Volume 1, Chapter 6: The School Beauty Calls Me Master

Xiao Fanchen curled his lips into a smile. Gripping his Desert Eagle, he set out to clear the floor. At this moment, the vast majority of people were in the teaching building; only a few female students who didn't have classes remained in the dormitory. The surroundings were mostly occupied by early-stage deformities that relied solely on hearing to lock onto their prey. Once they lost their target, they would cease their movements. This was precisely why Xiao Fanchen could fire his weapon so recklessly; he had no need to worry about the gunshots attracting a large swarm of deformities from the vicinity.

After ensuring the corridor and the surrounding dormitory rooms were clear, Xiao Fanchen locked the elevator lobby doors and sealed the iron gate leading to the rooftop. By completely blocking both entry and exit points, he effectively secured the floor. He then returned to the dormitory shared by Wen Tingting and Tang Wanyu. Having been tied up for half an hour, the young ladies had developed a certain sense of awe—and fear—toward him.

Xiao Fanchen used his supply points to redeem a bottle of mineral water and a box of "Heidilao" self-heating hot pot. Right in front of the two women, he drained more than half the water in one go, then leisurely opened the hot pot. To his surprise, it was his favorite flavor: tomato brisket. As the water bubbled, the translucent noodles, generous vegetable packets, and large chunks of beef mixed with the rich soup base, filling the air with a thick, savory aroma. Xiao Fanchen ate with great relish.

As pampered young ladies, Wen Tingting and Tang Wanyu were accustomed to sleeping until midday, ordering food through apps to be delivered to the school gate, and having Xiao Fanchen bring it to their room. To maintain their figures, they often skipped dinner, and they were already ravenous. When the rich scent of tomatoes and beef hit them, their stomachs betrayed them with loud, hungry growls.

"Fanchen, could you give me a bite?" Tang Wanyu, clearly more pragmatic than Wen Tingting, asked in a cutesy tone. Sensing Xiao Fanchen's displeasure, she quickly added, "I won't eat the beef. I'll just have some vegetables." She stared longingly at the hot pot in front of him, swallowing hard.

"What did you just call me?" Xiao Fanchen asked coldly, his eyes turning frigid. Tang Wanyu startled and stammered, "Master." Hearing this, Xiao Fanchen’s brow finally smoothed. "If there is a next time, you will be like Wen Tingting—you won't get to eat at all."

Wen Tingting was stunned. "???" She glared at Tang Wanyu, thinking, *I haven't even said anything yet!*

Before Xiao Fanchen had left the room, Tang Wanyu had been encouraging her, saying that even if the apocalypse had arrived, the country would not abandon them and rescue would surely come. "If we truly submit to Xiao Fanchen," she had said, "our honor will be ruined for the rest of our lives." Wen Tingting, spoiled since childhood, was unwilling to yield and had prepared herself for a long standoff. She never expected that before the battle even began, her comrade would be calling him "Master" more enthusiastically than anyone.

Conversely, Tang Wanyu was visibly delighted. Once Xiao Fanchen finished all the meat and vegetables, he swirled the remaining broth in the box and held it out to her. "Want some soup?" The two women, who hadn't eaten for an entire day and night, saw their eyes light up. Tang Wanyu nodded repeatedly, while Wen Tingting couldn't stop swallowing.

"I can give it to you, but food and water are precious resources now. Come on, say it again," Xiao Fanchen said with a faint, playful, and predatory smile.

"Master," Tang Wanyu whispered timidly. Seeing the proud campus beauty looking so pitiful, Xiao Fanchen smirked. "I want to hear you call me something else."

"Huh?" Tang Wanyu was confused.

"Daddy?"

"Oh? Quite a fast learner, aren't you? I'll reward you with a few sips." Xiao Fanchen laughed heartily and shoved the box toward Tang Wanyu’s lips. She drank greedily, her eyes fixed on the food. After she finished a few mouthfuls, Xiao Fanchen took the box back and tossed it out the window.

Wen Tingting was dumbfounded, her expression full of anxiety and hunger, yet her eyes remained filled with disdain. After all, wealthy heirs had spent tens of thousands on her in the past without even being allowed to touch her hand. Why should this penniless loser be able to break her?

Noticing Wen Tingting's inner thoughts, Xiao Fanchen smiled mockingly. He hadn't expected that the one who seemed the most seductive would be the most stubborn, while the quietest one would be so quick to call him "Master" and "Daddy." Life was full of ironies. But it didn't matter. The more stubborn Wen Tingting was now, the more obedient she would be later.

After surviving the apocalypse for so many years, Xiao Fanchen had mastered the nature of humanity. People didn't fear scarcity as much as they feared unfairness; they didn't fear poverty as much as they feared instability. Besides, humans were inherently submissive animals. Wen Tingting could endure hunger alongside Tang Wanyu for a day, but she wouldn't be able to stand watching Tang Wanyu eat and drink while she went without.

Xiao Fanchen handed the remaining half-bottle of water to Tang Wanyu. After she drank, he tossed the empty bottle out the window as well. As he sat down, Tang Wanyu whimpered, "Master, could you untie me? These bindings are too tight."

"No," Xiao Fanchen replied flatly. "However, since you've been so obedient, I might consider untying you tomorrow during the day." He cast a playful glance at Wen Tingting. As expected, he saw a glimmer of resentment in her eyes—not directed at him, but at Tang Wanyu.

Tang Wanyu, completely oblivious, was overjoyed at the prospect of being freed the next day and thanked him repeatedly.

*To think the palace intrigue would start so quickly,* Xiao Fanchen thought with a cold internal laugh. *The idea of 'girls help girls' is just a joke. It won't be long before I reap the rewards of this rivalry.*

He lay back on the bed, playing with his phone. In this apocalyptic game, the battery didn't drain, and the network remained intact. Though strange, Xiao Fanchen knew there were far more absurd and bizarre things to come: refrigerators with human hands, spiders with human heads, and even airplanes in the sky that would transform into man-eating monsters.

Xiao Fanchen tried to recall the rumors and opportunities he had heard about in his past life, carefully recording them in his notes. He then began scrolling through "Kuaiyin." Many people were posting videos of monsters and the crimson dust. In the past, such graphic videos would have been censored, but now, there was no one left to moderate them.

Xiao Fanchen wasn't interested in those; he had seen enough of them. He set his location to the Art Academy and quickly found a top-tier beauty!