Doctor, you wouldn’t want your little sister to be devoured by zombies, would you?

“Jump, I’ll catch you.”
Xue Feng took the initiative and leapt into the sewer, then looked up at the two still hesitating at the opening.
Unlike Xue Feng, their bodies weren’t nearly as sturdy.
If they jumped recklessly, it would be almost certain they’d break bones or tear muscles.
In this post-apocalyptic world, where resources were so scarce, any injury was practically a death sentence.
But hearing Xue Feng’s reassurance, the two finally found the courage.
“Ah—!”
An Xiaowei screamed and jumped first, landing safely in Xue Feng’s arms.
He briefly felt her soft body before setting her down, and then it was You Haoyun’s turn.
All three successfully entered the sewer.
They began to grope their way along the dank, dark tunnel.
It was wet and murky, with the occasional rat scurrying by.
Fortunately, these rats hadn’t mutated.
Xue Feng ignored them, pulling out the miner’s lamp he’d prepared in advance and pressed on.
As they explored, Xue Feng realized this sewer was indeed an excellent refuge.
It was filthy and cramped, but there were no zombies—after all, who would wander into a sewer out of boredom?
Click—
Suddenly, a faint sound reached their ears.
Xue Feng immediately shone his flashlight toward the noise.
The dark passage was illuminated as if it were broad daylight.
And then he saw a dirty figure appear within the beam.

Nie Xiaoyue was a researcher.
She’d excelled academically since childhood, and aced the university entrance exams, gaining admission to the North Harbin National Defense Academy as the top science student.
Her first contact with the field of national defense had ignited both her passion and her talent.
She was among the top students for four years and, upon graduation, went straight into an integrated master’s and doctoral program, joining the research institute as its youngest and most promising PhD candidate.
She thought her life would continue smoothly along this trajectory—until disaster struck.
Blood rained from the sky, and countless creatures began to mutate.
As she watched countless zombies, twisted and deformed, lurch toward her, Nie Xiaoyue panicked but immediately pried open a sewer cover and slipped inside.
As it turned out,
Though the environment was squalid and harsh, it was still safer for a woman as defenseless as she was.
The only real problem was the lack of supplies.

Caught unprepared, she’d exhausted the last of her food.
She wavered, debating whether to risk going out to scavenge that day.
To her astonishment, three humans appeared in the sewer.
While she observed them, Xue Feng’s gaze landed on her.
Nie Xiaoyue’s outfit was simple: a loose white t-shirt and tight blue jeans.
Because of the damp, the pure white shirt now clung to her body, outlining her impressive figure, and one could faintly see the snow-white skin beneath.
Perhaps in her frantic escape, she’d lost her shoes; her pale, delicate feet were exposed to the air.
The only blemish was that after so long in the sewer, she was filthy from head to toe.

But Xue Feng’s attention wasn’t just on her appearance.
When he noticed her, he immediately saw her eyes glinting with wary vigilance.
Not bad!
In this apocalypse, rather than immediately begging for help upon seeing others, she kept her guard up and stayed rational.
She was sharp—sharper than You Haoyun!
But precisely because of this, gaining her trust would be a challenge.

“Who are you people?”
Seeing the sudden appearance of two women and a man, Nie Xiaoyue’s expression was tense and alert.
Her mind clear, she instantly noticed the unusual dynamic among the three.
The man at the front was handsome and well built, but having two followers in this world seemed highly unlikely.
Given the current circumstances,
A plausible suspicion quickly formed in her mind.
She gripped the sharpened metal shard in her hand, ready to act.
If they tried to force her, she would press the shard to her own throat without hesitation.
Her resolve was clear:
She would rather die than lose her dignity.

“Seems I can’t use the same approach I did with You Haoyun on this strong-willed woman.”
Watching her movements, Xue Feng recalled the intelligence he’d gathered on Nie Xiaoyue.
She was resolute, independent, and would never accept humiliation…
Now, seeing her in person, the reports were clearly accurate.
But since the information mentioned these traits, Xue Feng had already prepared a plan before setting out.
He gestured for An Xiaowei and You Haoyun to stay where they were, then approached with a gentle smile and spoke:
“Are you Nie Xiaoyue?”

“How do you know my name?”
Nie Xiaoyue’s wariness intensified.

“Don’t worry. You must be starving—here, eat something first.”
He reached into his pocket and tossed her a piece of bread he’d prepared in advance.

At that moment, a notification sounded in his mind:
[Confirmed intelligence accuracy. Reward received:]
[All abilities +1 level.]
…
Abilities: Divine Firmament (Level 4), Stone Skin (Level 2)
…

Nie Xiaoyue couldn’t see Xue Feng’s status panel.
Her gaze was locked on the bread on the ground, and she couldn’t help swallowing.
Her empty stomach rumbled in protest.
She was truly starving.
Recently, in the absence of food, she’d even eyed the rats in the sewer.
If not for a final shred of hesitation,
She might already have become a rat-eating maniac.
Even so,
Nie Xiaoyue simply picked up the bread and solemnly tucked it into her pocket.
She didn’t eat it immediately, as she still couldn’t fully trust the man before her.

Seeing her reaction, Xue Feng wasn’t surprised, though he sighed inwardly.
Indeed,
Sometimes, a woman who’s too clever is not an easy ally.
He decided to reveal his trump card directly.

“If you’re hungry, eat. I won’t hurt you. It was your sister, Nie Xiaoxing, who sent me to save you.”

“Xiaoxing?”
Hearing the familiar name, Nie Xiaoyue froze, then asked urgently,
“You’ve seen my sister Xiaoxing?”

When the apocalypse first broke out, and just before all communication failed, Nie Xiaoyue had sent her location to her sister by phone.
But she’d never received a reply.
All this time, she’d believed her sister was dead.
To hear this man mention her sister’s name was utterly unexpected.

“If you want to know about your sister, come with me.”
Xue Feng stated his purpose bluntly.

Nie Xiaoyue hesitated.
If she followed him, wouldn’t she become his plaything?
But if she refused, then what about her sister, Nie Xiaoxing…
Seeing her struggle, Xue Feng smiled softly and said,
“Dr. Nie, you don’t want your sister wandering alone out there, getting eaten by zombies, do you?”