Chapter 28: The Goddess She Once Was

"Brother You, once I leave, go hide in the lounge," Ye Nan advised. "Don't open the door for anyone until I return. If you sense danger, open fire immediately—do not hesitate."

"Understood," You Dehai replied. "I will."

"Good, I'm off." Ye Nan stepped out of the repair shop, a wave of emotion washing over him. With You Dehai on board, the doomsday vehicle was definitely in safe hands.

As a master mechanic, You Dehai’s technical skills were beyond reproach. Once the doomsday vehicle was complete, he could drive it to Donghai University to rescue Li Siqi’s sister.

Ye Nan climbed into the Hummer, stepped on the gas, and headed straight for You Dehai’s residence.

Since Ye Nan lived right next door, he knew the route well. He figured he might as well go back and pack his things; he actually missed that tiny, few-hundred-dollar-a-month rental he hadn't seen in a while.

The Hummer plowed through any zombies in its path, arriving at the building without obstruction.

The hallway was sparsely populated with only two or three zombies, which Ye Nan dispatched with a single strike of his sword before heading straight to the fifth floor.

At that moment, in front of Room 502, a burly man with a cruel face was pounding violently on the door. When no one answered, he began throwing his weight against it, determined to break in.

Inside, You Dehai’s wife, Wu Fangfang, screamed, "Liu Cundong, you heartless bastard! Try kicking that door one more time and see if I don't come out and kill you!"

"Who are you trying to scare? If you've got the guts, come out! I’ll show you what a real man is." Liu Cundong, the building’s landlord, had long lusted after Wu Fangfang before the apocalypse, but You Dehai’s presence had kept him at bay. With the world in ruins and You Dehai’s whereabouts unknown, Liu decided to seize the opportunity. With no social order left, no one would come to arrest him if he took her by force.

He had tried to lure her with promises of food, but Wu Fangfang had adamantly refused. Now, losing patience, he was intent on breaking in and raping her. To him, this curvy, beautiful woman was a prize, and he licked his lips, imagining the scenes to come.

"You animal! Do you have no conscience?" Wu Fangfang cried out in fury. "When you lost money gambling, my husband lent you cash without a second thought! It took you three years to pay him back. We’ve been nothing but kind to you—how can you do this and not feel a shred of guilt?"

You Wen, their son, cursed, "You dog! Dare to touch my mother, and I hope your whole family rots in hell!"

Liu Cundong only grew more excited by their insults. "Keep barking, kid. Once I break in, I’ll cripple your limbs and make you watch while I have my way with your mother. You’ll be helpless to stop me, haha!"

"You're worse than a beast! You deserve to die!" Wu Fangfang was trembling with shame and rage.

"Call me a beast, will you? Once I'm in, I'll show you what a real beast is!" Liu Cundong’s eyes gleamed with malice as he slammed his body against the door again.

The door, not particularly sturdy, finally gave way under his assault.

Liu Cundong stepped inside, brandishing a kitchen knife, his face twisted into a lecherous grin as he looked at Wu Fangfang. Even without makeup, her mature, pomegranate-like ripeness was intoxicating.

"I'm in!" he roared. "Where's that 'killing me' talk? Come on!"

You Wen stepped in front of his mother, holding a fruit knife. "Get out, Liu Cundong! Take one more step and I'll hack you to pieces!"

Having gone hungry since the outbreak, neither You Wen nor his mother had much strength left. They were no match for Liu Cundong, who had been hoarding food and kept himself in peak physical shape.

Liu Cundong sneered, stepping closer. "Come on, kid, hack me! I want to see you try!"

You Wen lunged, but Liu Cundong easily dodged, kicked the boy to the ground, and snatched the knife away. Now, You Wen was completely defenseless.

"Damn it, you really think you can fight me?" Liu Cundong kicked You Wen again, drawing a scream of agony.

"Stop it!" Wu Fangfang sobbed.

Liu Cundong turned to her. "You don't want to watch your son get beaten to death, do you?"

Wu Fangfang trembled, clutching a box cutter, tears streaming down her face.

"What? Want to stab me? Go ahead!" Liu Cundong pointed to his chest. "Right here, the heart. One stab and I'm gone. Don't be shy—"

Before he could finish, he let out a blood-curdling scream.

A lightning-charged sword had pierced his chest from behind, blood gushing out.

"Never heard such a strange request," Ye Nan remarked, pulling his blood-stained blade back as Liu Cundong collapsed, eyes wide open in death.

"Xiao Ye, it's you!" Wu Fangfang gasped, dazed.

"Sister-in-law, you're safe now," Ye Nan said, helping You Wen up.

"The streets are full of zombies," she asked, "how did you get here?"

"I just killed my way through," Ye Nan replied, showing them his supernatural abilities. Both mother and son stared in shock. "Brother You is at the repair shop. I’m here to take you to him."

"Is he alright?" she asked urgently.

"He's doing well. Pack your things; we're leaving."

As they hurried to finish, You Wen looked at Ye Nan with gratitude. "If not for you, we would've been finished."

"No need for thanks," Ye Nan said. "Just help Brother You with the vehicle. I have big plans for it."

After stopping by his own room—Room 503—to clear out his belongings, Ye Nan waited in the hallway. From Room 505, a man and woman watched him through the peephole.

"Isn't that Ye Nan, your old college junior?" the man asked. "How did he get through the zombies?"

"How would I know?" the woman, Han Qian, replied.

The man, Huang Youzhi, a wealthy second-generation heir, smiled. "I remember he was your pathetic little lapdog back then. Use him to scavenge food for us. Free labor—why not?"

Han Qian’s eyes lit up. "You're right. He just killed that landlord; he must be strong."

"He was always a pathetic loser," Huang Youzhi scoffed. "He actually thought he stood a chance with you."

"Exactly," Han Qian said with disdain. She turned to Huang Youzhi, her expression softening. "You're the only one for me. Thank you for buying me that villa, even if the apocalypse ruined the renovation."

Huang Youzhi opened the door and called out, "Ye Nan, long time no see!"

"Huang Youzhi. It's you," Ye Nan said, surprised.

"Do you have any food?" Huang Youzhi asked. "As your former senior, could you spare some? I'm starving."

Han Qian stepped out, cold and haughty. "Ye Nan, in this apocalypse, we should help each other. Don't hoard the food."

Ye Nan almost laughed. "I don't owe you anything. Why should I share?"

Han Qian lifted her chin arrogantly. "You wanted to pursue me, didn't you? If you bring me food every day, I'll give you a chance to chase me. Even if I have a boyfriend, isn't it enough just to hear my voice?"

"Are you serious?" Ye Nan mocked. "I used to be a fool for you, but I stopped being your lapdog a long time ago. Now you come crawling to me? How pathetic."

"Don't be ungrateful!" Han Qian snapped. "So many boys spent fortunes just to see me. I'm giving you a chance to serve me, and you're complaining?"

Ye Nan looked at her—still as beautiful and arrogant as ever, dressed in her signature tight dance gear. He felt a dark amusement. "You want food? It’s not impossible."

"What are your terms?" Huang Youzhi asked eagerly.

Ye Nan looked Han Qian up and down with a wicked smile. "I spent so much money on you back in college, and I never even got to hold your hand. How about this: satisfy me for an hour, and I'll consider it."

Han Qian’s face turned bright red with rage. "You disgusting animal! You've gone too far!"