Chapter 35: Testing the Aptitude

Rice, flour, pastries, all sorts of meats, seasonings, beverages, and even fresh vegetables—something that disappeared almost immediately after the apocalypse. Kong Zhe showed no restraint; anything he could find, he swept into his ring. Fortunately, the shelves here all had refrigeration, so most of the ingredients were still fresh, with only a small portion slightly spoiled.

Yet even those spoiled foods would be considered priceless in the post-apocalyptic world, sure to spark fierce competition. The space inside the ring was frozen in time; whatever state something was in when it entered was exactly how it would be when removed. No matter how long it stayed inside, there was never any worry about spoilage.

Kong Zhe only stopped after scouring every corner of the fifth floor and finding not a single crumb of carbohydrate left. Throughout the whole process, Xiao Lei stuck closely to his side, clutching the hem of his coat and refusing to let go. Kong Zhe didn't mind; if this made her feel safe, she could hold on as long as she wished.

Once he finished collecting the food, Kong Zhe finally turned his attention to the group of survivors on the fifth floor. At this moment, all of them had huddled in the corner against the wall, trembling, terror written in every eye as they stared at Kong Zhe. After all, just moments ago every one of them had laid hands on that girl, whether by the Zhang brothers' order or not. No one dared to hope Kong Zhe would simply let them off.

Especially after witnessing him kill three people in cold blood.

Those were people, not monsters! And he’d killed them so brutally, without even a blink. Could he be some kind of murderous fiend?

Kong Zhe neither knew nor cared what they were thinking. After a swift sweep of the crowd, he strode toward them.

Seeing him approach, panic erupted; they were certain he was coming to take his revenge. Some of the women were already sobbing in terror.

Kong Zhe walked straight to the edge of the crowd and reached in to grab a young woman.

“No! Please don’t kill me, I beg you…” the girl screamed in fright, desperately trying to struggle free. But for an ordinary woman, she was no match for an advanced Awakened like him. Her resistance was utterly futile; Kong Zhe held her easily.

Despair washed over her. She didn’t understand—yes, she’d joined in earlier, but she wasn’t the most aggressive, nor the most passive. Why single her out?

As confusion churned in her heart, she caught a glimpse from the corner of her eye—a large hand reaching toward her.

Could it be that he wasn’t going to hurt her, but was attracted to her looks? The thought flashed through her mind.

Yet she was self-aware enough to know she wasn’t particularly beautiful, nor especially curvy. There were several women among them with far better looks and figures. Why had he chosen her?

She couldn’t make sense of it, but the other women were shooting her looks of envy and jealousy. Perhaps she was just his type.

The idea that she’d caught the eye of a powerful and handsome Awakened filled her with a surge of excitement.

“Look at her expression—it’s obvious he likes the innocent type!”

The girl quickly lowered her head and tucked her hair behind her ear, putting on a façade of purity. She even managed a smile for Ye Xuan.

But instantly, she realized something was off. His hand wasn’t reaching for her chest, but her forehead. She was dumbfounded.

When he finished touching her forehead and stood motionless, she grew anxious, pressing her chest forward in an effort to appear more enticing, almost blurting out, “You’re touching the wrong place. Here, this is where you want!”

But she was disappointed. Kong Zhe paid her no mind. After a brief touch to her forehead, he shook his head and let her go, moving on to the next person.

Soon, he made his way to the other end of the group, having touched the foreheads of five or six people—men and women alike—shaking his head each time.

Now everyone understood: he wasn’t taking advantage, but testing something. Yet it seemed he hadn’t found what he sought.

After making the round, he arrived before Hong Ling, who had tied a tablecloth around herself as an apron to prevent exposure.

Seeing Ye Xuan approach, Hong Ling greeted him with a flirtatious smile rather than retreating.

She had understood from the start—he was testing for Awakened potential. The Zhang brothers had done something similar before, though their methods were more lecherous, clearly aiming to take advantage. In contrast, Kong Zhe’s approach was professional.

She was confident in her own potential. Though not as gifted as that girl, she was certainly better than the others here. Even if he already had that girl, surely he wouldn’t mind taking her along as well. Hong Ling was certain that, with her skills, she’d soon have his attention focused solely on her.

“Oh?” Kong Zhe’s hand had barely touched her forehead when he made a sound of surprise. The previous candidates had some potential, but too weak—even less than he’d had in his past life. This woman, however, was quite promising. Though not as gifted as Xiao Lei, she already had nearly half her body filled with magic energy—she would likely awaken within a week, which was rare indeed.

Yet Kong Zhe hesitated. Should he take her along? If not, he might not find such talent again. But if he did, he couldn’t bring himself to like her; women like her, fickle as grass in the wind, had caused him plenty of trouble in his past life.

Sensing his indecision, Hong Ling pressed closer, blowing softly in his ear and purring in a sickly-sweet voice, “Well? Handsome, how’s my potential?”

A chill ran down Kong Zhe’s spine. He’d been wavering, but now he decided instantly—he absolutely would not take her. Keeping a woman as fickle and opportunistic as her close would be courting disaster. She looked demure and yielding now only because he had the strength to keep her in line. The moment she met someone stronger, she’d turn on him in a heartbeat.

Chastising himself for even hesitating, Kong Zhe shook his head with a wry smile, then took Xiao Lei by the hand and left without a backward glance. Whether the others lived or died was none of his concern.

They hadn’t yet paid for what they’d done to Xiao Lei. Not killing them outright was merciful enough—should he really be expected to reward them with food?

The stairway to the rooftop was on the north side of the fifth floor. Having gathered enough supplies, and with Xiao Lei chosen for the task, he was eager to resolve her friend’s problem, then return and search the complex for another suitable candidate.

“Sir, please, wait!” Just as Kong Zhe neared the stairs, a fat man in a suit and tie stepped forward to block his path, beaming with a greasy smile. “Sir, could you take me out of here? Of course, for a price. Just get me to the safe zone and I’ll pay you ten million. How about it?”

The man’s confidence was clear—one look at Kong Zhe’s attire and he’d decided this was no scion of wealth, so surely such a sum was irresistible.

But he was bound for disappointment. Kong Zhe sneered, casting him a contemptuous glance, then pulled the girl along without a word.

Ten million? In the apocalypse, that was nothing but worthless scraps of paper. How could this man not understand that, after all this time?

“Hey, the price is negotiable! If that’s not enough—twenty million? Fifty million?”

“Get lost! Out of my way!” Before the fat man could finish, Hong Ling shoved him aside.

Hong Ling was perplexed. She was certain the young man had been moved by her, so why had he left the moment she spoke? Had she said something to offend him? Or perhaps she hadn’t made herself clear, causing some misunderstanding?

No matter—she had to seize this opportunity; it was her only chance.

“Wait for me, handsome!” She hurried after them, finally catching up, grabbing Kong Zhe without hesitation and pressing herself tightly against him, her ample chest deliberately rubbing his arm, shooting a glance at Xiao Lei.

“Your girlfriend looks like she’s still a virgin. Take me instead—I can…” Hong Ling whispered into Kong Zhe’s ear.

Xiao Lei blushed at the mention of “girlfriend,” lowering her head in embarrassment. But she was close enough to catch the rest of Hong Ling’s words, and her face instantly turned scarlet.

Heavens, how could she say such shameless things without the slightest embarrassment? Xiao Lei felt mortified just listening.

Hong Ling cared little for the opinions of others. After making her proposition, she waited confidently for his reply—convinced he’d have no reason to refuse.

But she was destined for disappointment. Kong Zhe’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. He asked only, “Are you finished?”

Hong Ling froze, nodding instinctively.

“Then get out of my sight.”

With that, Kong Zhe wasted no time, dragging the thoroughly flushed Xiao Lei upstairs.

Hong Ling stood there, dumbfounded. She couldn’t believe her “tried and true” method had failed her. As she came to her senses and saw how far Kong Zhe had gone, panic seized her and she rushed to catch up.

But the little dog barred her path, baring its teeth and growling.

With a scream, Hong Ling stumbled and fell, scrambling backward, not daring to approach again…