The jet ski raced across the water surface, its engine roar attracting the attention of surrounding survivors. Heads popped out of windows one after another, trying to see if the arrivals were official rescue teams.

When they saw the strange combination of one man, one woman, and a pigeon on the personal watercraft, they all closed their windows in despair, praying in their hearts for the apocalypse to end quickly.

As the jet ski entered Yuefu residential complex, at the main gate, Li Xuan spotted a somewhat familiar figure.

It was Zhang Rui from the third floor. The other had already died, his body submerged in water. For some reason, he hadn't turned into a zombie.

Zhang Rui wore a deflated swim ring, apparently having tried to escape but picked the wrong timing and died outside.

Li Xuan withdrew his gaze and quickly arrived at his building. The water level had reached about eleven meters now, allowing direct entry into the building through fourth-floor windows.

The fourth floor was unoccupied, though whether they had turned into zombies or escaped remained unknown.

Li Xuan entered the building first, then turned and extended his hand to Huo Lingling. "Grab my hand and step inside."

Huo Lingling dumbly took Li Xuan's hand. While entering, she stepped on the window's metal frame, pain shooting through her tender white foot. She let out a soft "ya-wu" sound and started falling backward.

Li Xuan abruptly pulled hard, yanking Huo Lingling back into his embrace.

Tears welled in Huo Lingling's eyes as she made a soft, glutinous sound. "It hurts."

Li Xuan took Huo Lingling's foot and rubbed it a few times. "There, it doesn't hurt anymore."

Huo Lingling's feet were remarkably clean, delicate as snow, smooth as jade, with crystalline toes resembling pieces of candy. If someone with particular fetishes saw them, they might call them "food-grade."

Li Xuan didn't share such preferences. His attitude toward Huo Lingling differed from his treatment of Yun Xiuzhi because Huo Lingling was currently a beautiful fool who understood nothing, her knowledge reserves comparable to a newborn child. He needed patience with Huo Lingling to make her dependent on him.

This way, in future versions, Huo Lingling could become his impregnable support.

The value of the world's strongest support needed no explanation.

Two words: worth it!

Li Xuan withdrew his hand, but Huo Lingling suddenly grabbed it and placed it back on her foot.

Uh......

Li Xuan rubbed her foot a few more times before withdrawing his hand again. Huo Lingling once more seized his hand and returned it to her foot.

"I'll carry you upstairs, then rub it for you. How about that?" Li Xuan said.

Huo Lingling didn't understand Li Xuan's meaning, just dumbly repeated, "It hurts."

Li Xuan used the hand that had just rubbed her foot to pat Huo Lingling's head, then directly picked her up piggyback style and headed upstairs.

Yun Xiuzhi perched on Li Xuan's shoulder, saying to him, "If you hadn't told me she has no brain, I would have thought she was a green tea bitch. I could never in my lifetime come up with such methods to attract men."

A soft little hand poked the pigeon's belly as Huo Lingling vaguely said, "Me... green tea."

"You're not called green tea, don't learn random things," Yun Xiuzhi said exasperatedly.

Li Xuan didn't share such preferences. His attitude toward Huo Lingling differed from his treatment of Yun Xiuzhi because Huo Lingling was currently a beautiful fool who understood nothing, her knowledge reserves comparable to a newborn child. He needed patience with Huo Lingling to make her dependent on him.

"You're not called that!"

"You green tea."

Huo Lingling's few words nearly infuriated Yun Xiuzhi to death. She raised her wings to cover her head, refusing to look at Huo Lingling.

After going upstairs and entering the apartment, Li Xuan placed Huo Lingling on the sofa and retrieved water and food.

Upon seeing the water and food, Huo Lingling forgot the pain in her foot, devouring everything voraciously without any ladylike manners, more like a wild beast. To be precise, Huo Lingling's heart was indeed that of a beast.

After eating and drinking her fill, Li Xuan helped Huo Lingling take a bath. As expected, Huo Lingling strongly resisted bathing—not out of shame, but simply disliking it.

Afterward, Li Xuan recalled that pet cats generally dislike baths too. Maybe Huo Lingling's situation resembled that of a pet cat?

Freshly cleaned and wearing new clothes, Huo Lingling became even more beautiful, like a bright pearl radiating dazzling brilliance. Li Xuan wanted her to sleep, but Huo Lingling refused, clinging to Li Xuan like a shadow, following him wherever he went.

Yun Xiuzhi watched the two from a dark corner, muttering to herself, "Hmph! Out with the old, in with the new!"

Normally, this time belonged to her and Li Xuan. They would chat about everything under the sun, from childhood stories to adulthood, sharing various gossip and embarrassing moments.

Now, this time belonged to Huo Lingling.

Yun Xiuzhi felt unhappy, but she didn't say it aloud, telling herself internally: Whatever!

Meanwhile

R City Settlement

Huo Shuangshuang returned dragging her exhausted body, bringing over thirty survivors with her.

"Brigade Leader, I'm heading back first. This trip nearly killed me," Huo Shuangshuang said.

The person Huo Shuangshuang called Brigade Leader was a burly man with a resolute face that commanded authority even without anger. In his subordinates' eyes, the Brigade Leader was an iron-faced, unemotional man who stuck rigidly to rules—many privately said he lacked flexibility.

But now, the Brigade Leader's expression differed from usual, his gaze evasive and his voice somewhat awkward. "Captain Huo, your sister isn't in your dorm."

Huo Shuangshuang nodded. "I know. She needs three days of observation before transferring to my dorm."

The Brigade Leader silently shook his head. "No, I mean your sister didn't return."

Crack~

Thunder rumbled

A lightning bolt happened to flash at that moment.

Huo Shuangshuang froze for an instant before anger took over. "What! My sister didn't return! Impossible! I personally saw off the team transporting my sister! There were even reinforcements along the way! How could she not return!"

Furious flames burned in her chest.

Huo Shuangshuang resembled a lit powder keg, ready to explode at any moment.

"Your sister was taken by the Prehistoric Colossus. That monster killed the reinforcement team and let the people transporting your sister go," the Brigade Leader said.

Prehistoric Colossus!?

That transformer they'd been searching for?

Why would they take Huo Lingling?

Huo Shuangshuang quickly found the answer in her heart. Huo Lingling was currently amnesiac with no abilities. Besides being captivated by Huo Lingling's beauty, what other reason could there be?

"Damn it! Damn it!"

"I want to see the survivors! I need to find the Prehistoric Colossus!" Huo Shuangshuang shouted angrily.