"Lin Yue."
He simply stated his name, but his gaze remained fixed on Zhao Si's face, continuing to scrutinize every trace of his recent survival.
Zhao Si seemed guileless, or perhaps the sheer euphoria of surviving had diluted the cruelty of the apocalypse.
He gasped for air, taking a small, precious sip of water.
"Brother Lin Yue, judging by your accent... you're not from Hangzhou City?"
Zhao Si finally recovered, carefully asking while rubbing his bruised, injured leg, his eyes occasionally darting toward the outside of the warehouse.
Lin Yue knew this was the instinctive reaction of people in the post-apocalyptic world, so he didn't say much!
"I just arrived recently."
Lin Yue answered vaguely, then changed the subject, cutting straight to the question he cared about most,
"What is the current situation in Hangzhou City?"
He couldn't directly ask what exactly had happened, as that would seem strange, so he chose to subtly inquire about the state of Hangzhou City.
This question instantly wiped the joy from Zhao Si's face.
He was silent for a moment, his voice faint, like a dream: "Half a year ago... we in Hangzhou City call that day the 'Day of Transformation.'
Nobody knows why, but the world seemed to go mad overnight.
The sky turned gray, and then... everything started mutating."
Zhao Si's voice trembled,
"Dead people, dead people everywhere."
"What about the government? Didn't the army organize a rescue?" he followed up.
"Yes, of course they did!" Zhao Si grew agitated.
"It was thanks to the protection of the military and police that ordinary people like us had a chance to breathe.
Later, outside the city, they converted the largest prison—the Hangzhou City Third Prison—into a massive Shelter."
"Prison?" Lin Yue mulled over the word; it was certainly an interesting choice.
With its own high walls and iron netting, easy to defend and hard to attack, it was indeed the best barrier during the initial stages of the apocalypse.
"Yes, most of the people who survived in Hangzhou City are gathered there now."
A look of yearning flashed in Zhao Si's eyes, then quickly faded.
"I... I came from the Shelter."
"I joined the Shelter's Exploration Team, the Third Squad."
He gave a self-deprecating laugh and patted his injured leg,
"The mission was to come out and find supplies—food, medicine... everything.
Yesterday, our squad was right near here, trying to enter this supermarket, but... we ran into a group of mutated beasts."
Zhao Si's breathing grew heavy, his eyes bloodshot: "There were five people in our squad, and I'm the only one left.
I survived by hiding in this warehouse, but I was so panicked that my leg got pinned down by a shelf... Brother Lin Yue, if it weren't for you..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.
Lin Yue understood the situation.
A five-person Exploration Team was almost completely wiped out right outside this supermarket; it was easy to imagine how dangerous it was outside.
As for him, the reason he could stand here unharmed was entirely due to Xuanwu.
"In this world, life is truly precarious." Lin Yue muttered softly, sounding both sentimental and self-admonishing.
He glanced at Zhao Si's bloody, mangled leg, knowing clearly that in a hellhole like this, such an injury was a death sentence.
He wasn't a saint; there was no way he could drag a severely injured person along.
"Your leg..." Lin Yue began.
"I understand." Zhao Si quickly interjected.
He was sensible and didn't make any unrealistic demands,
"Brother, you saved my life; this kindness is immense.
I wouldn't dare ask you to take me with you. This leg of mine... is a burden."
He pulled a dirty cloth bag from his chest, carefully opening it to reveal a crudely drawn map and half a pack of cigarettes.
"This is a map our squad drew of nearby safe spots and supply points. It's incomplete, but you might be able to use it.
These cigarettes... they're my last treasures."
He pushed the items toward Lin Yue. "Brother, no words can thank you for this great kindness.
If you ever go to the Third Prison Shelter, just in case... you see Captain Wang Hailong of our Third Squad, tell him that Zhao Si did his best."
Lin Yue didn't take the map or the half-pack of cigarettes.
Instead, he took out two bottles of water and some food from his own bag and placed them next to Zhao Si's hand.
"Keep the map; you need it more than I do. Use this food and water sparingly."
Lin Yue stood up, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Find a place to hide securely, don't make a sound, and maybe... you can wait for the next team."
Zhao Si was completely stunned.
He looked at the food before him, then up at Lin Yue, his lips trembling, unable to speak a single word.
In this world where human life is cheaper than grass, this food was far more valuable than a life.
"Brother..."
"My name is Lin Yue." Leaving this last sentence, he turned and walked out of the warehouse without the slightest delay, never looking back.
Outside the supermarket, the gray sunlight was slightly harsh.
Xuanwu's massive, mountain-like body guarded the entrance.
Seeing him emerge, it let out a deep rumble in its throat and affectionately nudged him with its huge head.
"Let's go, Xuanwu." Lin Yue flipped himself onto the broad shell.
He glanced back at the supermarket. *Good luck,* Lin Yue silently wished.
He wasn't a savior; all he could do was leave behind a small, insignificant act of kindness while ensuring his own safety.
Lying prone on Xuanwu's back, his field of vision immediately became vast.
The abandoned vehicles and collapsed buildings on the ground could no longer obstruct his view; the layout of the entire street was visible at a glance.
"This vantage point is practically a natural reconnaissance platform." Lin Yue couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
He directed Xuanwu, moving slowly through the ruins.
"Roar!" A mutated cockroach the size of a washbasin sprang out of a pile of garbage, attempting a sneak attack.
Lin Yue didn't even bother to look up.
"Thud!"
Xuanwu maintained its original pace, its thick front leg descending like a warhammer, instantly crushing the creature into a puddle of green fluid.
The shell only jostled slightly, as if it had rolled over a small pebble.
[Absorbing scattered energy, gaining 1 point of energy.]
"It didn't even form an energy crystal!" Lin Yue clicked his tongue, saying with some dissatisfaction.
Lying on the shell, he could safely observe his surroundings, searching for the next supply point and looking for isolated prey.
Just then, at the end of his sightline, next to the ruins of a half-collapsed shopping mall, several stealthy figures flashed by.
They were living people.
Three individuals, ragged and emaciated, clutching crowbars and rusty machetes, were nervously huddled behind an overturned bus, seemingly hiding from something.
Lin Yue's appearance startled the trio.
When the three saw a mountain-like giant tortoise carrying a person slowly approaching them, the expressions on their faces froze.
First came stupefaction, followed immediately by their hands, gripping their weapons, beginning to tremble.
But after the initial terror subsided, a hint of greed quietly surfaced in the eyes of Scarface, the man leading them.
What kind of monster was that?
Was it tamed?
If he could tame this monster, what would he have to fear in this apocalypse!
But the thread of greed barely surfaced before he forcefully suppressed it.
Scarface immediately grabbed his two companions, frantically warning them with his eyes to stay silent and even lighten their breathing.
In the face of such power, any extraneous thought was equivalent to seeking death.
Lin Yue looked down from his height, taking in their expressions completely.
He did nothing, merely sweeping his indifferent gaze over their hiding spot.
That single glance made Scarface feel as if he had plunged into an ice cellar, every hair on his body standing on end.
He had no doubt that if he dared to show even a hint of hostility, the giant beast would instantly crush them into meat paste.
Lin Yue didn't stop, directing Xuanwu to walk past slowly and deliberately.
Not until the massive figure disappeared around the street corner did the three, including Scarface, slump to the ground as if their bones had been removed, gasping for breath, their backs soaked in cold sweat.
"Boss... what... what the hell was that thing?" A young survivor asked tremblingly.
"Shut up!" Scarface roared, his eyes full of lingering fear.
"That is not something we can afford to provoke.
Remember him, remember that tortoise! If you see it again, walk around it!"
On the other side, Lin Yue, lying on the shell, curled his lips into an amused arc.
"Interesting." He muttered to himself. "It seems in this world, my 'pet' is my best calling card."
He stopped paying attention to the survivors, refocusing his gaze forward.
Based on the details from Zhao Si's map and his own observations, there should be another small supermarket not far ahead.
"Let's go, Xuanwu." Lin Yue patted the shell beneath him.
"Whether we get an extra can of food tonight depends on this trip."
Xuanwu gave a low growl and steadily moved forward.