[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times":3,"chapter-the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-48":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Fiercest Man in the End Times",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2319286,4536,"Chapter 48: Strange Phenomenon (4K Chapter — Request Follows)","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-48",48,"\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan patted Zheng Xinyu’s back and said, “I really admire Brother Su—he actually guessed that Skinny Monkey would try something dirty. By the way… Sister Xinyu, it’s been days since I bathed, my scalp is itching terribly—how do you deal with it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When asked about other things, Zheng Xinyu’s mood improved slightly. “Same as me—I just wipe myself with wet wipes. No choice, water’s too scarce.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh… I haven’t been home for three or four days—my Popcorn must’ve run off…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan pouted, swung her iron plate, and helped scrape off the wall plaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Popcorn? Is it a puppy?” Zheng Xinyu asked curiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan seemed to recall some amusing memories, a faint smile touching her lips as she nodded. “A big orange cat. Over three years old.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s nice…” Zheng Xinyu’s eyes brightened with longing, then she pouted. “I wanted to get a pet dog too, but… my landlord—that’s Brother Su—said I couldn’t!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speaking of that… Sister Xinyu, what was your relationship before all this? I can tell you two never slept together—your bedrooms were separate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan asked curiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sharing hardship, their bond had grown much closer, and their conversations had gradually turned more intimate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu kept working, rolled her eyes, and said, “Brother Su’s the owner—he pretended to be a tenant and moved in with me. I didn’t know at first—he manipulated me constantly, cold-hearted and stingy. Even before the disaster hit, he was planning to raise my rent!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan couldn’t help laughing, then quickly covered her mouth, listened upstairs—no sound—then continued, “You young people are so funny. You’re so pretty—didn’t he ever make a move on you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He said he changed girlfriends every few months out there. Who knows? But he never did anything inappropriate—I even suspected he was gay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, Zheng Xinyu lowered her voice, her still-red eyes glinting with mischief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Su’s so manly—he could never be gay, hey…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Zhong Xiaoshan’s expression turned serious. She frowned. “Sister Xinyu, have you noticed something? This neighborhood should’ve had plenty of pets, right? So why haven’t we seen a single one running around?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As women, Zheng Xinyu could easily follow Zhong Xiaoshan’s sudden shift. She frowned, thought for a moment, then said, “Now that you mention it… I haven’t seen any cats or dogs—alive, dead, or even turned into zombies!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two exchanged glances, both puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su, sitting inside the room, heard the girls’ conversation and furrowed his brow. The sky was darkening, but he could still see downstairs. He hurried to the window, pulled back the curtain—and indeed, not a single animal in sight. Recalling the past few days, he realized he hadn’t seen any animals at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The woman downstairs’s dog didn’t bark either… Did all the pets get bitten and killed right away? Or is there another reason…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was thinking, Zhong Xiaoshan walked in—just as expected, she came to tell him what she’d noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t care if the cats and dogs are dead or gone—I just worry they might’ve turned into zombies too. Either way, this is something to watch out for—be careful from now on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah yeah, that’s what we thought too. Then… Brother Su, I’ll go help Sister Xinyu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm, go ahead,” Zhang Su nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan smiled sweetly and turned toward the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While waiting for the two women to finish clearing the plaster and corpses, Zhang Su wanted to test his hearing with a more direct measurement—but found it hard to quantify.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Human senses work this way—whether hearing, taste, or smell—even if vision can be measured with an eye chart, real-world use causes all kinds of variations due to environmental factors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su only did a rough test with his phone: he could hear a sound playing at three-volume level through two closed doors, but couldn’t make out the content—only guess wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, he concluded a vague range: if two people spoke normally, their voices could penetrate three ordinary apartment walls, as long as they weren’t more than thirty meters apart. In normal conditions, he could hear zombie footsteps scraping from about seventy to eighty meters away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no concrete idea how much stronger it was than before, but this ability gave him immense security—even if he hadn’t overheard Chongzi and Xiangge’s plan, he wouldn’t have been caught off guard, but dealing with it would’ve been more complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Zhang Su had finished his research, Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan returned home after finishing outside. The three then began carefully inventorying their loot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wonder those two wanted to rob someone!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu emptied the black backpack onto the floor—almost no food or drink, just random junk. Clearly, the two had truly run out of everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So many homes were empty or turned into zombies—they could’ve searched anywhere and found something. Why come bother me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu grumbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su shook out the empty bag. Though there was no food or drink, there were still some useful tools. Hearing her, he chuckled, “In their eyes, you’re the easiest target—easier than zombies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph, let them feel the consequences—now they don’t even get a chance to regret it!” Zheng Xinyu clenched her fist. Now that it was over, she wasn’t so scared anymore—her own life mattered most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s only been four or five days since the disaster started, and already some people are turning evil. I can’t imagine what the world will become.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan worried—if Zhang Su hadn’t been here, she and Zheng Xinyu would’ve been doomed. Her mindset hadn’t caught up with the changing reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s because the disaster hit too suddenly—with zero warning. Ordinary people had no time to react. No one keeps massive food stores at home, unless they’re preppers…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su shrugged. “Besides, those two were clearly no good. If I remember right, Xiangge was a thug—I saw him yelling at vendors at the night market. In a world where civilization collapses and laws vanish, men like him thrive—they’re heartless enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu gave Zhang Su a strange look and whispered, “The heartless Xiangge got killed by someone even more heartless…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan’s lips curled up; she quickly covered her mouth and giggled apologetically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su didn’t mind Zheng Xinyu’s teasing. He licked his lips. “Perfect lesson. Reality’s teaching you both: from now on, trust no one. I can tell you both honestly—even if you kill every person you meet later, the chance of killing a good person is less than one in ten. No, one in twenty!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t believe it. So out of a hundred people, only five are good?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu couldn’t accept that the future might become so cruel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Five good people is already too many. I didn’t say the other ninety are all evil—many are neutral by old standards. I call them fence-sitters—they know how to read the wind, have no clear stance, and cling to whoever’s stronger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu quickly replied, “I think that’s smart—follow the strong, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You misunderstand. Fence-sitters don’t just switch sides—they follow whoever’s strongest. If their leader falters, they betray immediately. Simple defection is fine, but these fence-sitters will kick you when you’re down—worse and more disgusting than outright evil people!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su’s face twisted with disgust—he’d been betrayed by people like this before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You say being good will get you killed, and being a fence-sitter is worse—so are we supposed to become evil like Xiangge and his kind?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu asked, confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah…” Zhang Su suddenly laughed, then sighed. “Yes. We’ll become the very things we hate. When starving, we’ll steal food from the weak—but we’ll also raise our blades against the stronger. Survival is my only belief. I hope it’s yours too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Su, I agree—survival is my only belief!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan had listened and thought silently until now, then voiced her stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu nodded too, slightly conflicted. “I don’t care about good or evil—I just want to live. I’ll remember what you taught me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, the three ate the only edible loot: two bags of chips. They celebrated their counterattack, adding leftover snail rice noodles from lunch and some high-calorie Snickers bars—everyone ate their fill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Su, back when, didn’t Qincheng get dark this early by late September?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dim room, Zheng Xinyu sat at her designated observation spot, a small slit in the curtain open. She fiddled with a trash bag—she’d need it soon for the toilet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s overcast—darkening early is normal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su was wiping his axe—wall dust on it bothered him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan, tidying the table, added, “This year’s weather’s weird. I’ve lived in Qincheng my whole life—September’s never been this cold. It’s almost like November…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The darkness could be explained by clouds, but the cold had definitely exceeded normal limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zombie virus broke out—cooling isn’t surprising. Early chill’s acceptable, but don’t let it keep dropping—that’d be unbearable!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su exhaled a warm breath—inside, it was barely eleven or twelve degrees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Back then, this neighborhood was lively.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu looked down at the street, resting her head on Zhang Su’s shoulder, murmuring, “At this hour, kindergartens and elementary schools let out. Grandparents would bring kids down to play. I used to hate those noisy kids—even with headphones, their screams got through. Now… I realize how happy that was.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once a joyful garden, now a gathering ground for zombies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh… Before, I went to Wanda Gym every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, then got a spa. Now… heh, I don’t even know what day it is!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan smiled bitterly and shook her head. In just a few days, the world had turned upside down—everything around her changed. Just being alive was already a miracle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was already cold. Talking about heavy topics made the air feel two degrees colder. The best way to fight the cold was real, proper exercise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After resting a while, Zhang Su led the two women into training—this was non-negotiable. Timing wasn’t fixed, but intensity was pushed as high as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether in battle or training, Zhang Su never treated Zheng Xinyu or Zhong Xiaoshan as women. In this hellish world, only the living and the dead mattered. To survive, you had to become stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan understood this too. They shed their softness, gave everything they had, trained desperately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When coquettishness couldn’t help survival, women could become fierce—sometimes even more deceptive, more dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the pitch-black room, three hot bodies panted heavily—if you didn’t know the truth, you’d imagine all sorts of things…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Building 4, Unit 1, Apartment 902.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiaoyu, listen, eat your food.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ya placed a bowl of instant noodles in front of a boy, about seven or eight, with a bowl cut that looked slightly dim-witted, but his whole body was filthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the table, a tiny birthday candle stubbornly burned. Its thin flame barely lit the table—its limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to earlier, Qin Ya’s face had regained some color. After successfully finding his old team leader’s child, his mood was good—and he felt even more grateful to the young man who’d lured the zombies away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One act of kindness had saved two lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I won’t eat. Instant noodles taste awful. Mom said these are junk food—I’m growing, I can’t eat junk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xuanyu stubbornly shook his head, then his eyes fell on the deflated bag of chips on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bowl of cold-soaked instant noodles was hardly delicious. To Qin Ya, who’d gone two days without food, it was a feast. But Liu Xuanyu was used to fast food like McDonald’s—he couldn’t stomach noodles that were chewy and hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ya felt a headache coming. He’d never married—he had no idea how hard kids were to handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiaoyu, be good. There are monsters outside now, food’s scarce. This isn’t junk—it’s life-saving food. If you don’t eat, you’ll starve. Do you want to be hungry, Xiaoyu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Qin Ya’s threat had no effect. Liu Xuanyu crossed his arms and turned his head. “Hmph, Uncle Qin’s bad. Starve? I’m not scared!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dim candlelight, Qin Ya’s face showed helplessness. The thought of surviving the apocalypse with this brat made his future seem bleak—he needed to teach him a lesson…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiaoyu said he wanted to find Mom and Dad, right? If you don’t eat, Uncle won’t take you to find them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No! Uncle Qin promised! You can’t break your word!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, this threat worked better. Liu Xuanyu immediately protested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heh, celebrating next week’s third round of recommendations—extra chapter today. Two chapters, double the word count: 4K + 2K. Thanks for your support, readers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2104,"2026-06-20T15:15:14.526Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","dddb56397af97658eb3ddd81ff012f9eddee6eaf83ad03df2bf11dd73067899f","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-49","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-47",694,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-cover.jpg"]