The moment Zhou Cheng and his crew left, the convenience store fell quiet again.
But this time, the silence wasn't calm.
It was tight. Coiled. Like something waiting to snap.
Su Yu stood by the shelves, holding Sui Sui—her fever finally going down a little. Her voice wavered.
"Boss Lin… maybe I should take Sui Sui and leave tonight?"
Lin Wu didn't even look up.
"Outside is safer?"
That one sentence shut her up instantly.
Everyone knew the answer.
No power. Rain. Infected roaming the streets. And worse—other survivors.
People.
The kind who would kill you for a bottle of water.
Su Yu lowered her head, clutching the child tighter.
Lin Wu finally spoke again, tone flat:
"Stay. The store is safe."
That was it.
But somehow, Su Yu's shoulders loosened.
Qi Ye leaned against the counter, staring at the deepening night outside.
"You're seriously not closing?"
Lin Wu flipped through a set of keys and wiring diagrams, completely unbothered.
"Why would I?"
"They're lining up to送钱—" she paused, then smirked slightly.
"To pay me."
Qi Ye went quiet.
…Fair enough.
This boss had more guts than most people in the wasteland.
Outside, Wang Defa crouched near the shutter door, clutching half a bottle of water and some bread.
He kept glancing toward the street… then back into the store.
Terrified.
But unwilling to leave.
Because inside—
There was water.
Medicine.
Food.
In the apocalypse, human nature didn't disappear.
It just… showed itself faster.
Behind the counter, a system notification appeared silently.
[Temporary Mission Triggered]Maintain store order during hostile human contact.Requirement: Complete at least ONE trade.Reward: Defense Range Expansion ×1
Lin Wu raised an eyebrow.
A trade?
So just driving them off wasn't enough.
She had to squeeze something out of them.
…Perfect.
Ten minutes later—
Footsteps.
Not scattered this time.
Heavy. Organized.
Boots splashing through water. Metal clanking. Low voices.
Then—
Flashlights cut through the darkness.
Fourteen people.
The man leading them had a buzz cut.
A long scar stretched from his cheek to behind his ear, making his already harsh face look even more vicious under the rain.
Black leather jacket.Modified shotgun in hand.A knife at his waist.
The rest weren't amateurs either.
Not like Zhou Cheng's desperate little group.
These guys?
They looked… used to breaking rules.
Scar Liu stopped across the street.
His eyes scanned the glowing store.
Then the black ash stains on the ground—the remains of the infected.
Finally—
He looked at Lin Wu.
And smiled.
"…Interesting."
"The whole street's dead dark, and you're the only place still lit."
Lin Wu stood behind the glass door, casually writing in her ledger.
Didn't even look up.
"Say what you want."
Scar Liu's smile twitched.
Then widened.
"Miss, I'm a reasonable guy."
He tilted his chin toward the store.
"You've got water. Food. Medicine."
"My boys need supplies."
"Open the door. Let's talk inside."
Lin Wu closed her ledger.
Finally looked up.
"You come in alone."
"The rest stay outside."
A ripple went through his group.
They clearly weren't used to being told what to do.
Scar Liu's smile faded slightly.
"What if I don't?"
Lin Wu smiled faintly.
"Then none of you are doing business tonight."
Silence.
Even the rain seemed to pause.
Before Scar Liu could respond—
One of his men, a blond punk, snapped.
"Who the hell do you think you are?!"
He rushed forward with a steel pipe—
BOOM.
A golden barrier exploded into existence.
The guy didn't even touch the door.
A massive invisible force slammed into him—
He was sent flying backward, crashing into the flooded street.
The pipe clattered far away.
Dead silence.
Scar Liu's smile disappeared.
Completely.
Inside the light, Lin Wu stood calm as ever.
"I said. Stay where you are."
"If you can't follow basic rules—"
"Then don't do business."
Too steady.
Way too steady.
As if fourteen armed men meant nothing more than old ladies fighting over discount eggs.
Scar Liu's gaze darkened.
But he raised a hand.
No one moved.
Because now he understood—
This place wasn't something you could break with brute force.
"…Fine."
"I'll go in alone."
Lin Wu pointed at his shotgun.
"Leave that."
His expression turned cold.
"You want me unarmed?"
"You can choose not to come in."
Her reply was instant.
"This is a store."
"Not a hunting ground."
A long stare.
Then—
He actually put the gun down.
Inside the system interface—
[Permission Granted: Entry Approved]
A flash of golden light.
Scar Liu stepped in.
And froze.
Too clean.
Too bright.
Too… normal.
Like the apocalypse had been cut off at the door.
No blood. No rot. No chaos.
Even the air felt filtered.
For the first time—
A thought appeared in his mind.
This place…
Wasn't just valuable because of supplies.
The place itself—
Was the treasure.
And the greed in his eyes?
Impossible to hide.
Lin Wu saw everything.
Filed it away instantly.
High-risk client. Future trouble.
But for now—
She smiled.
"Let's talk."
"What are you trading?"
Scar Liu placed items on the counter:
A pack of cigarettes.A vehicle key.A walkie-talkie.
"There's a van outside. Still runs."
"Enough?"
System scan:
Low to mid value.
Lin Wu didn't hesitate.
"One crate of water."
"That's it."
Scar Liu's smile froze.
"…You serious?"
Lin Wu leaned back.
"The only thing worth anything is the car."
"And I don't even know if it works."
She glanced at the cigarettes.
"And these?"
"You think anyone's risking their life to smoke right now?"
Qi Ye almost laughed.
Savage.
But accurate.
Scar Liu's face darkened.
"I've got over ten men."
"One crate isn't enough."
Lin Wu nodded.
"That's your problem."
"Not mine."
Then—
He stepped closer.
Lowered his voice.
"Miss… you don't seem to understand."
"In this world—"
"You need people to protect what you have."
"You won't stay inside forever."
Threat.
Clear as day.
Su Yu turned pale.
But Lin Wu didn't even blink.
Because—
[Threat Detected]Execute Level 1 Punishment?
She selected:
YES.
BANG.
Scar Liu's body suddenly dropped.
One knee slammed into the ground.
Hard.
Shock.
Total silence.
Outside—
"Boss Liu?!"
"What the hell happened?!"
He tried to stand.
Couldn't.
An invisible weight crushed his shoulders like iron.
Lin Wu calmly picked up her water cup.
Then looked at him.
"First—"
"My store doesn't need your concern."
"Second—"
"When you step inside—leave your outside rules behind."
She paused.
Then said, almost casually—
"Third."
"Threatening the owner?"
"You kneel the first time."
"Next time—"
"You don't come in again."
Scar Liu's face twisted.
Humiliation.
Rage.
But deeper than that—
Fear.
Because now he knew—
This place didn't just have rules.
It enforced them.
A few seconds later—
The pressure vanished.
He stood up slowly.
Face ugly as hell.
"…I apologize."
Lin Wu nodded.
"Good."
"Business works better with manners."
Outside, his men were completely shaken.
Gun gone.
Boss kneeling.
Three minutes.
Their arrogance?
Gone.
Lin Wu tapped the counter.
"Final offer."
"Car + walkie-talkie + fuel."
"I give you—"
"Two crates of water."
"Sixteen instant noodles."
"Painkillers."
"Fever medicine."
"And…"
She smiled.
"I'll throw in one piece of information."
Scar Liu narrowed his eyes.
"What information?"
She pointed outside.
"The infected are drawn to light."
"But they can't enter my store."
She paused.
"If you want to make it back alive—"
"Control your people."
"Don't make noise here."
Translation?
Survive or die. Not my problem.
Silence.
Then—
"…Deal."
[Trade Complete][Mission Cleared]
But just as Lin Wu finished—
The system flashed again.
[High-Value Target Detected]Status: Critical / Near UnconsciousETA: 2 Minutes
At the same time—
From the far end of the street—
Footsteps.
Chaotic.
Desperate.
One person.
Running.
Stumbling.
Clutching something.
Heading straight toward the light.
Behind him—
Shadows.
Faster.
Twisted.
Closing in.
Su Yu tightened her grip.
Qi Ye straightened.
Lin Wu narrowed her eyes.
Her gaze fixed on one line—
"Carrying Special Item."
She smiled faintly.
"…Looks like we're not closing tonight."