My Post-Apocalyptic Survival Journey After Becoming a Beautiful Girl

"It's fine..." I waved my hand, and after looking at the mother and daughter pair again, I weighed the situation in my mind before tentatively asking, "This... what are you planning to do next..."

"What I'm planning to do next?" The woman naturally picked up the conversation and then said, "...Actually, I have an unreasonable request."

I already understood what the woman meant, but I still hesitated.

"Could you... please take my daughter and me out of this hospital?" As she spoke, the woman seemed to realize something and quickly added, "I... I still have some food here, enough for at least three to five days. If you can take us out, all of this is yours."

As she said this, the woman seemed to notice my hesitation. Gritting her teeth, she pulled her daughter to her side and said, "If it's really not possible, please, just take my daughter out!"

"Take her out..." I looked at the innocent little girl. At this moment, she seemed to understand something too, pursing her lips and saying nothing, looking down at her toes.

"I only ask... I only ask you... no, please, just take her to the Armed Police Detachment! Just take her there."

"The Armed Police Detachment?"

"Yes! There are survivors there, and my husband's colleagues are all there. If you take her there, at least she'll have something to eat, better than starving to death here..." The woman's eyes welled up with tears as she spoke.

After finishing, the woman lowered herself and hugged her daughter, crying out.

"Juan'er, Mommy can't stay with you anymore... Eat well, remember, don't trouble those uncles too much, and don't ask for too much. As long as you are well... I'll be content even if I starve to death here."

Hearing these words, I didn't feel sympathy for the woman. On the contrary, my wariness towards her increased.

This woman... is putting on a show for me. Although she's genuinely trying to get a chance for her daughter, these last few words are definitely an act for me!

As I thought this, my heart gradually cooled, and my expression turned grim.

Just then, the little girl broke free from her mother's embrace and timidly walked over to me, tugging at my jacket sleeve.

"Big sister..." a choked childish voice said.

"Please... take Mom with you..."

This woman... Although I've never liked brats, I really like a well-behaved child like this.

I glanced at the woman. She was still crying, but it was clear that her voice carried a hint of pretense. I could understand this to some extent, but I found it very off-putting.

Because this woman was exploiting my and her daughter's kindness.

However... looking at the little girl pulling on me and the man's corpse lying there, for some reason, the words of refusal I was about to say got stuck in my throat. This was perhaps a common trait of shut-ins, though I could hardly be considered one anymore.

"Pack up."

A feeling of being tricked surged through me. My previously stable mood turned sour, and my voice carried a hint of coldness. But the woman seemed not to hear, quickly standing up, nodding, and walking into the sixth floor. The little girl, however, continued to tug at my clothes as if afraid I would run away.

Ignoring this troublesome child, I began to calculate the gains and losses in my mind. Clearly... I was at a disadvantage. Although food was scarce and precious in this world, I would now have to bring along two burdens and traverse unknown dangers. Who knew what would happen along the way? If an ordinary person could easily leave, this woman wouldn't have offered such great benefits as an exchange.

With that thought, I subconsciously reached for the gun on my body. This woman must have seen the gun, and the fruit knife on my waist, stained with black blood and full of nicks, which is why she made such a decision.

Thinking of this, I took out the fruit knife again and examined it carefully. I couldn't help but sigh inwardly: 'As expected... I need to find a more useful melee cold weapon. This knife is probably almost useless. I hope it can last a little longer.'

The nicked blade and slightly bent body told me it was beyond its prime. But that was realistic. It's just a fruit knife. No matter how sharp or durable, it couldn't become a cleaver, let alone a melee combat weapon. Its purpose was just to cut fruit.

With that thought, I turned my gaze to the man. I scanned him up and down and suddenly noticed a dagger on his waist. After much hesitation, I walked forward and reached out to take it. Just then, footsteps sounded from behind me.

"Stop! What are you doing to my husband!"

The woman shrieked, and I paused my movement.

"Nothing..." I stood up naturally and looked at the woman. "Since this man is your husband, then everything on him should belong to you too."

The woman looked at me with panicked yet angry eyes, waiting for me to continue.

"You know, the risk of me taking you and your daughter out of this hospital is not small. You must know this." Honestly, I didn't want to drag along dead weight. I only said this to make her back down.

"What... do you want?" the woman asked after a pause.

"Since you intend to trade, I have an additional condition now," I said, enunciating each word. Looking at the woman's expression, I found no change. She just watched me, waiting for my next words.

"First, no matter when, you will obey my orders. If you die because you disobey..." I said, glancing at the woman and the child, my voice turning cold. "...you deserve it."

"Okay, I will," the woman said, nodding.

"Second... I don't just want food, but also..." As I spoke, my gaze fell on the man lying on the ground: "I want all the weapons on him."

The woman hesitated for a moment before biting her lip and nodding. "Okay."

"In that case, I'll take what's mine first." As I said this, I reached for the dagger. However, the woman suddenly spoke up: "Can..."

"Hmm?"

"Can I... can I do it?" the woman asked hesitantly, perhaps afraid of displeasing me. For this woman, I was probably her last hope.

Without speaking, I gestured for her to do it and took two steps back. I pulled out a Changbai Mountain cigarette from my pocket, held one between my lips, and then naturally took out a Zippo lighter, flicked it open, and slid it lightly against my pants. A flame ignited with a crisp metallic clink.

"Swoosh!"

Taking a satisfying drag, I suddenly noticed the little girl looking at me with a strange expression... no, not at me, but at the cigarette in my hand.

"What's wrong?"

I asked instinctively.

To my surprise, the little girl said something that made me laugh and cry at the same time.

"Mom said... girls shouldn't smoke! And... and..."

The little girl lowered her head, hesitating.

"And what else?" I took another drag, looking at the little girl and asking with a smile.

"Cigarettes are expensive!"

"Uh!" I broke out in a cold sweat. Are kids these days so pragmatic?

"No, b-big sister isn't afraid of the cost." I instinctively wanted to say 'big brother', but had to swallow the last two words.

"They really are expensive! One pack of cigarettes can be exchanged for a meal!" The little girl glared at me, as if I were wasting something, but she looked quite funny.

"It's fine... Sister... I can afford it." Seeing the little girl's indignant look made me laugh inwardly, but I didn't show it on my face. I didn't want to give her the impression that I was too easy to get along with, because in a world like this, being too kind isn't a good thing.

Chapter 14: Preparing to Depart

Just then, the woman beside me seemed to have finished the task I'd assigned her. With red-rimmed eyes, she walked over and handed me a dagger with a belt.

"Now... can we go?"

"Food?"