Shen Yu saw the little one's face, red and scrunched up from crying, clearly showing her hunger. He quickly picked up the milk bottle and placed it at her mouth. The baby grasped it tightly with her tiny hands, gazing at Shen Yu as she drank.
After a while, she stopped sucking and drifted off into sleep. Shen Yu gently looked at the child, then unwrapped an energy bar and ate it in silence.
When he was done, he turned his head, deep in thought. After a moment, he climbed onto the wall and transformed into a small lizard. Instantly, the world seemed enormous. Crawling outside, he peeked over the ledge—outside was swarming with zombies.
They were only on the second floor. Across the apartment complex, he could sense there were still many survivors, but all of them were terrified and hiding.
Shen Yu returned to his own unit. On his floor alone, nearly a dozen zombies wandered aimlessly.
"I'm small in this form, so they won't notice me," Shen Yu murmured. "But if I want to kill them, I need to lure them out one by one. Even with my abilities, charging into a group is suicide. A single scratch could turn me into one of them. It's not worth the risk."
He slipped back into the room, shut the window tight, and closed the door.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed. A message popped up in the apartment group chat:
Yang Lan: These zombies are terrifying! They've entered our building. What should we do?
Chen Liang: I tried calling the police, but no one's answering. What now?
Liu Mei: My food is gone. Someone clear the zombies! I need to go shopping.
Wang Xiao: I'm the landlord. Don't panic, everyone—we'll survive this. I've contacted the police. But we must first clear the apartment of zombies. Once it's safe, the police will rescue us. I'll organize some groups. Those chosen will help clean the zombies.
Wang Xiao: Chen Liang, Wu Zhen, Shen Yu, Zhu Tian, Guo Bo. You five will clear the second floor. Once it's done and the police arrive, you'll be rewarded with big money. But it must be today.
After reading the messages, Shen Yu sneered. Heh… this old hag is quite the actor. He typed back:
Shen Yu: I'm not going.
The group exploded.
Group Member: Shen Yu, be a man! Why won't you help?
Wang Xiao: If you don't help us, I'll make sure you end up in jail!
Shen Yu snorted and tossed the phone aside. "Hypocrites. Did any of them ask what will happen to my child? Whether I have food? No. They only care about using me."
He leaned back, deep in thought. I've gained these abilities. I can deal with some zombies easily, but instead of fighting recklessly, why not study my powers first? I need to understand my strengths and weaknesses… and this so-called system.
Taking a knife, Shen Yu cut his hand and waited. Within a minute, the small wound healed completely. Curious, he cut a deeper gash. This time, it took nearly an hour before the flesh knitted back together.
"So, regeneration works. If my arm is severed, it should regrow fully within a day."
Next, he tested camouflage. His body faded until he was completely invisible—even his clothes vanished. But he quickly realized the limits. A sudden sprint or violent movement caused the effect to break.
"This is only useful for hiding or moving slowly. Not for combat."
Even so, a smile crept across his face. These abilities were real.
Suddenly, a foul stench hit his nose. His senses had become sharper thanks to his lizard form. Then—
"Waaah!"
Bibi's cry echoed from the crib. Shen Yu glanced over and saw her tiny face red again. She had dirtied her diaper. With some difficulty, he changed her, grimacing all the while. When he was done, he stared at her with mild frustration.
But the baby only giggled, reaching out to him with her little hands, babbling: "Ba… ba…"
Shen Yu shook his head helplessly. "There's nothing I can do about you." He handed her the bottle. "Don't make noise. Just sleep."
Bibi happily began drinking, her eyes fixed on him. She couldn't understand why her father never held her.
Wang Xiao's face flushed with anger when she read Shen Yu's reply. What does he think he's doing? she fumed. I planned to get everyone to clear the zombies, and he actually refused. That bastard needs a lesson.
She messaged the building's security guard, Zhang Jin: If you force Shen Yu out of the building, you'll get food.
Zhang Jin replied without hesitation, No problem. That Shen Yu is a coward — all talk, no action. In reality he's weak. He has a daughter; he won't fight back.
"But first we need to clear the second floor," Zhang Jin added. "How should we handle it?"
Wang Xiao answered, I'll send some men to clean it up. Then she posted in the group: Whoever clears the second floor will receive food.
The chat exploded. Food? I'll do it! Anyone want to team up? We'll split whatever we get.
Shen Yu read the messages and weighed them carefully. Wait — she's promising food. Does she actually have supplies in her unit? He mused. No — she's manipulating everyone. Once the floor is cleared, she'll demand food from the whole building, then dole out only tiny rations. What a hypocrite. He allowed himself a bitter smirk.
Wang Xiao posted again: Shen Yu — help us and apologize, and we'll forget what you said earlier. If the building is cleared, we'll call the police and make sure you're not arrested.
Shen Yu fired back, blunt as ever: Old woman, if you have the guts, go ahead and arrest me. I want to see you try.
Wang Xiao's face burned red with fury. Everyone — this Shen Yu isn't a man. We should kick him out of the building. He's not worthy.
She grinned in her room. Ha… you're arrogant. Let's see how long you keep this up.
More voices piled on in the group. Yeah, that young man is a coward — don't give him food. Kick him out. Why is he even still inside the building?
After angering everyone, Shen Yu simply lay down on the bed and fell asleep in silence.