The whole nation is trying to survive on the cable car; I'm choosing one of three options at ea

Several tens of minutes later.

Lin Xiaohe leaned against an abandoned concrete block behind the defensive line, put the short knife back into its sheath at her waist, took out a bottle of water from her backpack, unscrewed the cap, and took two gulps.

Water trickled down her throat, carrying away the metallic taste of blood, but not the burning sensation in her lungs. She had been grinding for nearly four hours straight, killing no fewer than two hundred monsters. Her clothes were soaked in monster blood several times, drying and then getting wet again, until a hard scab formed on them.

Her arms were trembling slightly, not from exhaustion, but because her muscles had reached their limit. But she couldn't stop; if she stopped, she would start thinking about it, and thinking about it would cause her pain.

A group of people gathered around.

Lin Xiaohe didn't look up. She heard footsteps... not just one or two people, but seven or eight, their steps scattered yet carrying a deliberate, oppressive order. She could feel their gazes on her, like flies landing on a wound.

"You're Lin Xiaohe?"

The voice came from above, deep and condescending, as if it were scrutinizing something.

Lin Xiaohe screwed the cap back on the water bottle, stuffed it back into her backpack, and stood up.

There were seven or eight people standing in front of her. The leader was a man in his early thirties, wearing a dark tactical jacket, with a pistol at his waist and a rein in his hand... The other end of the rein was tied to a small pony.

The foal had black and white stripes, not much different from a normal zebra, except that it was smaller and had a gentle look in its eyes, not like a fighting horse.

Lin Xiaohe glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Zhang Peng had a smile on his face, but it wasn't a friendly one. It was a more complex smile, like the one a hunter would show when sizing up his prey, a smile that carried a hint of scrutiny and a hint of confidence.

He pulled a small detector from his waist... not the kind Qian Sheng made, but one he "took" from Qian Sheng... aimed it at Lin Xiaohe, and pressed the button. A string of numbers popped up on the screen: Level 4, combat power assessment 124 points. His smile deepened.

"I am Zhang Peng, the president of the Salvation Guild."

He put away the detector, his tone softening as if coaxing a child, "Your skills are quite good, and our guild is currently lacking someone like you. Join us, and you'll have everything you need: resources, equipment, protection. Whatever the military can provide, we can provide; and what the military can't provide, we can provide too."

Lin Xiaohe looked at him, expressionless. "Not interested."

Zhang Peng's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes turned colder. His subordinate took half a step forward, but Zhang Peng stopped him with a raised hand.

"You may not know about our Salvation Guild."

Zhang Peng's tone remained gentle, but something hidden beneath that gentleness began to seep out.

"Our guild currently has over 600 members, making it the largest survivor organization across all the guilds. We have safe zones, food reserves, and weapons and equipment. How many monsters can you kill alone here? How fast can you level up? With us, your leveling speed will at least double."

Lin Xiaohe drew the dagger from its sheath, twirled it in her hand, and the blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight. She used the tip of the blade to pick at the scabs under her fingernails, without even looking up. "I said, I'm not interested."

Zhang Peng's smile finally crumbled. His men stopped trying to hide it, and several of them took two steps forward, blocking half of Lin Xiaohe's escape route.

"Do you think the military will protect you forever?"

Zhang Peng's voice lowered, no longer the gentle, consultative tone, but a colder tone, as if stating a fact.

"The military is only temporarily sheltering us. Once we reach the safe zone, they won't care about us anymore. From here to the safe zone, we'll pass through several monster-infested areas, and there will be many 'unexpected' situations. Can you handle it all by yourself?"

Lin Xiaohe's finger stopped on the hilt of the knife.

Zhang Peng noticed the movement of her fingers, but didn't pay attention.

He thought she was hesitating, that she was weighing the pros and cons, that she had finally realized how vulnerable a person is in this apocalyptic world. He took half a step forward, lowering his voice even further, so low that only the two of them could hear him.

"Your boyfriend's name is Su Mu, right?" He smiled slightly. "If he's still alive, I can 'take care' of him if we meet on the street."

Lin Xiaohe's fingers stopped moving.

Zhang Peng thought he had hit the nail on the head, that the word "boyfriend" was her weakness, and that as long as he held onto that weakness, she would give in. He had even already planned what to say next... such as "If you join us, we can protect him too," or "What if he can't find you when he comes back from being out there all alone?"

Lin Xiaohe raised her head.

Those eyes were no longer empty, numb, or indifferent. There was something in them, not anger, not hatred, but a deeper, more primal killing intent, as if something had been awakened from its slumber.

That killing intent wasn't directed at Zhang Peng as a person, but at the three words he uttered... Su Mu. She didn't know Zhang Peng, didn't know who he was, what his background, strength, or influence was.

All she knew was that when this person said those three words, in that tone, and in that context, the threat wasn't directed at her, but at that person.

She made her move.

The short knife slashed upwards with such speed that Zhang Peng's pupils only had time to contract for a moment.

His body instinctively leaned back, the blade slicing across his chin, taking away a few whiskers and a small piece of skin, blood seeping from the wound.

He staggered back two steps, almost tripping over his own feet. His men simultaneously drew their weapons; some drew guns, some drew knives, and some charged forward... but Zhang Peng raised his hand to stop them.

His face was ashen, but his hands were restraining his men.

This is military territory. If we fight here, regardless of who's right or wrong, he'll be the one who suffers. He clutched the wound on his chin, blood seeping through his fingers and dripping onto his collar.

Lin Xiaohe did not chase after her.

She sheathed the dagger, returned to her original position, and acted as if nothing had happened.

Her eyes returned to their empty, numb, indifferent look, as if she hadn't been the one to stab her.

The commotion had already attracted the attention of those nearby. Some stopped what they were doing, some poked their heads out of their tents, and some put down their weapons to look in their direction. The crowd began to gather, forming a loose circle.

"What happened?"

"It seems like Zhang Peng from the Salvation Guild is forcing that woman to join them."

"The woman refused, so she resorted to violence?"

"Zhang Peng almost dodged it."

"Who is this woman? Does she dare to lay a hand on Zhang Peng all by herself?"

"I don't know, I heard it's someone from Zhou Zhenguo's side."

Zhou Zhenguo squeezed his way in from the periphery of the crowd.

He was directing guild members to kill monsters on the eastern defensive line when someone ran over to tell him that Zhang Peng had surrounded Lin Xiaohe with his men.