Men Should Be a Bit Domineering
"Hmph! You're thinking too much! We've got so many young girls and beauties here—how could it possibly be your turn? If anyone's getting first dibs, it's us." The rather glamorous young woman confidently thrust out her impressive chest and laughed.
"This old lady's got skills! I'm way better at taking care of a man than any of you!" the plump housewife shot back defiantly.
Having brushed so close to life and death, these people had all lightened up considerably.
Xiao Yi's promise had filled everyone with a profound sense of relief.
Their chatter had turned open, bold, and downright raucous.
Si Ruo Qing watched the group joking around with such ease, a weight lifting from her own heart.
These past days, she'd been shouldering the whole operation alone, all while fending off Zhou Zhengyu and his crew. She'd been utterly exhausted.
She was a woman, after all. Outwardly tough as nails, but deep down, she craved someone to lean on.
"Yeah... Following him might really be our good fortune. I hope he makes it back safe to pick us up!" Si Ruo Qing gazed in the direction Xiao Yi had vanished, murmuring a prayer.
She'd never bowed to any man, never felt a shred of admiration for one.
But today, she found herself admiring Xiao Yi.
Maybe it was the group's influence rubbing off on her.
Or maybe, in this apocalypse, raw power just carried an irresistible allure.
Either way, this fiercely independent woman who scorned all men was starting to feel her heart stir.
Once out of the mall, Xiao Yi scanned the layout.
The place was massive, ringed by sturdy walls. Without all those zombies trapped inside, it would've made a prime shelter.
To rescue the rooftop survivors and haul them back to the City of Sin, the first hurdle was the seething horde cramming the ground floor.
Plus, he'd need a tough, powerful truck to transport them all.
He glanced around. This was downtown—no big rigs could squeeze in here. A truck would've been ideal otherwise.
Another snag: Xiao Yi had no license and couldn't drive.
He sure as hell wasn't backpacking them out one by one. Too much hassle, too damn tiring.
"There's gotta be a fireworks shop around here."
Eyes on the zombie-packed mall, Xiao Yi hatched a plan.
The undead were bottled up because the main entrance was barricaded. Give them an outlet—like cracking the back door—and toss in some firecrackers? That oughta lure a chunk of 'em out.
Guided by memory, he located the fireworks store and grabbed a dozen strings of crackers.
Then he pried open the mall's rear iron gate.
Pop-pop-crackle! The sharp bursts erupted in a frenzy.
The zombies jammed together inside went berserk, surging toward the adjacent neighborhood like a tidal wave.
The undead already lurking in the residential block swarmed in too, drawn like sharks to blood.
The two waves collided in a chaotic melee, like clashing armies dissolving into pandemonium.
"Fuck me! This neighborhood's crawling with even more of 'em!" Xiao Yi stared down at the black sea of zombies, scalp prickling.
Dense as this pack was, anyone else would've been zombie chow.
Even a squad with guns and artillery might not stand a chance against sheer numbers like that!
Once the mall had mostly emptied out, Xiao Yi slammed the gate shut and vaulted over the wall, vanishing fast.
With the interior thinned, next up: snag a sturdy truck and loop back for the rooftop crew.
But priority one—haul the fresh burly zombies back to the Tomb for burial.
Back in the City of Sin, Xiao Yi handed off the new hulks to the women and let them swarm him onto the sofa.
"Brought you girls a little something today!" He flashed a mysterious grin and shook out his Space Bag.
"Master! What is it?!" Shen Ting Ting, the notorious spoiled heiress, lit up at the word "gifts"—her eyes bulging like saucers.
The others watched with curiosity or eager anticipation.
Xiao Yi always came off as cold, domineering, brutally low-EQ.
Him bringing gifts? It felt like a dream to them, pure bliss.
Whatever he'd actually gotten didn't matter.
The point was, their man was finally showing he cared!
They were touched before even seeing the presents—just from that one sentence.
Li Wan Ning's eyes welled up with moved tears.
Xiao Yi eyed their reactions, utterly speechless for a moment.
Women, man—can't spoil 'em, or they turn into total brats.
Stay dominant and icy most days, and the rare soft touch? They melt into puddles of gratitude.