Chapter 9: Decisive Slaughter

"Delusional. Even if I die, I will never let her do something like this."

The young man glared fiercely at the scarred man, enunciating every word: "To save my own life, I, Liu Yu, could never commit such a scumbag act as making the woman I love serve another man."

"Heh!"

The scarred man sneered. He turned his head to look at the woman: "Is that what you think, too? You'd rather die, or go out and be fed to the zombies, than be with me?"

Upon hearing this, the woman seemed to picture herself being torn apart by zombies, and deep terror crossed her face.

A moment later, she offered a desolate smile: "If one must abandon their dignity and compromise their bottom line just to survive, then what is the point of living in such a world?"

"Yu, I love you! Even if we die, we will die together."

The woman gave the young man a passionate kiss, then helped him up, and they walked slowly toward the lobby entrance.

The scarred man’s expression darkened. He did not believe this fragile couple would truly dare to walk out of the hotel; there were far too many zombies outside. If they were truly determined to die rather than submit, he wouldn't actually let them go. The man didn't matter, but he was determined to have this girl. He had never in his life played with such a pure and beautiful woman, and her slender, jade-like legs made his mouth water. Now that so many zombies had fallen from the sky—surely marking the end of the world—he was the king of this hotel. Any woman he wanted to sleep with would have to crawl into his bed obediently.

The scarred man signaled to the blond thug. Understanding the cue, the blond walked quickly to the glass doors, took out the keys, and pretended to open them to let the couple out.

Watching this, Liu Yu and the woman felt a surge of terror, yet their steps remained firm, without a hint of hesitation. It was as if they were channeling the spirit of a tragic hero marching toward destiny.

"Good and evil reside in the heart; the apocalypse only amplifies such intentions," Lin Yu remarked, watching the couple’s retreating backs with appreciation.

"Get back here!"

The couple had reached the entrance, prepared to face death together, only to be blocked by the blond thug. The scarred man walked over, step by step, staring at them coldly.

"I didn't expect you really weren't afraid of dying! Truth be told, I have taken a fancy to this woman. Even if she dies, she will only die beneath me."

"You! You are shameless!"

The young man, furious, clenched his fists and swung at the scarred man. But he was no match; the scarred man kicked him away again, sending him curling onto the floor, unable to get up for a long time.

*Clap, clap, clap!*

Suddenly, a round of applause rang out abruptly.

"In this apocalypse, humanity's filth and evil are everywhere. It’s rare to see such pure beauty—why must you insist on destroying it?"

Lin Yu rose slowly, staring at the scarred man. "Besides, a man should keep his word. How can you be so untrustworthy?"

As these words echoed, everyone in the lobby turned their gaze toward him. The young woman looked at Lin Yu, her beautiful eyes shimmering.

"Kid, I intended to leave you alone, but don't be ungrateful." The scarred man’s anger flared, and he shouted, "Besides, you don't even know them. Why are you meddling in this?"

"To borrow your own words: I do what I want. I don't like the look of you, so I'm going to deal with you. It’s that simple." Lin Yu shrugged.

"Damn it, you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Brothers, get him! Kill him!"

A fierce look flashed across the scarred man's face as he signaled his men to swarm forward.

"Nothing but ants."

Lin Yu flashed forward, appearing at the scarred man's side, and threw a punch.

"So fast!" The scarred man was shocked, quickly crossing his arms in front of his chest to defend.

*Bang!*

With just one punch, the scarred man’s body flew horizontally, knocking over four or five of the approaching thugs.

The small-time hoodlums froze mid-charge, staring at their boss’s body, a chill running down their spines. The scarred man lay on his back, blood bubbling from his mouth, his arms deformed and his chest visibly caved in. He was taking in more air than he was letting out; he clearly wasn't going to make it.

*Hiss~*

The gaze of the surrounding thugs changed as they looked at Lin Yu, filled with sheer terror. This man was too terrifying! He had killed their boss with a single punch!

Lin Yu walked forward, step by step, and with every step he took, the thugs retreated in unison.

"What? Do you want to avenge your boss?" Lin Yu scanned the dozen or so thugs.

"No, no!" Everyone caught in Lin Yu's gaze shook their heads frantically, their bodies trembling.

What kind of international joke was this? Who would want to avenge a dead man? And to seek revenge against this terrifying monster in front of them—one would have to be brain-dead to think of such a thing!

"Then get lost!" Lin Yu barked.

With a unified movement, the thugs scrambled to the sides, clearing a path in the middle.

"This man... how domineering," the young woman whispered, her eyes full of admiration.

Lin Yu walked over to where the thugs had gathered their supplies. Looking at the miscellaneous items on the table, he picked out a yellow fruit. He had noticed this fruit when the thugs were collecting their loot earlier.

After pocketing the fruit, Lin Yu looked at the crowd. "Whoever else has similar fruits, no matter the color, can trade them with me for food."

At this, a bespectacled man stepped out and said to Lin Yu, "That fruit is mine. They looted it from me."

"So?" Lin Yu asked, his tone mocking.

"You should trade it with me for food!" the bespectacled man said, as if it were a matter of course.

"Ha! That belonged to the scarred man. What does it have to do with you?"

"He robbed me!" the man said with a look of resentment.

Lin Yu particularly detested such people—timid and silent when bullied by thugs, but quick to jump out and take advantage once someone else had solved the problem.

"Fine, come and get it then!" Lin Yu said with a smile.

Delighted, the man rushed over and began stuffing bags of bread from the table into his pockets.

Lin Yu’s expression turned cold. He struck suddenly, gripping the man’s throat.

*Crack!* The sound of bone snapping rang out. Clean, efficient, and without hesitation.

Lin Yu let go, and the man’s body slumped to the ground. His eyes were wide open, one hand slowly pointing at Lin Yu, wanting to say something but unable to; blood continued to spill from his mouth.

"The scarred man stole your fruit. Since you wanted it back so badly, I'll just send you to see him so you can ask him for it yourself."

Lin Yu’s tone was flat. His ruthless and decisive behavior sent a chill through everyone present.

"Alright, my offer still stands. Anyone with fruits can trade them with me for food." Lin Yu scanned the room.

"Big brother, I have a green one. I wonder what I can trade it for?" a middle-aged man with a flat top asked timidly.

"A green one only gets you two days' worth of food. Help yourself from the table, but don't be greedy!" Lin Yu reminded him with a smile.

"I won't, I won't!" The man laughed awkwardly, carefully took two days' worth of food, and retreated.

Before long, Lin Yu had collected 11 green fruits and 3 yellow fruits—a significant haul.