The Rules of the City of Sin?
Tang Ning Ning was an honors student in psychology, and she understood the darkness of human nature more profoundly than anyone else present.
Xiao Yi's actions might seem utterly evil to some, but to Tang Ning Ning, they were actually a form of mercy.
Because Xiao Yi never forced anyone to do anything.
He simply offered a trade with what he had.
Everything Ling Xue Ya and the others did wasn't at Xiao Yi's command—it was their own choice.
At the very least, Xiao Yi wouldn't compel anyone; he gave them the power to choose.
If Ling Xue Ya refused out of pride, Tang Ning Ning believed Xiao Yi would never use force to make her.
In this apocalyptic world, such behavior from Xiao Yi was already merciful enough.
To follow a man like this was, in Tang Ning Ning's view, her good fortune. She was grateful she'd chosen to speak up for him back then.
"You're right. There are no born villains in this world—just good people who turn bad." Xiao Yi walked up to Tang Ning Ning, hoisted her onto his back, and tied her in place with rope. Without so much as glancing at the others kneeling on the ground, begging pathetically, he strode toward the door.
"Xiao Yi! I'm your woman now! Aren't you taking me with you?" Ling Xue Ya gazed at him pleadingly, crawling to his legs like an animal.
"Wrong. You're just my plaything. But even as my plaything, I won't let anyone else touch you!" Xiao Yi glanced up at Du Zhi Ming and the rest kneeling on the floor. "I'll be back in a bit to trade with you all again," he said coldly.
With that, he pushed open the door and vanished into the light beyond.
After Xiao Yi left, the group slowly rose to their feet. The warehouse fell into dead silence.
"Chen Kun's nothing but a cripple now. What the hell do we do?" one guy said, eyeing Chen Kun passed out on the ground.
"Hmph! He always loved sending people out to die, calling us trash and looking down on us. Let's send him out to scavenge some food!" spat the scrawny kid who'd been Chen Kun's biggest bootlicker, his voice dripping venom.
"I'm with you! A deadweight like him is just a burden. Plus, after how he treated Xiao Yi, Xiao Yi sure as hell doesn't want him alive. If we wanna keep getting food from Xiao Yi, we can't piss him off!" a girl added icily.
Du Zhi Ming thought for a moment, then fawned over Ling Xue Ya. "Xue Ya, you did great today! You saved all our lives. Chen Kun's fate is yours to decide."
Everyone turned to Ling Xue Ya. In their eyes, with her deep history with Chen Kun, she'd surely find a way to save him.
But Ling Xue Ya's gaze was icy, her eyes vacant as she stared at the door where Xiao Yi had disappeared. "Then toss him out," she said coldly. "I never want to see that cripple again!"
…
Xiao Yi carried Tang Ning Ning back to the City of Sin and handed her over to Li Wan Ning. "From now on, you three take turns watching the Tomb. Your job is to keep burying zombie corpses nonstop!"
With Tang Ning Ning joining them, the three could rotate shifts. That meant they could bury zombies even at night, boosting efficiency big time.
Seeing the newcomer, Li Wan Ning nodded obediently and began explaining the City of Sin's rules to Tang Ning Ning.
These rules were, naturally, a mix of Xiao Yi's usual demands and her own insights.
For instance, the first rule Li Wan Ning recited: They must address Xiao Yi as Master and obey his every command without question.
Xiao Yi nodded, satisfied with the first one. But the second made him speechless.
Li Wan Ning said it with utmost seriousness: "Our daily work is burying corpses and serving Master. We must do everything in our power every day to make Master comfortable and happy! You're new, so I don't know if Master's favored you yet. But tonight, I'll personally train you on how to serve him in bed!"
Tang Ning Ning adjusted her glasses and jotted notes in a notebook, as diligently as if attending a leader's keynote speech.
Li Wan Ning approved of her earnestness. Pacing back and forth with hands clasped behind her back, she continued her patient guidance. "Always remember your place. We are Master's most loyal servants! Making him happy is our greatest honor and duty! If you ever upset him, even if Master doesn't punish you, we'll make sure you regret it!"
Shen Ting Ting nodded vigorously, putting on an air of veteran wisdom. "Sister Wan Ning was the first Master favored, so she's Big Sis. I was second, so I'm Second Sis. You're the third—Little Third! Got it?"
"Yes, Second Sis!" Tang Ning Ning nodded solemnly, adjusting her glasses with a sad look. "But Master hasn't favored me yet…"
"What? You're a disgrace to us! We'll fix that tonight!" Shen Ting Ting snickered.
"Mm-hmm! Thanks, Big Sis and Second Sis! I'll do my best tonight!" Tang Ning Ning gritted her teeth, nodding with fierce determination.