"...Maybe!" Lin Tao furrowed his brows at the thought of the filth in the entertainment industry and said, "But I still think you're different from those so-called celebrities."

  "Different how? Just because I haven’t sold my body for profit?" Bai Ru tilted her head, looking at him with interest.

  "Pretty much," Lin Tao thought for a moment before continuing, "You're beautiful—one of the most stunning women here. Yet, when I first met you, you hid among the crowd instead of using your looks to get close to me like the others did. It's not that I'm overly confident, but under these circumstances, it's a fact that you all rely on me to survive. That's what makes you different."

  "But didn’t I also strip naked in front of you just like the others?" Bai Ru teased, watching Lin Tao’s face turn red. "And how do you know I wasn’t pying hard to get? Maybe I was pretending to be different just to catch your attention. Acting is my specialty, after all."

  "Uh? I never thought of that!" Lin Tao scratched his head in confusion. "Are you really that calcuting?"

  "What do you think? Why else would a beautiful woman like me stay up in the middle of the night just to chat with you?" Bai Ru rolled her eyes, sounding annoyed.

  "Just to get my attention? Is that really necessary?" Lin Tao frowned, not quite understanding.

  "Isn't it?" Bai Ru looked at him seriously, fell silent for a moment, then spoke in a low voice, "When someone who once lived a retively peaceful life suddenly watches their friends, retives, and colleagues turn into flesh-eating monsters—one after another, dying right in front of them—how could they not be terrified? No one is immune to that kind of fear. That’s why I believe survival is the only thing that matters now. Whatever we have to sacrifice, it doesn’t really matter anymore. We may not be willing, but it’s necessary. After all, staying alive is the most important thing."

  "I can understand that," Lin Tao nodded slightly but still frowned. "But if you met the wrong person, this way of thinking could get you all killed."

  "Do we have a choice?" Bai Ru ughed bitterly and shook her head. "Even if it wasn’t you, as long as the person could protect us, we would do everything we could to please him. Just like how Cao Mei made us strip the other day. We were all raised with traditional values—do you think we weren’t disgusted? But when reality set in, we undressed without hesitation. If you want protection, you have to give something in return, right? Or are you telling me that you, Lin Tao, are truly a saint?"

  "I understand why you feel this way, but I can’t fully agree with you. You always seemed like such an independent woman, so hearing this from you surprises me," Lin Tao leaned back in his chair, looking at Bai Ru with a heavy expression. "Don’t you think that if women find the right way, they can survive just fine without men?"

  "Does that sound so ridiculous? Maybe yesterday morning, when I first held a gun, I still had some naive hope that with a weapon, I could live well without relying on a man. But after what we’ve been through, I realized how ughable that was. Maybe you didn’t notice, but when that zombie lunged at me yesterday, I was so scared I wet myself—soaked my jeans. Luckily, they were dark, so it wasn’t obvious. Phew... I never imagined I, Bai Ru, would one day be scared to the point of losing control. It was unimaginable before."

  Bai Ru spoke calmly, without a trace of embarrassment, as if recounting someone else’s story. Shaking her head slightly, she continued, "I always thought I could be as strong as the characters I pyed—become a fearless warrior, maybe even a lone ranger. But when that putrid corpse grabbed my leg and tried to bite me, I was paralyzed with fear. That’s why I shed out at you yesterday. I just needed to vent my terror... But looking back, I don’t feel ashamed. Maybe women aren’t born to be weak, but compared to men, we are undeniably at a disadvantage. So, is it really surprising that we react this way?"

  Bai Ru slowly raised her head and saw Lin Tao's complicated expression. She continued, "And tonight, when we encountered that zombie king, four more of our sisters wet themselves—including Jiao Jiao, the bravest among us. ‘Fearless Jiao’ was terrified, thinking we were all going to die. But when you hit the gas and charged at the zombie king, I made sure to look at everyone’s expressions. Every woman, including Cao Mei, had their eyes shut in fear. But you men? I watched you closely. There was no fear in your face—just ruthless determination. Even that cook, the one nobody takes seriously, was screaming like a madman. Haha… I suppose that’s the difference between men and women."

  Lin Tao let out a long sigh, flicking away his cigarette butt. He leaned back in his chair, feeling drained. "You’re not wrong. None of you were ever trained to fight. No one expects you to become warriors overnight. That would be unrealistic. So relying on men is the smart choice. Like Zhang Hong tonight—she did everything she could to please me. I know exactly why. She was a proper, virtuous woman. In the past, she’d never even consider doing something like this."

  "I hope you don’t think less of her for it. She’s doing it not just for herself, but for all of us." Bai Ru looked at Lin Tao seriously.

  "I understand," Lin Tao nodded and, with a nearly solemn tone, said, "I promised her I wouldn’t just use her and abandon her. I’ll do my best. But in this kind of world, promises feel as fragile as paper."

  "Then let me give you eight words," Bai Ru smiled and raised her fingers, forming the number eight. "Leave it to fate, and do your best."

  "Easier said than done," Lin Tao shook his head helplessly. "I just don’t want to let Zhang Hong down. I don’t want to fail any of you."

  "That depends on fate. As long as you try your best, Hong Jie will understand. She’s not just our leader because she’s the oldest—she genuinely cares for everyone. We all respect her from the bottom of our hearts. She seduced you for a reason, and we all understand why. She’s afraid you’ll leave us behind."

  "Honestly, you’re all overthinking it. Even if none of you had done anything, I wouldn’t just abandon you. It may sound grand, but maybe humanity’s future depends on you all." Lin Tao's expression grew serious.

  "Maybe. But we’ve learned not to be naive anymore. Rather than relying on your kindness, it’s smarter to offer something tangible in return. And besides…" Bai Ru suddenly gnced Lin Tao up and down with a teasing smile. "You’re enjoying it, aren’t you?"

  Lin Tao felt incredibly awkward under her gaze. His face turned red as he stubbornly replied, "I just don’t want to hurt her feelings."

  "Oh? Is that so?" Bai Ru giggled, then deliberately arched her body slightly. "Then what if it were me? Would you refuse me too?"

  Lin Tao felt a sudden heat rise in his chest. He gnced at her long, slender legs before awkwardly coughing. "I told you, you don’t need to do this."

  "Haha, don’t worry!" Bai Ru suddenly stood up, pced a soft hand on his shoulder, and whispered in an ambiguous tone, "Even if I wanted to be your woman, I wouldn’t let you have me so easily. I’d make you fall for me first. That way, you’d cherish me more, wouldn’t you? Haha…"

  With a string of lighthearted ughter, Bai Ru walked away, leaving Lin Tao alone, blushing and restless. The lingering scent of her perfume filled the air. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head in frustration. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of women he had saved—each more beautiful than the st, and all sharp as foxes. Now, he finally understood why Tang Sanzang struggled against the Spider Demons. Damn, this was impossible to resist!