Just then, the sound of the rolling shutter door being pulled up broke the silence.
"Someone's here!" Ni Shuang said, her voice edged with caution.
Yuto Saito remained calm. "Don't worry, zombies can't open doors. It must be humans."
At the front door, a young couple entered. They had just married last month. The girl, Qinqin, was quite beautiful, while the boy, Wu Shenmao, wore glasses and had a gentle demeanor.
Seeing the shelves in the front area of the supermarket, Qinqin exclaimed happily, "Husband, there's a lot of food here! Let's grab some more."
Wu Shenmao, carefully pulling the shutter door down to prevent zombies from entering, replied, "We'll take as much as we can. Let's find some bags first."
"Okay," Qinqin agreed.
Yuto Saito didn't stop them; after all, how much could two ordinary people take? Despite the chaos, he respected a couple who could stick together through the worst.
In a previous life, Yuto Saito had encountered a girl who told him a story that stuck with him. She and her boyfriend had been trapped by zombies, with only ten dumplings left in the house. The boyfriend, while she slept, ate all the dumplings, tied a rope from the window, and fled, abandoning her. The girl was later rescued by the army, but the betrayal haunted her more than the zombies ever did. In the apocalypse, selfishness and betrayal were common, and Yuto Saito appreciated those who could defy that trend.
As Qinqin and Wu Shenmao filled two bags, their faces brightened with relief.
"Wife, we finally have something to eat. This supermarket is huge; we can come back for more later."
Qinqin nodded. "Yes, but I saw on the news that there are riots at the police station and the SM mall. The army is being deployed and will likely arrive tonight. We just need to hold out until then."
"Let's get more, just in case. The army might take days to search and rescue everyone."
"You're right. Two days' worth of food should be our minimum."
Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. "Open up!"
Qinqin and Wu Shenmao froze.
"Who is it?" Wu Shenmao asked nervously.
A rough voice responded, "Open the door! Zombies are chasing us! Let us in!"
Wu Shenmao moved to open the door, but Qinqin grabbed his arm, shaking her head.
He reassured her, "It's okay."
Wu Shenmao opened the shutter just enough to let in two men—a muscular man with tattoos and a yellow-haired boy—then quickly closed it again. The tattooed man immediately sized up Qinqin, a predatory gleam in his eyes.
"This little girl is something else," he muttered to himself, smirking.
The tattooed man turned to Wu Shenmao with disdain. "What are you looking at?" he sneered before kicking Wu Shenmao in the stomach.
Wu Shenmao fell, gasping in pain. "I let you in, and you kick me? Why?"
The tattooed man scoffed, "You took your sweet time opening the door. Are you deaf?"
In the back of the supermarket, Yun Yun's expression darkened. She wanted to intervene, but Yuto Saito, still calmly eating his self-heating rice, held her back.
Ni Shuang whispered, "This is exactly what you were talking about, Xiaotu."
Yuto Saito looked at Yun Yun. "This is just the beginning. People can be much worse."
Yun Yun's eyes widened. "You think…"
Yuto Saito nodded. "Exactly. Watch and see."
Front of the supermarket.
The tattooed man ogled Qinqin, his grin widening. "You, go hold down that man," he ordered Huang Mao. "I'll have some fun with this chick first, then it's your turn."
Qinqin backed away in fear. "No, please!"
Wu Shenmao, despite his pain, got up and pleaded, "Please, don't touch my wife! I have money—I'll give it all to you!"
The tattooed man laughed harshly. "What good is money now? The world's ending!"
Wu Shenmao, desperate, pointed to the food. "Take all the supplies here—just leave my wife alone."
The tattooed man laughed even harder. "You think I need your permission? The supplies are mine, and so is your wife!"
He began beating Wu Shenmao again, while Huang Mao looked for a knife.
Wu Shenmao, seeing the situation spiral out of control, became frantic. "Please don't kill my husband! I'll do whatever you want—just let him go!" Qinqin begged, kneeling.
"It's too late for that," the tattooed man snarled.
Yuto Saito released Yun Yun's hand, sensing it was time to act.
Yun Yun stood up, walking to the front of the store, her eyes blazing with anger.
The tattooed man's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw her. "Well, well, what do we have here? A real beauty! Today's my lucky day!"
Ni Shuang and Natto followed Yun Yun, positioning themselves at her sides.
The tattooed man was ecstatic. "Three more beauties! Huang Mao, forget the knife—come check this out!"
Huang Mao, already gawking at the women, was speechless.
Yun Yun approached with graceful strides, her eyes locked on the tattooed man.
He kicked Wu Shenmao aside and moved toward her, but before he could take another step, Yun Yun raised her hand, and the tattooed man froze in place, his eyes wide with terror. Within seconds, he was dead, his body rigid and lifeless.
Huang Mao fell to his knees, trembling. "Goddess, please spare me!"
Yun Yun's eyes narrowed, and with a flick of her wrist, a bolt of lightning shot from her hand, electrocuting Huang Mao. His hair stood on end, his skin charred, blood oozing from his orifices.
Yuto Saito observed calmly. Yun Yun had proven herself, showing no mercy when it mattered most.
Ni Shuang and Natto were stunned by the display of Yun Yun's power. They had no idea she possessed such terrifying abilities.
Wu Shenmao and Qinqin were equally terrified, their faces pale as they witnessed the carnage.
Qinqin fell to her knees, bowing to Yun Yun. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Yun Yun, her voice commanding, replied, "Take those two bags of food and leave. The rest of the supplies are ours."
"Yes, thank you!" Qinqin stammered, pulling Wu Shenmao to his feet. They grabbed their bags and fled, not daring to look back.
Ni Shuang gave Yun Yun a thumbs-up. "Sister, that was amazing!"
Yun Yun smiled, her eyes meeting Yuto Saito's. "You were right, Yuto. In the apocalypse, trust no one. We have to be vigilant."
Yuto Saito nodded, a hint of respect in his eyes. "You've learned well."