“Wow… is your family in the supermarket business?”

  As soon as the man opened the trunk of his blue Mercedes, the two girls were dazzled by the assortment of snacks inside. Their eyes sparkled with excitement, unsure of which one to grab first.

  “Hah, no choice. My dog has a terrible habit—it loves to eat. Snacks are its biggest weakness.” The man chuckled, watching them rummage through the pile. What he didn’t mention was that his dog had an even bigger fw: an insatiable appetite for lust. Not only was it obsessed with female animals, but it also had a thing for human women. Even now, the red-furred beast beside him was drooling as it leered at the two girls.

  “Big brother, may I ask for a favor?”

  Reluctantly putting down the snacks, Lingling hesitated for a moment before gncing at the man, who was casually smoking nearby. Her face showed a trace of hope.

  “The name’s Lin Tao. No need for formalities.” Lin Tao smiled lightly. Generous as always, he added, “If you want more, go ahead. Just leave some for my damn dog.”

  “We’re not asking for more…” Lingling’s usual carefree attitude vanished as her cheeks flushed red. Crossing her arms over her ample chest and pressing her hands against the dark patch between her thighs, she fidgeted before whispering, “Can… can you take us with you? Even if it’s just as your pets…”

  Her face burned as she spoke. Even the usually reserved Axue looked at Lin Tao with hopeful eyes, her gaze filled with silent pleading.

  Lin Tao wasn’t surprised. On his journey back from abroad, countless women had thrown themselves at him, desperate to be taken in. Some were even more stunning than these two. But if he accepted every single one, he’d have enough to fill an entire camp. He sighed apologetically.

  “Traveling with me is too dangerous. One day, you might just end up dead in some ditch. Life here may be hard, but at least you have a better chance of surviving. Sticking with me isn’t the paradise you’re hoping for.”

  That was partly true, but it wasn’t the main reason. He simply wasn’t the type to travel with strangers, even if they were women.

  “We’re not afraid,” Axue suddenly interjected. Her usual quiet demeanor was gone, repced by a determined look. “Rather than wasting away here, barely scraping by, we’d rather take our chances with you. Even if we die tomorrow, it’s just a few days earlier than we would have anyway.”

  She grabbed Lingling’s hand tightly, her voice trembling but resolute.

  “If you take us with you, we’ll be useful. We can cook, clean, do undry. I can give massages and sing, and Lingling can dance—pole dance, exotic dance, whatever you like. We don’t eat much, less than your dog, I promise. You can do anything you want with us, we won’t resist… even if… even if it gets a little rough.”

  Lin Tao stared, momentarily speechless. He hadn’t expected the timid Axue to be even more desperate than the flirtatious Lingling. Damn this world. The apocalypse had turned people into… what, exactly?

  But he still shook his head.

  “You have no idea what kind of things you’d face with me. Some things are beyond your understanding. Look, I haven’t seen people in a while, so I’ll stay in your camp for the night. Grab as much as you can—it’s my way of paying for lodging.”

  Even after saying so much, Lin Tao still refused. The two girls’ faces fell. Silent tears welled up in their eyes as they continued packing food into their arms, their small flicker of hope extinguished.

  With their arms full, they walked back toward their camp, Lin Tao following behind with a backpack. They now wore clean, oversized shirts, having discarded their filthy, tattered clothing at Lin Tao’s suggestion.

  Near the entrance of the camp, a heavy iron gate loomed ahead. A one-eyed old man stood guard, gripping a gleaming iron spear. His remaining eye narrowed suspiciously as he sized up Lin Tao.

  “Who’s this guy?”

  “Uncle Ma, this is Brother Lin. We met him outside—he just wants to stay the night,” Lingling expined, forcing a smile.

  “Stay the night?”

  Uncle Ma’s expression remained wary. His gaze flickered toward the food in their hands, but when he noticed the bck pistol at Lin Tao’s waist, a hint of fear crept into his eyes. He hesitated before saying, “Listen, kid. It’s not that I don’t want to be hospitable, but times are tough. We have to be careful. Maybe you should find somewhere else?”

  Lin Tao chuckled, unfazed. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and tossed it to the old man. Uncle Ma caught it and his eyes widened—it was a pack of 95 Supreme, a luxury even before the apocalypse. His weathered face instantly softened into a grin.

  “Hah! Brother Lin, you’re a capable man, I can see that. A good cigarette like this is worth its weight in gold nowadays.”

  “Uncle Ma, come on, just let us in already! Our arms are killing us from carrying all this stuff,” Lingling whined.

  The old man smirked and smacked her bare hip, making her squeal. But she only pouted and rolled her eyes, not daring to protest. Then, turning back to Lin Tao, Uncle Ma grinned.

  “Alright, Lin brother, give me a sec to disinfect the area, then we’ll head inside.”

  “Disinfect?” Lin Tao frowned in confusion.

  Uncle Ma grabbed a bucket of milky-white liquid from the side of the gate and poured it over the ground where they had walked, forming a rge, spreading puddle. Once done, he locked the gate and expined, “It’s limewater. Those monsters outside have damn good noses. If we don’t cover our scent, they’ll track us down in no time.”

  Lin Tao nodded thoughtfully. He knew that the undead relied on their sense of smell rather than sight. Their vision was practically useless beyond ten meters, but their noses? Sharper than hunting dogs—especially when it came to the scent of fresh blood.

  He had tested it before. Even a hundred milliliters of blood could attract zombies from ten kilometers away.

  But whether this limewater trick actually worked… well, that was another matter. Maybe it was just a way to give themselves peace of mind.