Shen Feng's expression tightened. He shot up from his chair and stared wide-eyed at his hand, then forcefully poked its back.
The skin sank in and then sprang back. He couldn't tell if it was his imagination, but it seemed… to rebound a tiny bit slower than before…
The satisfying meal and drink had almost made him forget he was in the apocalypse.
But the series of strange cracks from his joints snapped him back to reality.
'This is a dog-eat-dog apocalypse. There's no room for complacency. The moment I let my guard down, death will be waiting for me!'
Just then, a noise came from the street outside. Peering through the mottled window, he could vaguely make out a few shadows flitting by.
Wild beasts were here.
The smell of the barbecue must have drawn them in.
Shen Feng immediately grabbed several bottles of liquor, uncapped them, and poured them all out by the entrance. He then splashed some on his face.
The pungent odor of alcohol filled the air. This intense smell would mask the aroma of roasted meat and could also deter the beasts.
Shen Feng then found a backpack. He wrapped the remaining roasted venison in tin foil and packed it away, then filled several plastic water bottles with boiled water and put them in as well.
Then came the various emergency and essential supplies:
a few boxes of matches, a bottle of liquor, a roll of paper, knives, a Swiss Army knife, and a few other essentials.
He didn't overpack the bag. In this low-intensity apocalypse, supermarkets and convenience stores were everywhere, so there were still plenty of supplies to be found.
After finishing, Shen Feng, axe in hand, left through the supermarket's back door.
He desperately needed a better weapon. The axe and knives he had were no match for powerful beasts, to say nothing of organized packs like wolves.
A gun!
He needed a gun!
Axe in hand and on high alert, Shen Feng moved quickly down the street.
On his way over, he had seen a small guard post but had chosen to ignore it.
A standard-issue police handgun would be of little use against beasts with such incredible speed and stamina; it was doubtful he could even land a shot.
His target was the large, regional police headquarters. Only a place like that would have the heavy-duty weapons he needed!
Following the city map he'd found at a newsstand, Shen Feng walked for about seven or eight blocks before a large building finally came into view.
The municipal police headquarters!
The entire building was dilapidated, its facade draped in vines. Through the dark, gaping windows, he could faintly see the petrified figures of people inside.
There were several statues in police uniforms in the courtyard. Some were frozen mid-stride, clearly in the middle of taking action at the very last moment of their lives.
A few police cars, scorched black from explosions, were parked to the side. The ground was riddled with cracks, evidence of a past battle.
But the truth of what happened was forever sealed within the stone statues.
The grass in the courtyard was exceptionally overgrown, nearly as tall as a man, making it almost impossible to see the path forward.
Shen Feng took out a Long Saber and began hacking through the tall weeds as he made his way to the entrance.
He wasn't sure if it was the lingering smell of explosions, but there seemed to be remarkably few wild animals around. He hadn't seen so much as a rat on his way here.
Instead of entering the main building directly, Shen Feng first climbed onto the roof of an SUV, stopping next to a statue holding an electric megaphone.
Although the statue's uniform had rotted away, its epaulets were still intact, indicating he held the highest rank.
It was likely the chief or some other high-ranking officer, seemingly in the middle of directing an operation.
Shen Feng looked at the figure's waist and, sure enough, spotted a holster containing a police handgun. A ring of keys hung from the belt as well.
Elated, Shen Feng immediately took the handgun and keys, cutting the lanyard that tethered the gun to the statue.
The gun was fully loaded, its weight a solid pressure in his hand.
Copying what he'd seen in movies, Shen Feng carefully flicked off the safety, aimed at a distant window, and squeezed the trigger.
CLICK…
It was jammed. The trigger wouldn't budge.
Shen Feng was exasperated. The gun had clearly been exposed to the elements for a long time and had rusted internally.
'Even if I could get it to fire, I wouldn't dare use it now. If the chamber blows, I'll lose my fingers.'
Just then, a rustling sound came from the grass nearby. Shen Feng whipped his head around, and his blood ran cold. He couldn't believe his eyes.
A tiger was stalking through the grass, body low to the ground, as it charged toward him!
The tiger was crouched so low that it was hidden by the tall grass. If Shen Feng hadn't been on the roof of the SUV, he never would have seen it coming!
He finally understood why there were no other animals in or around the police station courtyard. This was the tiger's territory!
The tiger must have been stalking him ever since he entered the compound, slowly closing the distance, and was now moving in for the kill!
"Son of a bitch!" Shen Feng yelled. He hurled the useless handgun at the tiger with all his might, then turned, leaped off the SUV, and sprinted for his life toward the main police building.
There was no cover. Even with an axe, he'd be nothing but a snack for a tiger. The doors of the police cars were rusted shut. His only chance was to make it inside the building!
Shen Feng fled for his life. The tiger, which had closed to within a dozen meters, was momentarily startled by the thrown handgun, and its charge faltered for a split second.
But only for a split second. It immediately resumed its pursuit, lunging after the fleeing Shen Feng.
Today's prey seemed vaguely familiar. It had a strange scent, but it looked fresh and juicy.
Shen Feng felt like he was running on pure adrenaline, faster than he ever had in his life. Thoughts like 'I knew I should have started that morning jog routine,' and 'Should have gotten a job at a gym,' flashed through his mind as he finally reached the entrance to the station's lobby.
The door was open!
Shen Feng burst through the doorway, spun around to slam the aluminum alloy door shut, and reached for the bolt.
BAM!
With a heavy thud, the tiger crashed into the partially closed door, bursting it open and sending Shen Feng flying. He landed hard on the floor.
The tiger was inside!
In that split second between life and death, Shen Feng, still on the floor, whipped his head to the side. There on the ground lay a large-caliber Shotgun, with loose shells scattered beside it.
Without a second thought, he grabbed it, braced the stock against the floor, aimed the muzzle at the pouncing tiger, and repeatedly pulled the trigger!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The deafening shots echoed through the hall. The tiger, caught in mid-leap, was blasted by the dense spray of pellets from the Shotgun. Its two-hundred-plus-kilogram body froze for an instant in the air amidst bursts of blood, then crashed heavily to the floor with a sickening thud.
Several point-blank Shotgun blasts had struck the tiger's head and chest, tearing through the massive beast's hide and muscle and robbing it of its power to attack.
The massive recoil of the Shotgun left Shen Feng's arm numb. He lay there, paralyzed, his heart pounding like a drum. His mouth was dry, his breathing was ragged, and he felt the urge to vomit.
'Thank god the safety was already off. Thank god it was loaded. And thank god it had been kept indoors in good condition and didn't blow up in my face!'
If he had been one second slower, his head would probably have been bitten off.
After lying on the ground long enough to catch his breath and gather his strength, Shen Feng slowly climbed to his feet and approached the tiger.
A foul stench mixed with the coppery smell of blood washed over him. The beast wasn't dead yet; it was twitching and struggling, its eyes filled with a crazed fury, as if it recognized the upright creature before it as the long-extinct master of this world.
'Let me end your suffering…'
Shen Feng sighed and pressed the muzzle of the gun to the tiger's forehead.
A flock of birds scattered in alarm.