"Come on down," Ryan said to the group crammed into the truck as he parked it next to a gas station on the side of the road. They were covered in dust from the journey and looked exhausted.
Ryan hugged his sister tightly as she jumped out of the truck, finally feeling a sense of relief. Fortunately, his worst fear hadn't come true—his sister was safe.
Lily opened her mouth, intending to scold Ryan for his risky behavior, but when she saw the look on his face, her heart softened. Instead, she gently patted his shoulder to comfort him.
However, this wasn't the time for reminiscing. Although no zombies were nearby, that didn't mean the area was safe. Ryan exchanged a few quick words with Lily before Olivia jumped out of the truck, glancing at Lily, who stood close to Ryan. She pressed her lips together but said nothing.
"Alright, you can go now," Ryan said to the other survivors by the truck, his tone distant.
"Hey, what's with the attitude?" one of the men in the group snapped, clearly offended. The others murmured in agreement, unhappy with Ryan's brusque remark.
"Come on, little brother, there's no need to talk like that," Liam said, stepping forward to defuse the tension. "It's not easy for any of us to survive. We should be helping each other."
"Yeah, exactly. You helped us, but there's no need to be so rude," another survivor chimed in.
"We're all struggling to survive. We could stick together and look out for one another," a few others added.
"Are you done? If you are, then get out of here. If it weren't for saving my sister, do you think I'd bother bringing a bunch of losers like you along?" Ryan said coldly.
His rude and insulting words immediately ignited anger among the survivors. Their tempers flared, and they began shouting accusations at one another, forgetting their original grievances.
Bang! A gunshot shattered the chaos. Olivia, who had been standing silently nearby, had fired into the air. It was her first time using a gun, and while her aim wasn't perfect, the shot had the intended effect—it silenced everyone.
Olivia wasn't naive. From her observations, it was clear Ryan had no desire to keep these people around, and their constant complaints had only fueled his irritation. Acting decisively, she had fired a warning shot. Although the bullet missed its intended mark, it whizzed dangerously close to the ear of the loudest man in the group.
Catching Ryan's approving glance, Olivia steeled herself and aimed the gun directly at the frightened survivors. Her voice was soft, almost sweet, but carried a chilling authority. "Are you done talking? Didn't you hear my master tell you to leave?"
Her words, coupled with the cold, unyielding muzzle of the gun, struck fear into the survivors. No one dared utter another word.
Lily stood quietly to the side, observing the scene unfold. Some of the survivors glanced at her, their eyes pleading for mercy, hoping she might intervene on their behalf. After all, they had survived together until now. But to Lily, only one thing mattered—her brother's safety. As long as she and Ryan were alive and well, why should she care about the fate of anyone else?
However, something Olivia said caught Lily's attention. While everyone else was focused on the threat, Lily noticed the peculiar term Olivia used: Master?
She frowned slightly, her thoughts racing. My brother's only been away for a few days, and now he's calling himself someone's master? Since when did he become this… playful?
Lily had a playful smile on her face.
As she observed Olivia more closely, she couldn't help but admit that the girl was stunning. With her delicate features, voluptuous figure, and graceful curves, Olivia was undeniably a top-tier beauty. What's more, Lily had recognized her as a highly popular, first-line actress from ABC Country—one with a spotless reputation and no scandals since her debut.
It seemed her brother had good taste. Lily wasn't sure how to feel about that.
Meanwhile, the survivors remained paralyzed with fear after Olivia's gunshot. Although most ordinary citizens in ABC Country rarely encountered guns in their daily lives, they fully understood their deadly power. No one was foolish enough to test it firsthand. Nervous and terrified, they took several steps back.
Liam stood off to the side, his expression cold and conflicted. He felt helpless in the situation.
If he had been closer, he might have had the confidence to disarm Olivia and take the pistol. But at this distance—and with Ryan standing protectively by her side—it was impossible. Liam hadn't forgotten the earlier scene where Ryan cleaved through tempered glass with an axe, a display of strength that made him think twice about trying anything rash.
"Men to the left, women to the right," Ryan ordered sharply, addressing the group of survivors.
The crowd hesitated, momentarily thrown into chaos, but Liam and a few others managed to calm them and persuade them to follow the instructions. Reluctantly, they separated into two groups.
"Olivia, let me show you something," Ryan said as he took the Type 54 pistol from her hands. "When dealing with people like this—those who don't understand their place—you need to use real deterrence. Don't waste your time."
Without another word, Ryan raised the pistol and fired at one of the men standing on the left.
Bang!
The man collapsed instantly, a bloody hole in his forehead.
"Ah!" Several others on the left realized what was happening and tried to run, but it was too late. The sight of the man's death sent shockwaves through the group.
The remaining survivors screamed in terror, scattering in all directions in a desperate attempt to flee.
"If you keep running, you'll end up like the one on the ground," Ryan said coldly to the eight terrified women on his right. His ruthless tone and actions had already shaken them, and some began to cry in fear.
"What you're doing is a crime," Liam said, his voice trembling with anger. Unlike the others on the left, he had stayed behind, unable to flee.
While he could somewhat understand Ryan's earlier actions, this was crossing a line. Ryan's cold-blooded behavior was testing his moral boundaries.
"A crime?" Ryan smiled.
"Are you planning to avenge him? Look around. It's the end of the world. Do you think the government or the law still exist? Who's going to come and judge me? If it weren't such a waste of bullets, I wouldn't have left any of you men alive."
Ryan's eyes hardened as his thoughts drifted. In this new world, there was no room for unnecessary burdens or competition. His plans for the future were clear: the base he intended to build would accept only women.
A haven filled with beautiful women—why should he let men spoil the view? Keeping them alive only invited trouble.
"You..." Liam's fists clenched, but he hesitated to act. With no options left, he turned and walked away, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
Ryan glanced away after his retreat. At least it saved him the trouble—and a bullet.
"Sis, you and Olivia head inside and start gathering supplies. Find a safe spot to wait," Ryan said to Lily, who had been silently watching the scene unfold with an amused expression.
Ryan then turned his attention to the gas station. Retrieving a fuel pipe from a nearby pump, he rifled through the pockets of a corpse—likely a former employee—and found a card to activate the pump. After refueling the truck's empty tank, he drove it closer to the station.
With Lily, Olivia, and a few others helping, they raided the store, clearing it of supplies. They took everything they could: water, biscuits, bread, canned food—whatever was still usable. They also loaded several large barrels of gasoline. The truck's compartment, emptied of sand earlier, proved spacious enough for their haul.
Finally, as Ryan glanced toward the distant horizon, his gaze fell on the approaching zombie swarm. A faint smile crept across his face.
He wouldn't have to lift a finger—those fleeing men, including Liam, would be taken care of by the zombies soon enough.