Chapter 35: Killing to Establish Authority

The ringleader was startled, a sudden chill creeping over his scalp.

However, he was no pushover. Having spent years navigating the underworld, he wasn't about to be cowed so easily. He snatched a hat from one of his lackeys and shoved it onto his own head. He then kicked the iron gate and shouted at Lu Ruisheng, "Do you really dare to hurt me? There are so many of us; even if it's one life for another, you're dead either way. We only wanted your supplies, but it seems you're looking for death. Watch me—"

Before he could finish, Gu Pan raised her hand and fired an arrow, pinning the man's leg—the very one he had used to kick the gate. "Watch your own funeral. You're the one looking for death. We have no intention of trading lives with you, but if you don't treat that wound immediately, you'll be the first to die."

The ringleader knew the lethality of an open wound in such freezing temperatures. Desperate and prepared to go down fighting, he yelled to his men, "Get them! We have the numbers!"

A tall, thin, dim-witted lackey beside him raised a knife and lunged toward the gate, thrusting it through the gaps in the bars. "How dare you disrespect our boss! Open this door, or I'll hack you to pieces!"

Lu Ruisheng frowned. "We really didn't want to resort to slaughter today, but you're asking for it." With a swift motion, he fired an arrow, piercing the lackey’s throat. The man collapsed with a clatter, twitching on the floor until he went still.

The remaining lackeys were stunned. After a moment of paralysis, they turned and fled down the stairs, abandoning their leader without a second thought. They weren't prepared to die for a cold-blooded killer.

The ringleader’s leg was already freezing shut with congealing blood. Unable to move, he reached out to grasp the corner of the wall. "You wretched woman! You didn't tell me how strong they were! Are you trying to kill me?"

A voice drifted from apartment 902: "None of my business. I was just passing by." With that, she ran off without looking back. She knew she couldn't return; Gu Pan was a killer. If Gu Pan found out she was the one who brought these men, she would be dead. She needed to find a more powerful protector.

Seeing the woman flee, the ringleader was incensed. "Li Aixue, you bitch, you’ve killed me!"

Earlier that day, Li Aixue had approached him, claiming there were abundant supplies on the seventh floor and promising herself to him for three days if they succeeded. She had failed to mention that the couple living there were hardened survivors who killed without blinking. Had he known, he would have stuck to robbing easier targets; there was no need to risk his life for this.

Feeling his body temperature plummeting, he knew he was done for. His hastily assembled crew had scattered like leaves in the wind. With his leg numb and no hope of rescue, he decided to end it quickly. Gritting his teeth, he pulled a dagger and plunged it into his own chest.

Gu Pan now knew that the woman in 902 was named Li Aixue. It was too late to chase her, but she vowed not to let her off the hook if they crossed paths again.

Chen Lang, still a child, was trembling, his hands shaking as he held his knife. Chen Shaonan’s breathing was ragged, his mind reeling. Yet, he understood: in this world, if you don't kill, you get killed. He realized he needed to make his family capable of self-defense as soon as possible.

Gu Pan looked at Chen Lang. "Chen Lang, this is the apocalypse. Only the strong survive. Only when you are strong can you protect the ones you love."

Chen Lang gripped his knife tighter. "I understand."

Gu Pan smiled. "Then let's dispose of these two bodies together."

After a moment's hesitation, Chen Lang nodded firmly. "Alright."

Lu Ruisheng turned to Chen Shaonan. "Teacher Chen, are you holding up?"

Chen Shaonan took a deep breath. "I'm fine."

Gu Pan used the walkie-talkie to summon the others from downstairs. It was essential for everyone to realize that killing might become a necessity—a rite of passage in this new world. Cheng Yang was the first to arrive; he stumbled at the sight of the corpses. "They’re really dead?"

"Dead," Gu Pan confirmed. "If they aren't, we’ll never have peace. It’s for the best; now that people know we kill, they won't provoke us so easily."

Feng Zhekai remained composed. "Let's move them downstairs and burn them tomorrow."

"Break down the door to 902," Gu Pan countered. "Leave them in her place for a couple of days. If she doesn't come back, it won't matter, but if she does, it will scare her to death."

Cheng Yang caught her drift. "Sister, does this have to do with 902?"

"She was the one who sent them, just because we wouldn't let her freeload," Gu Pan replied.

Cheng Yang clenched his fists in fury. "If I see her again, I'll kill her myself. How vicious."

"She’s run off; I doubt she’ll dare to show her face here again," Gu Pan said.

Feng Zhekai was struck by the realization. "All this because we wouldn't let her take advantage of us? She tried to have us killed? I underestimated the situation."

"Conflicts like this will only increase," Lu Ruisheng added. "Resources are finite. People are still scavenging now, but when there's no food left, cannibalism won't be impossible."

Feng Zhekai listened, knowing the truth in those words. The law was gone. If the weather didn't break, starvation would lead to the darkest of outcomes. They could only learn to survive and adapt.

Once the bodies were cleared, everyone returned home. Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng showered to wash away the night's events, feeling a sense of relief once the blood was gone.

The entire building had been awake, listening to the commotion, but no one dared to intervene. The neighbors now understood the price of crossing the group on the seventh floor. For their allies, the cruelty of the apocalypse was now fully realized, and they were all the more grateful to have aligned themselves with such capable people.