Everyone has awakened, but I am the only mortal!

Just as Su Bai was about to ask Lao Zhou what the "rules" meant, Ma Jun and his group, who were arguing fiercely, strode over.

Ma Jun is tall and strong. Even in the apocalypse, he has managed to develop a muscular physique, making him look like someone not to be trifled with.

His sinister gaze was fixed on Su Bai, as if he wanted to devour him whole: "You think you can eat people?"

Su Bai didn't even raise an eyebrow, his tone as indifferent as if he were saying the weather was nice today: "I'm a vegetarian."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Everyone stared at Su Bai in astonishment.

The buck-toothed man next to Ma Jun immediately exploded, his finger practically poking Su Bai's eyelids: "Kid, don't push your luck! So many people have died, and you're still grinning like that!"

Su Bai subtly turned to the side, avoiding the finger that was about to poke into his eye, his tone remaining calm: "I'm just stating the facts."

Seeing that the other party was still glaring angrily, he added in a flat voice, "If you insist on equating vegetarianism with cannibalism, there's nothing I can do about it."

The buck-toothed man felt a lump in his throat, his face turning red as he choked back a sob: "You..."

Old Zhou chimed in casually, his voice low but piercing everyone's hearts: "The embarrassment started even before he arrived. Instead of doubting him, why don't we think about how such a large, living person disappeared without anyone noticing?"

"What do you mean by that?" The only remaining woman in the group spoke up.

Her entire head was wrapped in a headscarf, with only her eyes showing, which were gazing at Old Zhou with a deep, unsettling look.

Old Zhou said slowly, "It seems none of you have heard that rumor."

"What rumor?"

"Xiao Li, don't listen to his nonsense!" the buck-toothed man said.

Xiaoli ignored him and kept looking straight at Lao Zhou: "Go on, I think everyone, like me, wants to hear it."

Strangely, the man with buck teeth opened his mouth, but this time he didn't stop him.

Everyone else stared at Lao Zhou, even Su Bai turned his gaze to Lao Zhou.

Old Zhou seemed uncomfortable being stared at, and said somewhat hesitantly, "It's nothing, it's just... there's a monster."

"A monster? You think this is a novel?" the buck-toothed man sneered. "Look around, there's not even a fly in sight. Where's the monster?"

Old Zhou didn't even look at him, but slowly said, "In novels... oh no, in the apocalypse, what can't be?"

He paused, then added, "If it's not a monster, then it's a person? Can a person eat another person silently?"

Everyone: "..."

The wind whipped pebbles against his face, but Su Bai felt that the moment Old Zhou said those words, it was more biting than the cold wind, and the air seemed to freeze.

Then, the buck-toothed man, his face full of resentment, broke the silence: "Stop spreading alarmist rumors!"

Old Zhou looked serious and said earnestly, "I never lie."

The man with buck teeth was about to start arguing again when Xiaoli stopped him, saying, "What he said might be true. Let's get going."

Bucktooth glared at Xiaoli, clearly annoyed by her talkativeness.

However, in the end, he still looked at Ma Jun with a questioning gaze.

Ma Jun was silent for a moment before speaking, "Let's get going."

However, as he left, his gaze swept over Su Bai and Lao Zhou, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

The group that had been surrounding them finally dispersed.

Watching their retreating figures, Su Bai turned to Old Zhou and asked, "Are there really monsters?"

Old Zhou immediately changed his expression, winked at him, and lowered his voice, saying, "Where did this monster come from? I'm just saving the day, buddy. Remember, you'll have to pay me back later."

Su Bai paused for two seconds, then calmly reminded him, "You just said that you never lie."

Old Zhou paused, then, without changing his expression, said righteously, "Are they even human? They're scum! Are scum the same as humans?"

Su Bai: "..."

Old Zhou patted him on the shoulder and said with a mysterious look, "Let's go, let's go. If you don't leave now, you'll be the one disappearing next time."

When they were surrounded, the father and son stood quietly to the side, without saying a word.

The two silently followed only after the group started moving again.

Su Bai glanced at the entire team without making a sound.

There were twenty people in total, including him. Xiao Li was the only woman, and most of them were young adults in their twenties and thirties.

The oldest of them were probably the father and son, and an old man with a hunched back.

The old man was wearing a hooded overcoat, his body hunched over, and he looked to be in his fifties or sixties.

Su Bai will notice him.

First, her age is really striking.

Secondly, although the old man was clearly having difficulty walking, he always held something tightly in his arms and never let go for a moment. The way he held the thing was like holding a child.

With sandstorms raging and no direction in sight, we found a place to rest before nightfall.

Su Bai and Lao Zhou sat down about ten steps away from the father and son, tacitly maintaining a certain distance from each other.

The oldest man huddled alone in one spot, clutching what he was holding tightly to his chest, refusing to let go even for a moment.

The rest of the people huddled around Ma Jun, forming a small group at a distance, talking in hushed tones, the content of which was unclear.

Old Zhou rummaged through his backpack, pulled out half a bag of compressed biscuits, and shoved it into Su Bai's hand:

"Take it. Don't say I, Old Zhou, am not righteous."

A warm feeling welled up in Su Bai's heart: "Thank you. I will definitely repay you if I have the chance."

The next second, Old Zhou took out a sausage, twisted it in half, and started eating it, saying, "Compressed biscuits are too dry."

Not wanting to let a single crumb fall, Su Bai, who was holding a compressed biscuit, thought: "..."

Just as dusk was about to fall, Ma Jun suddenly walked over:

"There are fewer and fewer people. Everyone's gathered together at night, so it'd be safer if one person stayed to keep watch. What do you guys think?"

Su Bai had no objection, his gaze merely sweeping lightly over the father and son not far away.

Ma Jun nodded: "I'll talk to them."

He walked over, bent down and whispered a few words. Su Bai couldn't hear him, but after Ma Jun spoke, the father and son quietly got up and followed him.

Su Bai then slowly stood up.

Old Zhou leaned close to him, his voice low: "I bet we'll be short-handed again tomorrow, you believe me?"

Su Bai asked, "What exactly are these 'rules' you mentioned earlier?"

Old Zhou clicked his tongue, giving him a look that said, "You don't even understand this?"

"One less every day, for over two months straight, isn't that a rule?"

Su Bai: "..." He shouldn't have said that!

When twenty people gather together, and darkness falls, it creates the illusion that you are the only person in the world.

Su Bai hadn't slept for five days.

He stared into the inky black night, not worried about being seen by anyone; the night was so dark it could swallow everything.

A faint, fragmented sobbing sound drifted through the howling wind.

He listened intently, and this time he heard it clearly.

It's the sound of a baby crying.

Su Bai suddenly remembered the old man in the group, whose arms were always wrapped around something, the posture of which looked exactly like he was protecting a child.

But this is the end times, where even young adults are struggling to survive, so how could there be babies?

If it were true, it's impossible that no one in the team would have noticed.

He closed his eyes to rest, taking it as just the strange noise of wind and sand passing through the abandoned building.

Until a sliver of gray appeared on the horizon.

Su Bai opened his eyes and calmly glanced around at the people around him.

Then, his gaze froze.

The number is clear—nineteen.