Lin Dong's doorstep.
The bloodstains on the ground remained.
Ding Yan stared at the stains and said, "It's been so long since the Great Flood, but aside from Liu Erlong and his gang, this is the only person I've seen who dares to kill."
"But he has more principles than Liu Erlong. Fan Meiqin tried to seduce him, and he didn't fall for it."
"When disaster strikes, morality collapses. Maybe only those who dare to fight and kill can survive longer," Cai Zhi remarked.
His words were an implicit approval of Ding Yan's decision to act against Fan Meiqin.
Ding Yan pursed her lips but said nothing. Instead, she stepped forward and knocked on the door.
Inside the living room, Lin Dong lay face-down on the sofa while the beautiful Yang Mei straddled his waist.
She leaned forward slightly, her ample curves swaying as her slender, delicate fingers kneaded the muscles of his back, easing the tension.
It was summer—one wore a short skirt, the other no shirt at all.
Pressed so closely together, they could almost feel each other's body heat.
His breathing gradually grew heavier, and he couldn't resist reaching out to touch the curve of the young woman's thigh.
The moment his rough palm brushed against the torn stocking,
the lovely neighbor shuddered as if electrocuted, her entire body trembling involuntarily.
Her legs tensed up instantly.
Lin Dong pretended not to notice, sliding his hand further up along her thigh, slipping beneath the torn stocking.
He could feel the woman on his back breathing faster now.
Her taut thighs gradually relaxed.
Just as he was about to continue, a sudden knock-knock-knock echoed from the door!
Both froze at the same time. Yang Mei scrambled off the sofa in a fluster, hastily standing up.
Lin Dong's heart skipped a beat—he felt an odd mix of tension and excitement, as if caught in the act.
He quickly sat up and glanced at Yang Mei.
Sister Mei's face was flushed, her eyes shimmering like autumn waters—clearly aroused, but now filled with panic.
"Could it be Li Zhiqiang?" she whispered nervously.
Despite everything, she was still a traditional woman at heart, her first thought being that her husband had come to catch them.
Lin Dong nearly laughed at the absurdity. He stood and walked toward the entryway. "Don't worry. Even if it is Li Zhiqiang, he wouldn't dare do anything."
Yang Mei's face reddened further as she realized the reality of their situation.
At the door, Lin Dong grabbed his nail gun and a mirror, using it to peer through the peephole.
Outside stood a man and a woman—Cai Zhi and Ding Yan, whom he'd met before.
His brow furrowed. "Why are they here?"
Yang Mei pressed herself against the wall near the entryway, whispering anxiously, "Who is it?"
Lin Dong motioned for her to stay quiet before calling out, "Who's there?"
"Brother, it's Cai Zhi from the downstairs corridor, and Ding Yan from the corner unit. You've met us before," Cai Zhi replied in a low voice through the door.
Ding Yan added, "Big brother, do you remember me? Back at the corner, you asked me where Liu Erlong lived."
Of course Lin Dong remembered them—he'd only ventured out once and had met very few people.
Still wary, he asked, "What do you want?"
Cai Zhi answered, "We saw what happened at noon. Brother, Liu Erlong and his gang won't let this go."
"So?"
Ding Yan said, "So we were wondering if it's possible for us to work together against Liu Erlong?"
"All of us have suffered under Liu Erlong's oppression. If we unite, we might not need to fear them anymore."
Cai Zhi added, "Brother, this security door won't hold Liu Erlong back. You might want to consider our proposal."
Lin Dong pondered for a moment before responding, "How can I trust you? How do I know you're not just trying to trick me into opening the door for food or shelter?" Cai Zhi chuckled, "Brother, you underestimate us. With so many people dying these days, there are plenty of empty rooms around. If we wanted to deceive someone, why would we target a tough guy like you?"
"As for food, since the Great Flood began, I doubt you have much left either."
"In fact, it's precisely because of food that we want to cooperate with you against Liu Erlong."
Lin Dong's interest was piqued. "For food? What do you mean?"
Cai Zhi lowered his voice, "Although many supermarkets were submerged in the Great Flood, supplies have been floating on the water's surface. Unfortunately, Liu Erlong's gang has taken control of them all."
"Also, there are plenty of fish in the water that are edible. These past days, my family and Lao Ma's have survived by secretly fishing."
"But now that Liu Erlong's men are guarding the tenth floor, it's becoming increasingly difficult to catch fish. Even when we do, they rob us if they find out."
"So if you think we're after the food in your place, you're completely mistaken."
Lin Dong was filled with doubt. "You've been eating fish from the water? Aren't you afraid they might be poisonous?"
"Hah, when you're starving to death, who cares about poison?"
"We've been eating them for a while now, and none of us have been poisoned yet," Cai Zhi replied with a laugh.
Lin Dong was astonished. He knew better than anyone that the fish in the Great Flood were mutated creatures.
Could mutated creatures really be edible?
"Wait a minute," he thought. "When I killed one of Liu Erlong's men earlier, the system notified me that I'd killed a mutated creature. Could it be that these people became mutated creatures themselves after eating the mutated fish?"
A hypothesis formed in Lin Dong's mind.
His eyes gleamed with realization. In this post-apocalyptic world, going it alone was definitely not an option.
Although he had the Lottery system, the rewards were too random.
Moreover, it didn't directly enhance his combat abilities—he needed to unite with others around him.
After some thought, he asked, "Do you have any specific plans for dealing with Liu Erlong?"
Cai Zhi replied, "Brother, could you let us in to discuss this?"
Ding Yan added, "The hallway echoes too much."
Lin Dong considered the situation. Cai Zhi and Ding Yan both appeared severely malnourished—if they tried anything, he could easily overpower them.
Crucially, he still had his nail gun and gasoline at hand.
After weighing his options, Lin Dong made a decision.
He took a few steps back and said, "Wait a moment."
Quickly, he put on his motorcycle helmet and a thick denim jacket, lining his chest and abdomen with metal plates for protection.
Once fully armored, he lit a cigarette and held a water gun filled with gasoline in his other hand.
Fully equipped, he retreated to the living room and said to Yang Mei, "Sister Mei, go open the door."
Yang Mei hesitated, fear in her voice. "Me?"
"Don't worry, with me here, they won't dare do anything."
Yang Mei was frightened, but seeing Lin Dong fully armed gave her some reassurance.
She had heard their conversation earlier and felt an indescribable joy in her heart.
If everyone could unite, perhaps they really could survive.
Gritting her teeth, she walked toward the door.
Under Lin Dong's watchful gaze, she opened it.
Ding Yan and Cai Zhi immediately brightened when they saw the door open.
However, upon realizing it was Yang Mei who had opened it, they both froze momentarily.
"You're... Yang Mei?"
"Sister Mei?"
Clearly recognizing her, they both exclaimed in surprise.