We'll do anything."
Fan Meiqin knelt on the floor, her expression pleading. As she spoke, the blanket slipped off her shoulders, revealing a thin T-shirt underneath.
The neckline was loose, exposing a deep, pale cleavage.
Having gone half a year without a woman, Lin Dong felt a rush of heat at the sight.
After a moment, he asked, "I remember there were plenty of empty units in this building?"
Fan Meiqin sobbed, "They've all been taken. We're just two helpless women..."
Lin Dong didn't dwell on the topic and instead asked, "Where does Liu Erlong live?"
But Fan Meiqin didn't answer. Instead, she crawled up and tried to move closer to Lin Dong.
"Little brother, I can really do anything. Just give me a place to stay and some food. I'll serve you like a slave. Any position you want, I'll..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Lin Dong raised his steel pipe spear and pointed it directly at her face, saying coldly, "Stay right there! I'm asking you a question!"