Lili's death hung over the safe house like a cold, heavy stone. For an entire day, the atmosphere in the warehouse was exceptionally oppressive. No one spoke, only the occasional crackle of the bonfire breaking the silence.
However, the apocalypse never gives one time to grieve.
As night fell, just as everyone was still immersed in frustration and self-blame, a low engine roar, like the growl of a wild beast, broke the dead silence, growing closer and closer.
"Someone's coming!"
Chen Shouzhou was the first to react. He shot up from the ground, the last trace of sorrow in his eyes replaced by cold vigilance. He grabbed his binoculars and scrambled up the watchtower in a few quick steps.
Through the lenses, he saw dust flying on the distant horizon. Several glaring beams from car headlights cut through the night sky like swords—an armed convoy of five or six modified vehicles and dozens of men on foot was aggressively approaching the warehouse.
On the lead vehicle, a familiar figure carried a machete. It was none other than the leader of the "Stray Dogs gang," Zhao Tie!
"Looks like our old friends have arrived," Chen Shouzhou murmured to himself, his voice devoid of emotion. He quickly activated his [Resource Appraisal] skill to scan the approaching enemy force.
[An armed squad composed of marauders and former city hunters. Quantity: 32.]
[Equipment: Simple explosive devices x3, Incendiary bombs x8, various cold weapons, a small number of handguns.]
[Special Target Locked: Gray Wolf Captain. Danger Level: B. Former city hunter, expert archer, skilled in stealth and surprise attacks.]
Seeing this information, Chen Shouzhou's heart sank. This wasn't a probe or harassment. This was a well-prepared all-out assault aimed at completely destroying them.
"Looks like they're not here for tea," he said, taking a deep breath as he slid down from the watchtower.
"Emergency assembly! Level one combat readiness!" he ordered Su Wan'er, Lin Mo, and A'Jie in a tone that left no room for argument.
The group immediately snapped out of their grief, their eyes hardening with determination. They knew this was no time for weakness. Staying alive was the best tribute to the fallen.
Chen Shouzhou quickly assigned tasks. He used the [Basic Defenses] function, which the system had unlocked as "compensatory encouragement" after Lili's death, to pull up the blueprint for the [Fire Oil Trap].
"Old Lin, you and A'Jie mix all our gasoline and cooking oil together. Follow this blueprint and lay a circle of fire oil traps outside the fence! Remember, segment the fuses and leave a few safe passages!"
"Dr. Su, you're in charge of preparing all medical supplies, especially burn cream and sedatives! Also, set up our 'Hope No. 1' railgun and aim it at the main gate!"
"Xiao Hei, Xiao Qi, you two guard the flanks! If anyone breaks through from the sides, I want you to bite them to death!"
"Understood!"
Everyone sprang into action. The entire safe house began to operate like a precision war machine.
A'Jie demonstrated astonishing climbing and stealth abilities. Like a nocturnal gecko, he silently moved across the warehouse roof, placing several bundles of simple crossbow bolts, made from scrap pipes, in prime sniping positions. He would be the "rooftop ghost" tonight.
Su Wan'er, meanwhile, gathered all the medical supplies at the entrance to the basement. That would be their final line of defense and their field hospital.
Soon, Zhao Tie's team arrived at the warehouse perimeter, completely surrounding it.
A man with a longbow slung over his back and eyes as sharp as a wolf's walked up to Zhao Tie. He was the Gray Wolf Captain.
He nocked an arrow, aimed at the warehouse's rickety main door, and with a swoosh, the arrow shot through the air and embedded itself precisely in the door panel, its tail still vibrating.
"Listen up, you people inside!" the Gray Wolf Captain yelled, his voice hoarse. "Open the door and surrender, and we might give you a quick death!"
Chen Shouzhou, holding a megaphone on the watchtower, responded with a laugh, "Well, well, if it isn't Captain Gray Wolf! Staying up late with so many people, are you planning a barbecue party? In that case, I'd be happy to light a fire for you!"
Before his words had even faded, he threw a torch at a fuse line at his feet.
WHOOSH—!
The flame, like a greedy fire serpent, instantly shot across the oil-soaked ground.
BOOM—!
A massive wall of fire, three meters high, erupted around the warehouse, forming a giant, burning ring that threw the entire enemy formation into disarray. The unlucky few at the front were instantly set ablaze, their piercing screams echoing through the night.
"Shit! It's an ambush!" Zhao Tie was both shocked and enraged.
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes. He roared and, instead of retreating, charged forward. With astonishing speed and explosive power, he leaped through the thinnest part of the fire wall, lunging directly at the warehouse itself.
"Bring it on!"
Chen Shouzhou showed no fear. He leaped down from the watchtower, wielding a reinforced iron bar, and met Zhao Tie head-on.
"Zhao Tie! You old bastard!" Chen Shouzhou roared, ready to settle old and new scores. "You kicked me three times back in the ruins. Today, I'm paying you back, with interest!"
Seeing him, Zhao Tie's eyes burned with hatred. He swung his machete wildly at Chen Shouzhou, the blade whistling through the air with immense force.
But after several system upgrades and battles, Chen Shouzhou's physical condition was on a completely different level. More importantly, under the immense pressure of a life-or-death situation, a hidden system ability was activated—[Basic Combat Instinct]!
He could clearly predict every one of Zhao Tie's attack trajectories.
In his eyes, Zhao Tie's machete seemed to move in slow motion. He was always able to dodge every fatal blow with minimal movement and at impossible angles, while his iron bar struck like a venomous snake, constantly targeting Zhao Tie's legs and joints.
CLANG!
After a dozen exchanges, Chen Shouzhou caught Zhao Tie in a moment of vulnerability, when his old force was spent and his new strength had not yet arrived. He kicked out viciously, landing a solid blow on Zhao Tie's knee.
With a sickening crack, Zhao Tie screamed and fell to his knees.
Chen Shouzhou gave him no quarter. He surged forward, pressing the iron bar firmly against Zhao Tie's throat and pinning him to the ground.
"I said, with interest!" His eyes were ice-cold. With all his strength, he brought the bar down hard on the back of Zhao Tie's head, knocking him out cold.
Meanwhile, the Gray Wolf Captain, who had broken through, was looking for a target when a whistling sound came from above.
It was A'Jie! He was attacking him with a slingshot from the roof.
Gray Wolf reacted quickly, dodging to the side.
A'Jie, having missed, immediately followed up with another shot, then another, relentlessly attacking.
Gray Wolf dodged left and right, barely avoiding the barrage.
Just as he realized A'Jie was deliberately herding him in one direction, he tried to move, but it was too late. A bear trap snapped shut with a click, clamping down hard on his leg.
In that moment of pained distraction, a syringe silently plunged into his neck. It was Su Wan'er. Seizing the opportunity, she had administered a dose of powerful sedative.
Gray Wolf's body went limp, and he collapsed in unwilling defeat.
With both their leader and second-in-command captured, the marauders outside were instantly leaderless and lost all will to fight. They looked at the burning wall of fire and the figure inside who fought like a god of death, and they finally broke, scattering in panic.
The battle was over.
As they sorted through the spoils of war, they found the haul was unprecedented. Weapons, ammunition, canned food, and even a non-functional car.
Just then, the system's prompt sounded like music from the heavens.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing your first large-scale defensive battle, demonstrating outstanding leadership and tactical wisdom!]
[Safe House level increased to Lv.2!]
[Special Reward: Guide Module activated.]
As the voice faded, a soft light coalesced in front of Chen Shouzhou. Within the light, a semi-transparent figure dressed in the robes of an ancient hermit, with an ethereal and sage-like demeanor, gradually appeared.
The figure bowed slightly to Chen Shouzhou, its voice ethereal and distant:
"Greetings, Host. I am the System Guide, sent by the master program to assist you in managing the sanctuary and rebuilding the order of this world."
Chen Shouzhou looked at the suddenly appearing "ancient ghost," then at the unconscious bodies of Zhao Tie and Gray Wolf on the ground. His mouth twitched.
"So... my safe house comes with its own intelligent butler service?"