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In the room, Li Nan was being affectionate with Mo Xiaohui, while the dog wisely walked away.
Li Nan put down the Fire Axe in his hand and turned to the dog, saying, "People need friends; they did before, and they still do now. In this apocalypse, friends are even more precious than usual. So if you don't mind, we could become friends!"
Li Nan extended a hand, but the dog ignored him and walked away on its own.
Mo Xiaohui slipped out of Li Nan's embrace and said seriously, "We can be friends!"
Li Nan watched the dog's retreating figure, sensing that the small shadow concealed too many worries, so he didn't insist and let it leave.
At that moment, Mo Xiaohui stuck out her tongue and remarked, "This kid has quite a strange temperament!"
Li Nan chuckled, "Strange people often have stories to tell; it's better to take things slow."
Mo Xiaohui nodded while Li Nan turned around and took off his wet clothes, then faced away from Mo Xiaohui. "Can you check if there are any clothes left in the Backpack?"
As Mo Xiaohui bent down to look for clothes for Li Nan, she asked, "Why did you take such a risk by leading the Zombie horde away by yourself? What exactly happened? Why did it take you so long to come back? Did you encounter any danger?"
Li Nan stretched his back. "With so many questions at once, how am I supposed to answer them all?"
Mo Xiaohui silently thought, "No matter what, it's good that you're back safely!"
"I just wanted to protect you and the dog as much as possible, as well as this place we're temporarily staying in. So I didn't have a choice at that moment. If it were just a few dozen Zombies, I could have handled them with determination. But with hundreds of them, I really had no way out; I could only lead them away!"
Li Nan wiped his dripping hair and continued, "I led those Zombies back along the original path for over ten miles. However, my two legs couldn't outrun four wheels. Eventually, I ran out of energy and wanted to pull off a trick to escape back here. But that group of Zombies wouldn't let up on me. So I had to think of some clever ways to deal with them; fortunately, it all ended without incident!"
Mo Xiaohui asked curiously, "How did you finally shake off those Zombies?"
Li Nan smiled. "I found a warehouse by the roadside; it was quite spacious. After luring those Zombies inside, I jumped out through the back window and locked the front door from outside. Those hundreds of Zombies became trapped inside and could no longer cause harm!"
Mo Xiaohui couldn't recall seeing any warehouse on their way here and continued to ask, "Are you sure those Zombies won't break out?"
Li Nan confidently said, "That warehouse is made of concrete masonry, very sturdy. It's just a few hundred Zombies, not a few hundred Green Giants. They can't possibly get out!"
Hearing this, Mo Xiaohui felt relieved and found a set of men's clothes, tossing them directly to Li Nan.
After getting dressed, Li Nan felt a pang of hunger, and Mo Xiaohui began preparing dinner.
Half an hour later, Mo Xiaohui brought over a bowl of steaming rice along with three vacuum-packed chicken legs found among a pile of packaged food, making for a decent dinner.
As the aroma of the rice wafted through the air, Dog was lingering outside Li Nan's room. Mo Xiaohui said, "Come eat with us!"
Dog hesitated, but Li Nan personally welcomed him in. "It's just a meal; there's no need to make it a big deal!"
Mo Xiaohui smiled and said, "Good thing we brought an extra set of utensils when we left the apartment; otherwise, you really wouldn't have anything to eat!"
Dog hesitated again and asked, "There’s no rice in the truck; where did you get the rice?"
"This is from our private stash. Today is our first day working together; we should show some sincerity!" Li Nan served Dog a bowl of rice. After a moment of reluctance, Dog relaxed and started eating the warm rice heartily.
Li Nan and Mo Xiaohui exchanged knowing smiles as Dog said between bites, "I haven't had anything warm in a long time; this rice is really delicious!"
As he chewed the rice, Li Nan felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him—temporary peace and stability. Days like this aren't something one can enjoy every day!
Li Nan built a small fire in the room using some wet wood and gasoline from the truck. After some choking black smoke billowed out, flickering flames emerged, radiating comforting warmth!
Outside, the world remained drenched in rain as night fell. A few flickers of firelight appeared in one of the Small Buildings, providing warmth.
The three gathered around the fire, each holding a bowl while their other hand busily maneuvered chopsticks. It seemed that warming up and eating had become the theme of the moment.
Mo Xiaohui set her bowl and chopsticks down on the ground and leaned against Li Nan comfortably, saying leisurely, "You know, this isn't so bad. We could live here in this Small Building—there's food and safety guaranteed!"
Dog also put down his bowl and chopsticks and expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you both!"
"Do you like this kind of life?" Li Nan asked the dog that had just gotten up.
The dog did not respond and walked back to his room.
In the night, the entire world was shrouded in darkness, but in the room where Li Nan and Mo Xiaohui were, there were bursts of light!
Li Nan wrapped his arm around Mo Xiaohui's shoulder. "Actually, we both know that this kind of life cannot last long. Food will eventually run out, so in this apocalypse, there is no lasting stability!"
Mo Xiaohui nodded. "I know that too, but I still hope we can live like this for a few more days!"
The autumn wind was chilly, accompanied by cold rain. The temperature outside was probably only around ten degrees, while Mo Xiaohui had already fallen into a deep sleep before the warm firelight.
Li Nan picked up Mo Xiaohui and placed her in her own bedding, then slowly walked to the balcony, seemingly wanting to feel the cold wind outside.
The firelight continued to flicker, while downstairs there was a shadow moving restlessly.
Standing on the balcony, Li Nan saw that it was the dog downstairs but did not say anything. After more than half an hour, he saw the dog come upstairs.
"What were you doing downstairs just now?" Li Nan noticed that the dog still had a piece of rope in his hand and understood a bit.
The dog replied, "I twisted some ropes downstairs and tied bells to them. If anyone intrudes or if zombies attack, we will hear the sound!"
Li Nan had to redefine the dog's survival skills. This twelve-year-old child, despite his young age, had been tempered by life into a seasoned survivor!
Li Nan patted his shoulder and then asked, "You used to have family; why do you call yourself 'Dog'?"
The dog remained noncommittal. "I like this name; is that not allowed?"
Li Nan smiled wryly. "But your parents wouldn't have named you that, would they?"
The dog stared wide-eyed as if wanting to roar but ultimately weakly said, "My original name was Li Dapeng. Later I wandered around; people treated me like a dog, so they called me Dog. I gradually got used to it and started calling myself Dog..."
Li Dapeng's eyes became blurry, seemingly filled with tears, while Li Nan said, "When others call you a dog, it's because they are blind. You can prove yourself; you are Li Dapeng, the bird that soars through the Nine Heavens!"
Li Dapeng wiped the corner of his eyes and said softly, "You are a good person, and good people will be rewarded. So you and that woman will surely be happy together!"
Li Dapeng sidestepped past Li Nan, wanting to return to his room, but Li Nan continued, "I don't know if I'm a good person or if good people get rewarded. However, one thing is true: in this state, the chance of survival alone is far less than that of working together. So if you're willing, we can team up. Whether we stay here or go somewhere else, I believe our chances of survival will be greater together. And as I know you, you are not just some dog; you are Li Dapeng, a name that carries weight!"
Li Dapeng thought for a moment but continued walking forward. "I never thought about leaving here. From my hometown to here, I've become quite comfortable. Unlike you all, my strength is too weak; I can't leave and don't want to. I know you won't stay here long, so I won't partner with you!"
Li Nan didn't say anything further but walked into the room, extinguished the firewood, and wrapped himself in blankets to sleep.
The reason Li Nan wanted to reach out to this boy wasn't profound; he simply felt that this child had suffered too much alone and deserved some support. Li Nan wasn't sure if he could be that support, but he still wanted to give the boy a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately, his goodwill was always rejected!
Would a boy who had long closed himself off easily accept help from an outsider? Clearly not. Even though he was only twelve years old, his sense of pride as a man still lingered. He had always lived alone—past, present, and future—so he wouldn't partner with anyone because it seemed entirely unnecessary.
Hiding under the blankets, Li Dapeng tossed and turned, unable to sleep for a long time. After years of wandering, he had seen too much—ugliness and filth beyond measure—but he had never encountered anyone willing to extend a hand of kindness. Was his stubborn belief wrong?
"No!" Li Dapeng shook his head and quickly buried his face in the blankets, not wanting to think about it anymore. Just then, a series of "ding ding dang dang" sounds came from downstairs.
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