"Talk about being cautious!" Yan Jiang snorted irritably, forcing a laugh. "Fine, watch all you want then. I'm going to sleep—running around all day has exhausted me."
With that, she actually lay down on the sofa and closed her eyes.
Bai Wen's gaze remained utterly calm as he observed the jade body sprawled before him, not a trace of desire in his eyes. He wasn't about to fall for such a cheap trick—his gun remained steadily trained on Yan Jiang's head, unwavering.
An hour later, Wang Han suddenly rushed in, shouting, "They're here! Right outside! What do we do? Let them in?!"
Bai Wen waved a hand. "I'll go meet them. You stay here and keep an eye on this girl. Tie up her hands and feet—no matter what she says, don't untie her. Got it?"
"Of course I know that! I'm not some doomsday newbie. Go ahead, I've got this!" Wang Han's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Bai Wen turned and left the hall, lifting the manhole cover to climb out. When he saw the shadowy figures outside—numerous, all carrying bundles—his brows immediately furrowed.
The youth named Tai Long spotted Bai Wen emerging and quickly spoke to a figure standing with hands clasped behind their back. "Sis, that's the guy who took Yan Jiang!"
Bai Wen swept his gaze over the group—five men and two women, all carrying packs, their faces sallow and thin, yet their spirits commendable. They must have managed decently over the past year. None of them had guns, but they were armed with steel pipes, fire axes, and machetes. However, their trembling, nervous postures suggested they'd rarely faced zombies or other survivors.
The graceful figure turned around, revealing a gaunt face. Though equally malnourished, Bai Wen could tell this woman had once been a stunning beauty—especially her eyes, which, unlike the dullness common in most people after the apocalypse, remained strikingly clear.
Before Bai Wen could speak, the woman took the initiative. "Hello, sir. We're the survivors living in the TV tower—eight of us in total. My name is Yun Fei Wu. This is my cousin, Tai Long. Those four are my bodyguards: Yun Feng, Yun Lin, Yun Huo, and Yun Shan. The one you took is my manager, Yan Jiang, and this is my personal assistant, Yun Duo."
Bai Wen studied the woman before him. Despite her disheveled state, her innate poise was unmistakable. Now, hearing her introduce this entourage—bodyguards, a personal assistant, a manager—it was clear she'd held some notable status before the virus outbreak.
He scrutinized her carefully, mulling over her name. Yun Fei Wu? Why did it sound so familiar?
"You mean you've never heard of our Sister Yun?" Yun Duo exclaimed, as if she'd discovered a new continent. "You must know her songs! Sister Yun is the famous singer Yun Fei Wu—practically every one of her tracks is a classic! The queen of the music scene!"
"So it's you?!" Bai Wen suddenly remembered, startled. "No wonder you looked so familiar. You're Yun Fei Wu! I never imagined I'd meet the former queen of music in an apocalypse like this. Unbelievable!"
"That's good you remembered. Then quickly release Yan Jiang. Maybe if our Sister Yun sees how obedient you are, she might even give you an autograph or something!" Yun Duo said proudly.
Bai Wen twisted his lips and glanced sideways at the woman called Yun Duo, asking skeptically, "Tell me, is her autograph edible?"
"You—" Yun Duo was instantly rendered speechless.
Yun Fei Wu stepped forward instead, first bowing slightly to Bai Wen before speaking. "I apologize for her rudeness. What I want to tell you is that we mean no harm—we're just looking for food. Our supplies have run out, and if we don't find any soon, we'll all starve!"
Bai Wen sized up Yun Fei Wu. Though thin, her alluring figure was still evident. He replied coolly, "We don't have much food either. If we share it all with you, we'll starve too. So, sorry. I'll release your companion, but you'd better seek survival elsewhere. The Black Cloud Zone would be a great choice. Given your status, I'm sure their leader would warmly welcome you."
"You damn bastard, what kind of sick joke is this? Those people in the Black Cloud Zone are nothing but inhuman beasts! When we were hiding in the TV tower, we saw them raiding other survivors' food and women every few days. They kill all the men and take the women back to abuse however they please. If we go there, we'd be—" Yun Duo exploded in fury again.
Bai Wen grinned coldly. "So, you know exactly what kind of world this is. Why, then, did you dare come knocking on my door?"
Yun Duo paled, her legs giving way as she nearly collapsed to the ground.
Yun Fei Wu took a deep breath, carefully choosing her words before speaking solemnly. "Actually, we've been watching you for a while. You've killed so many Zombies nearby. After observing you these past days, I believed you were different from those people. That's why we took the risk to come here, hoping you could help us."
"You're that confident? What if you're wrong?" Bai Wen smirked.
Yun Fei Wu replied calmly, "If I'm wrong, and you're no different from the Black Cloud Zone scum, it's still better than falling into their hands. After all, you're just one man—"
Bai Wen's eyelids twitched. That last remark carried quite the implication. Deep meaning indeed.
Tai Long nervously hid behind Yun Fei Wu, while the four young men—Yun Feng, Yun Lin, Yun Huo, and Yun Shan—tightened their grips on their weapons. They knew full well that if a fight broke out, they'd all end up with bullets in their skulls, but they were determined to go down swinging.
Bai Wen was curious. How had a singer like her managed to keep four bodyguards loyal? By normal logic, after the apocalypse hit, even the most devoted guards would start having other ideas—especially since Yun Fei Wu's beauty was no exaggeration. Yet, in their desperation, these four hadn't acted on those impulses. She must have had some extraordinary methods.
In such an apocalypse, Bai Wen wouldn't underestimate anyone. Surviving for over a year in this end times—even if eighty percent of it was sheer luck—the remaining twenty percent must be due to that person's capabilities!
Without ability, one simply couldn't survive in this apocalyptic world.
Take these people before him, for instance. They've endured inside the television tower for so long. If Yun Fei Wu didn't possess some skills and methods, they wouldn't have coexisted peacefully until now—those four youngsters would have likely rebelled long ago.