Chapter Seventeen: Apocalypse Crisis

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Wood saw three men chasing a woman, with another man desperately running behind to save her. The woman happened to be fleeing in his direction. When she saw the firelight ahead and Wood standing there, she paused, stunned, and slowed her steps. Only then did Wood get a clear look at her: she was tall and voluptuous, with an exceptionally refined beauty, though at present her face was covered in dirt, her eyes dull and lifeless, lacking their former vitality.

In that moment of hesitation, the three men caught up with her, pushing her roughly to the ground and straddling her. Wood’s heart surged with anger—did these men truly intend to violate her? He was about to intervene when one of the men pulled a dagger from his person and said to Wood, “Hey, don’t meddle. We’ll share some with you later. Someone this big, we can’t finish her in one meal anyway.” Wood was taken aback, not quite understanding his meaning.

By this time, the other man had caught up, grabbing the man’s arm and pleading in tears, “Brother Xu, please don’t kill my wife. She spent a night with you already—let her go! I’ll find something to eat!” Brother Xu flung him aside with a sneer. “You think I want to? To be honest, your wife’s white and tender. I had a great time last time, and the food I gave you two should’ve been enough. Now I can’t find anything else to eat. Where are you going to find food? I’ll just have to take your wife again.” With that, he tore open the woman’s tattered clothes, exposing her pale breasts. In the darkness, they shone with allure, but Brother Xu seemed immune to her beauty. He raised his dagger, aiming for her heart.

Smack! Just as Brother Xu was about to stab down, something struck the dagger from his hand. When he saw what it was, his anger turned to joy—it was a can that Wood had been holding. Brother Xu tossed the woman aside, snatched up the can, smashed it open, and began devouring its contents. The other two, seeing Brother Xu with food, rushed to Wood, grabbing water and cans to eat with ravenous greed.

Wood, seeing their desperation, did not stop them. The woman, who had thought herself doomed, saw Wood produce food and water to save her, glanced at him, then hurried to help her husband up, ready to leave.

“Wait!” As the couple was about to go, Brother Xu shouted, “Old Kong, you can leave, but your wife stays!”

Old Kong turned, face purple with rage. “Brother Xu, what do you mean by this?”

“Nothing much,” Brother Xu replied, taking his time now that his stomach was half full. “I didn’t get enough last time. Tonight, let’s all have a turn.” With that, the three men closed in, surrounding the couple. Brother Xu grabbed the woman, his filthy, greasy hand groping her breasts, leaving red marks.

Old Kong leapt forward in fury, but the other two, prepared, kicked him hard in the groin. He collapsed with a scream, crouching on the ground. The woman shrieked, but the three men held her tightly.

They glanced at the makeshift shelter, then at Wood, surmising he was one of the luckier refugees, perhaps with more supplies. Brother Xu played with the dagger, turning to Wood with a sinister smile. “Friend, if you know what’s good for you, leave your food and water behind and I’ll spare your life.” He shoved the woman toward Wood. “And don’t say I’m unfair. Since you gave us something to eat, you can have her first.”

Wood caught the woman as she stumbled toward him, noticing her dazed expression. A surge of pity rose within him. He said calmly, “And if I refuse?”

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“Heh! So you want to do it the hard way!” Brother Xu signaled, and the other two lunged at Wood with savage intent. Wood merely gave a cold smile, his feet moving with lightning speed. He kicked both men heavily, sending them sprawling. The three finally realized they had hit a steel wall. Brother Xu, relying on his weapon, screamed and charged, but Wood seized his wrist, wrenched the knife away, and sent him flying with a kick to join his comrades.

Seeing that Wood had dispatched them without taking a single step, the three men realized he was formidable. They scrambled to their feet and fled in panic. Wood did not pursue.

At last, the woman’s husband caught his breath and staggered over to Wood. “Thank you for your help, brother!” He removed his own tattered jacket, draping it over his wife to spare her further humiliation.

The woman saw there was still some food and water left by the three men and rushed over joyfully. “Husband, there’s still quite a bit!”

The water bottle was half full, but there were only a few bites left in the two cans. The couple, unashamed, reached in with their hands to eat the scraps, leaving Wood dumbfounded. He quickly snatched the cans away and threw them aside.

The woman shrieked and lunged after them, but Wood frowned. “Leave them.”

The man’s face was full of misery. “Brother, we haven’t eaten in two days. Please, have mercy.”

Wood wanted to take out some cans from his space ring, but not knowing the customs of this world, he feared arousing suspicion. So he said, “Wait here.” Returning to the capsule shelter, he brought out two bottles of water and two cans, along with utensils to open them.

The couple was overjoyed, devouring the food like wild animals. Wood opened a can for himself and ate slowly.

Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, the three sat together around the fire. Wood asked about what had happened. Old Kong introduced himself: his name was Kong Yangyun, a pilot, and his wife was Yang Xiu, a flight attendant. They had been on the run for over a month now, often going hungry. That day, they’d encountered Brother Xu and his group, who, having found no food, decided to kill Yang Xiu and eat her flesh. The couple, unwilling, had fled.

Wood said, “Earlier, it sounded like you let Brother Xu sleep with your wife for a meal?”

Kong Yangyun, thinking Wood had also taken a liking to his wife, lowered his head. “You saved us and gave us food; by our rules, A-Xiu should spend a night with you as well.” He glanced at his wife, full of sorrow. Yang Xiu blushed and lowered her head.

Wood felt deeply embarrassed. “That’s not what I meant. It just seems…for one meal, to do such a thing…it’s hard to believe.”

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“I couldn’t bear it either…” The man’s eyes reddened. “But look at the world now. There’s no food, the water is polluted and undrinkable. All those once high and mighty—flight attendants, beauty queens, celebrities—before danger and hunger, they become nothing more than men’s chattel. Survival of the fittest. All those starlets, those pampered heiresses, those so-called virtuous maidens—before a bottle of water or a can of food, none of it matters… One of A-Xiu’s colleagues, for a pack of biscuits, was taken by three men in turn… It’s all my fault, I’m useless, relying on A-Xiu selling herself for food so we can live…” He beat his head in agony, then looked up with a bitter smile. “Brother, you’ve never truly been hungry. Once a man’s starving, he becomes a beast, capable of anything. I never believed those stories of eating one’s own children, but now I do, absolutely. In our refugee camp, everyone survived by sending their wives to exchange for food!”

“Survival of the fittest,” Wood echoed softly. Indeed, perhaps only in such a brutal world can one truly grasp the cruelty behind those words.

Seeing Wood lost in thought, Kong Yangyun nudged Yang Xiu, gesturing toward Wood. Yang Xiu hesitated, then moved to Wood’s side and leaned against him. Wood was startled—though her face was smudged with dirt, her beauty was undiminished, and her natural fragrance stirred something in him. But he gritted his teeth and gently pushed her away. “There’s no need.”

Yang Xiu was surprised, but beneath her relief was a strange emptiness. She whispered, “You don’t like me?”

It was the first time Wood had heard her speak—her voice was like the chime of silver bells, clear and lovely.

Wood blushed. “It’s not that. I just can’t do such a thing.”

Yang Xiu understood and, after a moment’s silence, murmured, “Thank you. You’re a good man.” She returned to her husband. Kong Yangyun, surprised, asked a few questions, then looked at Wood with deep gratitude.

Wood’s refusal seemed to bring the three closer together. After a while, Wood asked, “What will you do now?”

Kong Yangyun and Yang Xiu looked lost and pained. “We’ll just take one step at a time. Who knows what tomorrow brings…” At that moment, the silence of the night was broken by the sound of a car engine, coming directly toward them. Along with it came the cries of a man and a woman: “Help! Help! Is anyone there?” Their voices cracked with fear and desperation.

The three turned to look. A black luxury sedan sped toward them, with a man clinging to the roof, waving one hand desperately, another person dragging behind, their eyes bloodshot, legs half gone, yet still gripping the trunk with all their might. Behind the car, a swarm of bat-like creatures pursued, their shapes unclear in the night. Inside the car, a stylish man and woman—obviously from the upper class—could be seen. The woman, about twenty, was as lovely as Yang Xiu.

She caught sight of Yang Xiu, her face lighting up with hope. “Sister Yang, is that you? Help us!”