Yun Lan suddenly understood - Li Xuan had gone out to search for Huo Lingling when the apocalypse descended. She had previously wondered why Li Xuan hadn't returned to the residential complex on that first day.

For his girlfriend, braving the chaotic first day of the apocalypse alone to search for an entire day - Li Xuan truly was a responsible boyfriend.

If only her deceased husband had been like Li Xuan, she wouldn't have suffered so much hardship.

The fortunes of people truly varied as greatly as heaven and earth.

A flicker of envy rose in Yun Lan's eyes. "Why do you say whether Huo Shuangshuang rescued Huo Lingling or not?"

"I heard Lingling mention her sister works for the authorities. Her sister dotes on her immensely and would definitely try to find Lingling. If I can't find Lingling, her sister might be able to." Li Xuan's expression appeared completely sincere.

Yun Lan now believed about seventy to eighty percent of his story and asked her final question. "Why don't you go yourself?"

"After obtaining accurate information, I will go search for Huo Lingling. That's why I need your help gathering intelligence. You heard Zhang Rui on the third floor - the rescue teams are nearby. This is an excellent opportunity that doesn't require traveling far. Just rendezvous with the rescue team, and under their protection, you can safely reach the settlement."

"The heavy rain won't stop anytime soon, preventing the rescue teams from conducting operations. They'll return at latest in three or four days. Once the rescue teams withdraw, reaching the settlement will become as difficult as climbing to heaven!" Li Xuan explained.

Yun Lan's mind whirled as she processed Li Xuan's words. She understood his meaning now.

He wanted her to find the rescue team and gather information about Huo Lingling. If there was news about Huo Lingling, Li Xuan would depart for the settlement.

If there was no news about Huo Lingling, Li Xuan most likely wouldn't move.

As for the reason, it wasn't hard to guess - Li Xuan had killed people, and his home wasn't lacking food or water. Going to the settlement might actually be less comfortable than hiding at home.

Why was she going to the settlement? Wasn't it because she was starving to death?

Li Xuan didn't lack food, so going or not going made no difference to him.

The authorities would eventually clear this residential complex, and Li Xuan would be rescued then.

"You truly love Huo Lingling deeply," Yun Lan remarked with envious emotion.

The relationship between Li Xuan and Huo Lingling represented what love should look like in her heart.

What a pity she hadn't met Li Xuan earlier.

Finally, Yun Lan agreed.

Over two days, Yun Lan consumed many high-calorie foods to replenish her strength, charged her phone, contacted the external rescue teams, obtained their location, and agreed on a rendezvous time.

......

Yun Xiuzhi looked down below and spoke. "Aren't you afraid she might not send you any messages after finding the rescue team?"

Li Xuan said solemnly, "Yun Lan is an intelligent woman. Having struggled alone through a month of apocalypse, her mentality has long since transformed. She will make the correct choice."

There was another reason he sent Yun Lan to find the rescue team - he wasn't certain whether the nearby rescue team was the one Huo Shuangshuang belonged to.

Sacrificing some food to have someone else search for him was more than worth it.

Life only came once, while food could be obtained many times over.

Li Xuan didn't lack food, and he knew that as version updates occurred, food would no longer be scarce.

Hoarding food desperately without seeking power would still lead to death.

All living beings on Blue Star faced not an ordinary apocalypse, but a trial of infinitely increasing difficulty!

"I hope you can bring good news," Li Xuan murmured softly.

On the third floor, Zhang Rui hesitated intensely, staring at the life jacket before him.

Should he escape to find the rescue team? Or wait for the rescue team to arrive?

A voice in his heart told him the former was the best choice, the only path to survival.

But his fear of zombies and terror of death prevented him from stepping outside his door.

"I'm not cowardly! I just have no strength! It's all Li Xuan's fault! Not sharing food with me! If I were full and had strength, I could definitely escape successfully!"

Zhang Rui comforted himself, growing more convinced of his own righteousness the more he spoke.

Everything was Li Xuan's fault!

That cold-blooded creature!

A trace of venomous resentment appeared in Zhang Rui's eyes. "Yun Lan must have made some deal with Li Xuan! That's how she had the strength to escape!"

A month ago, Yun Lan had asked to borrow food from him. At that time, Yun Lan looked terrible, her stomach growling with hunger. He had wanted to exchange food for Yun Lan's body, but she refused and ran away.

He had mocked Yun Lan for her false prudery then, believing she would soon recognize reality and willingly climb into his bed.

Unexpectedly, Yun Lan had disappeared afterward, and only now did he understand.

Yun Lan had indeed sold her body as he predicted, just not to him.

Currently, Li Xuan was the only person in the entire residential complex with the means to support a woman!

Yun Xiuzhi looked down below and spoke. "Aren't you afraid she might not send you any messages after finding the rescue team?"

"If Xiao Lan were still alive, maybe we could have gotten some food from Li Xuan and wouldn't be so passive," Zhang Rui muttered.

Xiao Lan was his wife, a lively young woman who had unfortunately turned into a zombie when the apocalypse descended.

The first and only zombie he had killed was Xiao Lan.

Outside, the heavy rain continued unabated, the rainfall showing no signs of decreasing, completely defying scientific laws—as if the Dragon King governing rainfall was cleansing the mortal world, sweeping away all living beings.

Icy rain struck Yun Lan's body. Though she wore rainproof clothing that kept the water from seeping through, she could still feel the bone-chilling cold.

Her hands moved the oars mechanically. Even with diving goggles, she couldn't see the path ahead clearly, with visibility limited to about five meters.

The rain was simply too heavy—so heavy that even the zombies lost their sense of direction. The sound of rainfall disrupted the zombies' hearing, preventing them from accurately detecting human traces.

'Li Xuan said currently zombies locate living creatures through blood scent and hearing, with extremely poor vision. As long as I don't get injured, don't bleed, avoid zombies in advance, and with the cover of rainfall, I can successfully find the rescue team!'

Yun Lan recalled Li Xuan's words, persistently pushing forward.

The small boat had traveled an unknown distance. Darkness surrounded her on all sides without any distinctive buildings. The torrential rain blocked her vision, making Yun Lan's small boat feel like it was sailing in the center of the Pacific Ocean at night. Despair and isolation enveloped her.

"Can't stop! Keep moving forward!" Yun Lan gritted her teeth, rowing with the bed plank serving as her oar.

She didn't stop even as soreness spread through both arms.

If she stopped now, death was certain!

"I want to survive! I want to survive!"

Yun Lan repeated this mantra to herself, advancing with desperate determination.

The other survivors who had escaped the residential complex with her fell behind one after another until no one remained around her.

After an unknown duration—perhaps several hours, perhaps only tens of minutes—Yun Lan finally spotted a conspicuous red store sign!

A nationally famous milk tea brand—the rescue team was currently resting inside this store.

This was the rendezvous point she had agreed upon with the rescue team.

The rescue squad on the milk tea shop's second floor spotted Yun Lan and immediately called out to their teammates.

"Survivor spotted! Quickly bring her inside!"

"She actually found the rendezvous point in this heavy rain! Incredible!"

"I feel she'd be quite suited for our rescue team!"