059 Internal Strife! The Dark Side of Human Nature!

Staring at the bald man's loathsome gaze, Shen Ruyan felt sick to her stomach.

"Brother, come on, let's get you something to eat first."

She turned away, pulling Xue Feng with her, unwilling to say another word to the bald man.

"Wait!" The bald man roared.

In an instant, a dozen men surrounded Shen Ruyan and Xue Feng, blocking their way. Like their leader, they all eyed them with ill intent.

"What are you trying to do?" Shen Ruyan remained calm in the face of their hostile stares.

"Shen Ruyan! I know all these supplies were found by you and your people. This place stands against the zombies thanks to your efforts. But now, we've got a lot more people. The supplies belong to everyone, yet you just hand them out to an outsider. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?" The bald man sneered coldly.

Shen Ruyan's expression darkened with anger at his words.

"An outsider? We are all human, all survivors! If the supplies run out, we can always search elsewhere. Even if this entire building is stripped bare, we can go to the nearby commercial street and scavenge. As long as we stay united, don't divide ourselves into 'us' and 'them,' we can survive!"

She spoke with righteous conviction, yet not a single person around her seemed interested. Their faces showed only disdain.

Scavenging for supplies? Easier said than done.

At first, it was simple enough—the shops were filled with everything they needed: food, clothing, daily necessities. But their numbers had swelled to over fifty. Every day, the consumption of supplies was enormous, while what they could find grew ever scarcer. It had already been three days with nothing to show for it.

The upper floors of the mall held only expensive luxury goods and useless jewelry—nothing else.

"So, scavenging? Tell us, Madam President, do you expect the men to search? Or these useless people?" The bald man gestured at the men around him.

It was clear now—the men had all sided with the bald man, for they contributed the most to the supply runs and zombie clearing.

Hearing this, the remaining women and elderly lowered their heads. Zombies? None of them dared face such horrors.

"So, what do you want? More food allocation?" Shen Ruyan snapped.

She had not anticipated the bald man would rally all the men together. It must have happened without her knowledge. The situation had already slipped beyond her control.

"Food? That's not enough," the bald man snarled.

"What else do you want?" Shen Ruyan asked, her patience gone.

"I want women! From now on, every woman here must keep us brothers entertained!" The bald man laughed, his face twisted with greed and desire.

The men around him looked equally thrilled.

Until now, under Shen Ruyan's leadership, this small survivor base had clung to the moral standards of the modern world. But as food dwindled and zombies multiplied, as the power failed and hope faded, despair seeped into the people. They realized rescue would never come. The world had changed.

Once the supplies were gone, they would face the true apocalypse.

Though Shen Ruyan was clever and resourceful, even the best cook cannot make a meal without rice. With supplies running low and zombies lurking everywhere, she could no longer control the bald man and his followers.

There were at least twenty women present—young girls in their prime, alluring married women. Yet all the men could do was look, not touch. The bald man's frustration had reached its limit, and their wicked desires grew unchecked.

Now, they finally turned on their savior, Shen Ruyan.

"If that's what you want, I have nothing more to say. But for the sake of saving your lives, leave this place. If you want women, go find them outside. You can take half the supplies with you," Shen Ruyan forced herself to swallow her disappointment and rage.

She had hoped these people might feel gratitude and repay her kindness, but she had not expected them to become beasts in the apocalypse.

Her only hope now was that they would leave willingly. She was willing to give up half the supplies for that. Of course, Shen Ruyan knew that if the bald man and his group agreed to leave, they'd likely take more than half.

It was a test to see if the bald man and his followers had any shred of conscience left.

"Madam President, I have a suggestion. Why don't we vote? Let's see if the women you protect will follow my lead or yours. If everyone chooses me, you're the one who should leave! Anyone who wants to follow me, raise your hand!" The bald man smiled.

"What!"

At his words, a sense of foreboding swept over Shen Ruyan. Could it be that the bald man had not only won the men over, but even the women and elderly she had protected now obeyed him?

Before she could process it, the bald man raised his hand.

Suddenly, all the women and elderly present lifted their hands. Not a single one stood with Shen Ruyan.

"You!" Shen Ruyan was so furious she nearly coughed blood.

She could not understand why the women would betray her and refuse to follow her. Surely, they must have been threatened by the bald man.

That must be it.

"Shen Ruyan, just be honest and stay here as Brother Long's woman."

"That's right, we're all women—no need to act tough."

"If it weren't for Brother Long and the others, we wouldn't survive."

The women who raised their hands tried to persuade Shen Ruyan. Unlike her, they were not strong. They had long resigned themselves to fate.

In this apocalypse, who could still hope for the comforts of modern life? Survival was blessing enough. Serving the bald man and his crew was not such a hardship—it was better than being thrown to the zombies.

"Shen Ruyan, I advise you to stay. If you leave alone, it's a death sentence."

"You are our savior, after all, so you just need to marry me, be my woman, and serve only me. Of course, you won't be my only woman. What do you say? It's a very generous offer." The bald man grinned wickedly.

He had dreamed of this moment.

Once, he had been nothing but a security captain earning a few thousand a month. Shen Ruyan, on the other hand, was a CEO earning millions a year. She would never have given him a second glance.

Now, she was about to become his woman.

Could anything be more exhilarating?

"In your dreams!"

"This base was built by me! I led you in clearing out the zombies! I found the supplies, too! Why should I be the one to leave now?" Shen Ruyan finally lost control, clenching her fists in anger and growling in a low voice.