The man's name is Anhe, his wife's name is Lin Shu, and his daughter's name is An Jinjin.

We also introduced ourselves.

After Anhe retired from the military, he became a physical education teacher at Jinjin's current school. It was at that school where he met his wife, Lin Shu, who was a Chinese teacher.

"Is there something wrong with that group from the city government?"

Anhe nodded his head, looking at me with eyes full of surprise.

He seemed surprised by how smart I was.

"The people at the entrance holding weapons were wearing a captain's uniform and had a rogue-like demeanor without the bearing of a soldier. Moreover, their looks towards women were filled with lechery."

That's why I always felt there was something off about them.

"As expected, it seems that a group of prisoners took advantage of the chaos to escape and occupied the city government building."

Yan and I were too shocked to speak.

"Did any of the prisoners escape to our community?"

I felt a bit uneasy.

Anhe nodded again.

"Two men escaped to our community and went door to door in Building 13 robbing supplies, starting from the 31st floor and breaking into any apartment they could."

Yan couldn't believe it.

"Aren't they afraid of the zombies?"

"They are desperate criminals who have killed many people. Now, a few zombies are no match for them; killing them is even easier."

"Why did they choose Building 13?"

Yan's voice was trembling a bit.

I quickly answered this question before Anhe could.

"Because Building 13 is close to the road, and there is a fenced vegetable garden downstairs that zombies can't get into, making it very safe. Most importantly, it's easy to climb up Building 13."

"Right."

Anhe agreed with my answer.

"What kind of clothes were those two men wearing?"

"I remember one man was a bit fat, carrying a backpack, and wearing a T-shirt and jeans. The other one was wearing glasses and a suit."

So those two were desperadoes...

I even tried to negotiate with them at the time...

Now that I think about it, I break out in a cold sweat.

Seeing that I wasn't speaking, Anhe dropped the topic.

"But I think what was said on the broadcast is true; only Chengdu has fallen."

"What should we do next?"

"Wait."

"Wait for what?"

"Wait for the country to send rescue teams."

But...

Lin Shu had just put Jinjin to sleep, came out, and sat next to Anhe.

"The supplies in this villa community are enough for the five of us to last for half a year. Within these six months, we will definitely receive rescue."

I looked at Anhe and Lin Shu, puzzled.

"It's surprising that you kept us here, right?"

I nodded.

"Without my friend and me, your food could last even longer. There's no reason to keep us."

Anhe patted my shoulder.

"Xiao Qian, you are very smart and rational. But an extra person living means extra hope, doesn't it? We will eventually overcome this virus and these zombies. In turbulent times, no one can stand alone. But if we unite, we will surely achieve victory."

Maybe because Anhe had served in the military, his words moved me deeply.

Because that's what I had initially thought as well.

"Yes... an extra person living means extra hope. But what if the food runs out?"

Conflicts haven't arisen yet because everyone can still survive.

But what happens when survival becomes impossible? Everyone would become selfish and egoistic just to stay alive.

Then the potential conflicts would erupt, and everyone would turn into demons.

Just like Yan and I, if I hadn't suggested looking for food, what would we do once the food ran out?

Argue? Blame each other? Kill each other?

"Yes, food will eventually run out. Didn't you also come out to find supplies because your food was running out? It's the same; as long as the problem can be solved, it is not a problem. I appreciate your courage and intelligence, so I chose you as my battle partner. Once we run out of food, we'll go out and find more."

I sighed. Actually, I had no choice. Besides here, Yan and I had nowhere else to go.

"Alright, let's get some rest early. We have important things to do tomorrow."

Anhe patted my shoulder and left.

Lin Shu took Yan and me to a secondary bedroom on the second floor.

"Sister, rest early. We'll talk about everything after you sleep. If you still want to leave tomorrow, Anhe and I won't stop you."

I thanked her, saw her out, and then locked the door.

Yan lay on the bed without even taking off her clothes.

"Sleep, Qianqian. We'll talk about tomorrow's matters tomorrow."

I didn't speak, just told her to sleep first, while I sat by the door, leaning against it, dozing off.

Even though Anhe's family seemed very friendly, it was still our first meeting, so I had to be cautious.

But to my surprise, I actually fell asleep leaning against the door.

When I opened my eyes, I was already lying in bed, feeling sore, dizzy, and slightly congested.

"Qianqian, you're awake?"

Yan's exclamation brought me back to my senses.

Besides her, Lin Shu was also sitting nearby.

"Xiao Qian, are you feeling better?"

I wanted to speak but found my throat sore, unable to make a sound.

Lin Shu seemed to understand what I was thinking.

"You had a fever and slept for two whole days."

Yan nodded beside her.

"Yes, yesterday morning when I woke up, I found you lying on the ground and couldn't wake you. I walked over and realized you were burning up. I struggled to pull you to the bed's edge since you were dressed too thickly for me to carry. Then I found Lin Jie. She helped me get you onto the bed and took off your equipment."

"Thank you."

Lin Shu shook her head.

"Do you want some water?"

"Yes."

Yan picked up a cup with a straw beside it and placed the straw in my mouth.

"Drink a little. Your Brother Anhe is making porridge. After you eat, take some medicine and get more rest. You'll feel better soon."

"Thank you, Lin Jie."

Just as I finished speaking, Anhe walked in with a bowl of steaming porridge.

"Xiao Qian is awake? Feeling better?"

Jinjin followed behind him.

"Aunt Qian, you're finally awake!"

Seeing the cute and sweet Jinjin, I felt much of my gloom lift.

"Thank you, Brother Anhe, Lin Jie, Jinjin, and Yan."

The sick are truly vulnerable; my tears flowed uncontrollably.

But no one laughed at me; they just told me to eat and rest well to get better soon.