37: Since you're not afraid of death, don't blame me.

Ai Yue got out of the car, kicked one man flying, who couldn't get up for a long time. The remaining people hesitated for a moment seeing how ruthless Ai Yue was, but the sight of the brand-new car instantly overcame their fear with greed.

They signaled each other, gritted their teeth, and charged forward.

Seeing that they weren't afraid of death, Ai Yue sneered. Since they insisted on seeking death, they shouldn't blame her for being ruthless.

She drew the military knife from her waist, kicked one person away with her left foot, and killed another with her right hand.

Seeing their comrade die before their eyes in the blink of an eye, this group of newly turned villains was utterly terrified. They dropped their weapons and turned to flee.

Ai Yue paid them no mind.

She squatted down, wiped the military knife clean with the dead man's clothes, and tucked it back into her waist.

Whenever she went out, Ai Yue would hang this military knife at her waist. She also had a handgun on her lower back, fearing that if she was careless outside, using her spatial ability might be discovered, attracting powerful individuals and bringing great trouble to her family.

Ai Yue returned to the car and heard Ai Guosheng say, "In this world, how are normal people supposed to survive?"

Ai Yue replied without hesitation, "By hacking through thorns and brambles!"

She started the car, drove through the entire city, and headed out of town.

She wanted to see what the area outside the city looked like and if the national highway was still passable. If the military announced the construction of Safety Towers, having planned her route, she could take her parents on the road to a Safety Tower in time. The longer they waited, the more people would be on the road, and the more dangerous it would become.

The further they drove out of the city, the thicker the sludge became, and the more debris, broken wood, and corpses were mixed within it.

When they reached the suburbs, the hummer got stuck in the mud and couldn't move at all.

"Dad, let's switch cars." Looking at the knee-deep mud outside, Ai Yue opened the car door. With a thought, a behemoth appeared out of thin air—it was the All-Terrain marauder Ai Yue had acquired at the Technology Auction.

Ai Guosheng saw the marauder in real life for the first time and clicked his tongue in wonder. This giant looked sturdy, and with such high ground clearance, a road like this, resembling a mud pit, would be easily overcome by it.

Ai Yue jumped directly from the hummer's driver's seat onto the marauder. Ai Guosheng also jumped up from the driver's seat. Once inside the marauder, he touched everything with fascination. If the Apocalypse hadn't arrived, and if he hadn't benefited from his daughter, how could an ordinary person like him ever have the chance to interact with such an awesome vehicle?

The interior space was very large, more than enough to hold eight or nine people. The car was equipped with ultra-modern features, ensuring that occupants remained cool or warm inside, regardless of extreme heat or severe cold.

Furthermore, the marauder could flatten any obstacles it encountered with minimal effort.

It also had excellent wading capability. Its tires could continue running for fifty kilometers even after being punctured by bullets, and it could escape unharmed even if it ran over a landmine.

This terrifying configuration truly opened his eyes.

Ai Yue retrieved the hummer and put it into her space. Driving the marauder, she rumbled toward the distance; nothing ahead was an obstacle. They quickly drove forty kilometers. Ai Yue then switched directions and drove around some more. As long as the road hadn't collapsed, the marauder could push through. With this, both Ai Yue and her father were reassured.

In a few days, when the big sun came out, the sludge on the road would dry up, and the roads would be much clearer.

"Dad, what do you think? Should we go directly to the Safety Tower in the Southwest? I remember in my previous life, one of the Safety Towers built was in An City. We are close to there, but the others are too far away."

Ai Yue discussed the next steps with her father while driving.

"That's not advisable. Leaving aside whether An City will even have a Safety Tower built this lifetime, if we go now, we won't have anywhere to live. The military won't allow people into the planned areas ahead of time. We don't know that area, and we don't have a safe place to stay. The risk factor is too high. We should wait for the military's announcement."

"Dad, you've thought this through thoroughly. It really would be dangerous to go now."

The father and daughter chatted as they drove back. When they were close to the city center, where the hummer could manage the road again, Ai Yue switched back to the hummer and continued driving.

Originally, Ai Yue was the only car on this road. Suddenly, a jeep appeared in her line of sight, parked by the roadside. Next to the car were two men. One of them was holding something resembling a mobile phone to his ear and talking, seemingly making a call.

"Dad, look, is that a mobile phone in that person's hand? Is he making a call?" Ai Yue asked Ai Guosheng in surprise.

"How is that possible? Where would there be signal now? Unless..." Ai Guosheng immediately retorted, then stopped mid-sentence, uncertain.

Hearing this, Ai Yue's eyes lit up, and she and Ai Guosheng said in unison, "Unless they're using a satellite phone!"

"That's right! How could I forget to stock up on satellite phones? With one, we could contact the outside world and get more useful information. Oh, how could I forget it?" Ai Yue looked annoyed.

"It's alright, regret is useless. The Apocalypse requires countless things; how could you think of everything? We are just ordinary people, and having everything we have now is already a blessing from Buddha."

Ai Yue thought he had a point and stopped worrying. She made a face at Ai Guosheng, continued driving properly, and ignored the parked car on the roadside.

Soon, Ai Yue and her father returned home. Everything was fine at home; nothing had happened.

Dawang saw the two return and joyfully circled around them. Then it "awoo-awoo'd" while hugging Ai Yue's trouser leg and scratching hard, as if saying, 'You two litter-scoopers went out to play without me? Watch me scratch you!'

In just a moment, Ai Yue's pants were "honorably retired."

Ai Yue wasn't going to indulge it. She grabbed the scruff of its neck and lifted it up: "Oh ho, you little thing, you're getting bold, huh? You dare to scratch up my pants! I think you're asking for a beating."

As she spoke, she pulled out its small front paw and lightly smacked it.

Dawang immediately let out a pitiful cry, broke free from Ai Yue's grasp, and ran toward Li Shilan in the kitchen.

Hearing the commotion, Li Shilan rushed out, forgetting to put down the spoon in her hand. She happened to meet Dawang, and seeing its backer arrive, Dawang immediately whimpered softly.

Li Shilan saw its pitiful appearance, picked it up tenderly, and looked at the two of them, saying, "Old Ai, you're back! Are you alright? Yueyue, did you bully Dawang again? You're a person in your twenties, why do you keep picking on a cat like a child, always bullying it?"

Ai Yue spoke indignantly: "Is it an animal or a human? How did it learn to tattle? Besides, how did I bully it? Look," Ai Yue pointed to the trouser leg shredded by Dawang and continued, "I just got back, it circled around me, and then immediately scratched me up! Can't I hit it to teach it a lesson?"

"Oh, it's completely shredded?" Li Shilan glanced at the trouser leg, which was torn into strips, and looked down sternly at Dawang, saying, "Be good now, don't be naughty! Look what you did to your sister's pants? They can't be worn anymore! You must not destroy things next time!"

"And you! Why did you hit it? It's still small and doesn't understand anything. Just train it properly..." Li Shilan didn't spare anyone and lectured both of them.