The wind swept dust through the camp.
A small flame danced on Jiang Bing’s fingertip, its glow illuminating the long scar across his face. The oppressive menace radiating from him made it difficult for anyone nearby to breathe.
Long Junlong stood frozen in place.
Tears streamed down his face, a mixture of humiliation and despair. His fists were clenched so tightly that his fingernails dug deep into his palms.
Seeing Jiang Bing’s expression growing colder by the second, Long Juanli panicked. She grabbed her brother’s arm roughly and lowered her voice, though the threat behind her words was unmistakable.
“Have you made up your mind yet? Don’t throw away the chance you’ve been given.”
Long Junlong violently shook her hand away.
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at her, his trembling voice filled with anguish.
“Do you even understand what he wants from me? You’re willing to sacrifice me just so you can survive?”
“Sacrifice you?”
Long Juanli let out a cold laugh.
She pointed toward the zombies wandering across the wasteland before gesturing at the armed thugs surrounding them.
“In this world, staying alive is all that matters. Compared to being torn apart by zombies, swallowing your pride is nothing.”
“Nothing?”
Long Junlong laughed bitterly, tears falling as he did.
“You call this ‘nothing?’ You’re asking me to give up everything I have left. Do you have any conscience at all?”
“My conscience?”
She exploded.
“If it weren’t for me, Zhao Hongbin would’ve thrown you to the zombies already! This is the apocalypse. Surviving is a blessing. Stop clinging to your pride.”
“I’d rather die than live like this!”
His roar echoed through the camp.
The surrounding thugs burst into laughter.
Their mocking gazes pierced him like needles.
Jiang Bing watched the siblings argue with folded arms. His face remained expressionless, but the impatience in his eyes became increasingly obvious.
Sensing the atmosphere turning dangerous, Zhao Hongbin hurried over to smooth things over.
“Juanli, persuade your brother.”
He glanced meaningfully at her.
“Brother Bing taking an interest in him is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Taking a deep breath, Long Juanli forced herself to calm down.
When she looked back at her brother, her tone softened slightly, but the threat remained.
“Junlong… I’m begging you.”
“If you agree, no one in this camp will ever dare bully us again.”
“We’ll finally be able to survive.”
“I won’t.”
Long Junlong turned his head away without hesitation.
“If you want to curry favor with powerful people, do it yourself.”
“Don’t drag me into it.”
That sentence completely shattered her restraint.
Slap!
Her palm struck his face with a sharp crack.
His head snapped to one side.
A bright red handprint instantly appeared across his cheek, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
He slowly looked back at her.
The last trace of hope in his eyes disappeared.
“You hit me…”
“For a complete stranger…”
“You hit your own brother.”
“So what if I did?”
“I’m your sister!”
“I’m trying to keep us alive!”
“If you hadn’t failed to win over Lin Qingtang back then, would we be in this situation?”
“Now that we finally have a way out, you’re throwing it away!”
Long Junlong’s emotions finally exploded.
“It was your idea to use Lin Qingtang!”
“You were the one obsessed with climbing the social ladder through her!”
“And now you’re blaming me?”
Without thinking, he raised his hand.
Slap!
This time, Long Juanli staggered backward.
She clutched her face in complete disbelief.
Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that the younger brother who had always obeyed her would strike her.
“You actually hit me?”
She screamed and lunged toward him.
Before they could come to blows again—
“Ahem.”
Jiang Bing stepped forward.
He didn’t raise his voice.
He didn’t need to.
The instant he moved, the entire camp fell silent.
Even the jeering laughter disappeared.
The siblings froze where they stood.
Jiang Bing fixed his gaze on Long Junlong.
His voice was calm, cold, and impossible to refuse.
“I’ll ask one last time.”
“Are you coming with me?”
Long Junlong looked into Jiang Bing’s ruthless eyes.
Then he looked around at the men slowly closing in around him.
He understood.
Whether he agreed or not…
He had no way out.
Gritting his teeth, he met Jiang Bing’s gaze.
“I’m not going with you.”
“If you want to kill me…”
“Then do it.”
Jiang Bing chuckled.
The sound carried no warmth whatsoever.
“Kill you?”
“That would be far too easy.”
“If you refuse…”
He glanced toward Long Juanli.
“I’ll throw your sister outside the camp.”
“What happens after that…”
“I’ll let your imagination finish the story.”
Long Juanli’s face instantly turned deathly pale.
Her entire body shook uncontrollably.
She looked desperately at her brother.
“Junlong…”
“I’m begging you…”
“If you don’t agree, I’m finished.”
“You can’t abandon me.”
“We’re family.”
Long Junlong stared at his sister’s tearful face.
Then he looked back at Jiang Bing’s confident smile.
The overwhelming despair swallowed him whole.
Slowly…
He closed his eyes.
Two hot tears rolled down his cheeks.
The strength drained from his body.
In a voice barely louder than a whisper, he finally spoke.
“…I agree.”
The words were light as feathers.
Yet they landed with crushing weight.
A satisfied smile spread across Jiang Bing’s face.
He stepped forward and placed a possessive arm around Long Junlong’s shoulders, steering him away.
Long Junlong stiffened instinctively but made no further resistance.
He simply lowered his head in silence.
Long Juanli finally released the breath she’d been holding.
Relief washed over her face.
To her, the crisis had passed.
Zhao Hongbin smirked.
“Now that’s more like it.”
“As long as Brother Bing’s happy, we’ll all benefit.”
Long Juanli forced a smile.
“As long as everyone is satisfied…”
“I’ll do whatever I have to.”
Jiang Bing gestured to his men.
“We’re done here.”
“Let’s go.”
His followers immediately surrounded him as they headed toward the largest building in the camp.
Long Junlong walked among them with slow, unsteady steps.
He looked less like a living person than an empty shell.
Watching them disappear into the building, Long Juanli’s smile gradually faded.
Even so…
She felt no guilt.
In her mind, surviving the apocalypse justified every sacrifice.
Zhao Hongbin patted her shoulder casually.
“Come on.”
“Brother Bing’s in a good mood.”
“There’ll be plenty of rewards for us.”
She nodded and followed him inside another building.
Night gradually fell.
The camp grew lively as fires were lit.
The thugs roasted stolen meat, drank liquor, and laughed loudly around the flames.
Only the room at the very back of the compound remained unnervingly quiet.
No one approached it.
No one spoke of what was happening inside.
Everyone simply avoided looking in that direction.
Long Juanli sat beside one of the campfires with half a stale loaf of bread in her hands.
She ate in silence.
Occasionally, people glanced toward her and whispered among themselves.
She pretended not to notice.
The night passed.
By dawn, the rear room finally opened.
Jiang Bing emerged first.
He looked refreshed and thoroughly satisfied.
Stretching lazily, he ordered one of his men,
“Bring me something to eat.”
“And a bottle of water.”
The subordinate immediately ran off.
Some time later, Long Junlong slowly walked out.
His face was pale as paper.
Dark circles ringed his bloodshot eyes.
Every step appeared painful.
Supporting himself against the wall, he moved forward with empty eyes, like someone whose spirit had already left his body.
Long Juanli stood nearby.
She opened her mouth as if to speak.
In the end…
She said nothing.
Long Junlong looked at her.
There was no sadness left.
No anger.
Only cold hatred.
Without acknowledging her, he continued walking until he reached a quiet corner.
There, he sat down, hugged his knees, buried his face in his arms, and remained perfectly still.
Long Juanli watched his back.
For a brief moment, irritation flickered across her face.
Then she turned away.
Life in the camp continued.
Every day, Jiang Bing led his men out in search of supplies.
His fire ability was still weak. It couldn’t kill zombies outright, but it was enough to drive them back temporarily and maintain his authority over the group.
With constant use, however, his control steadily improved, and the flames grew stronger than before.
As for Long Junlong…
He rarely left the room anymore.
Day by day, he became quieter, more withdrawn, and increasingly numb.
No one in the camp asked about him.
No one wanted to.
Long Juanli, meanwhile, had secured her place within the camp thanks to Jiang Bing’s favor.
She no longer needed to fear Zhao Hongbin.
Even the other thugs now greeted her respectfully as “Sister Li.”
Little by little…
Whatever kindness remained in her heart disappeared completely.