“What’s meant to come will come eventually. The most important thing right now is to clear out the zombies and gather supplies.”
After listening to Yue Jiayu’s analysis, Zuo Feng’s heart was in turmoil. Zombies could evolve! This meant the crisis would intensify, and he had to quickly devise new strategies.
“I must clear out the zombies on this floor as soon as possible, and then find Da Bai Tu who has turned into a zombie.” Zuo Feng gripped the sharpening steel in his hand, his eyes sharp as a blade…
Five minutes later, Zuo Feng stood in the corridor on the twelfth floor. In the empty hallway, only his footsteps echoed, with no sign of any zombies—evidently, they had either been cleared out, moved on, or perhaps this floor was already empty.
Zuo Feng’s heart eased slightly, but his vigilance remained undiminished. The whereabouts of zombies were unpredictable, and he knew that a moment of slackness could be fatal.
The doors of the five households on this floor were all tightly shut like iron. Zuo Feng was not surprised by this: wasn’t this the norm in urban communities? Neighbors rarely interacted, each living behind their closed doors.
Moreover, the occupancy rate of Kaitian Community was originally very low, so it wasn’t strange to find few zombies wandering the corridors, or even none on an entire floor.
“I should have learned a few more tricks from the locksmith…” Zuo Feng couldn’t help but mutter to himself. If his skills were more proficient, he wouldn’t be trapped by these locked doors, wasting precious resources.
But who could he blame? Who could have predicted that the apocalypse would arrive so suddenly?
Following his usual routine, Zuo Feng knocked on each door, then listened intently. The five doors remained silent, as if no one had ever lived on this floor.
Pulling out his special tool—a bank card—Zuo Feng skillfully inserted the card.
Room 1201, double-locked, couldn’t open.
Room 1202, double-locked, couldn’t open.
Room 1203, double-locked, couldn’t open.
Room 1204, double-locked, couldn’t open.
Room 1205, click!
The door opened. Zuo Feng quickly slipped inside and closed the door behind him. The room was dim, filled with a musty smell, clearly long uninhabited.
“I’m sorry for disturbing you! I’m sorry for disturbing you! I’m sorry!” In just three seconds, Zuo Feng slipped out, politely closed the door, stood at the entrance, apologized, and even bowed.
Zuo Feng had opened a room used for storing ashes!
Zuo Feng wasn’t superstitious, but after all, the deceased should be respected. It was only polite to bow and apologize for intruding into someone’s resting place.
Zuo Feng had seen news online about communities storing ashes before, but he never expected there to be such a room in his own building.
No wonder the other four rooms were double-locked and empty; being so close to a room for ashes would probably be unsettling if people actually lived there.
The 12th floor was a wasted trip; he still had to investigate the 11th floor. Zuo Feng took a deep breath, adjusted his mindset, and walked steadily towards the stairwell.
Each step was cautious, fearing to alert any potential zombies. He knew time was short; he had to find supplies and Da Bai Tu, who had turned into a zombie, as soon as possible, otherwise, his hope of survival would become increasingly slim.
Zuo Feng tiptoed down the stairs. The corridor on the 11th floor was equally silent.
“Hmm? Someone killed zombies on this floor!”
Zuo Feng’s eyes narrowed. This side of the corridor clearly had zombie bloodstains, and the air was filled with a fishy smell.
No zombie bodies were seen, so they must have been cleared away.
What was strange was that the space between rooms 1104 and 1102, which faced each other, was filled with furniture. Along with room 1101, all three doors were tightly blocked by furniture.
He guessed that these three rooms might be empty, and the owners of 1103 or 1105 had piled discarded furniture here.
“How rude!” Zuo Feng shook his head slightly. Even if the three homes were uninhabited, piling furniture like this was too inconsiderate. What if someone returned later?
To get inside, he would first have to clear this pile of obstacles. It was his first time seeing someone so lacking in public etiquette, but in these times, oddities were common, and it didn’t concern him, so he didn’t need to dwell on it… Evidently, only rooms 1103 and 1105 on this floor could be tried.
“Bang bang bang! Is anyone home?”
Still following his routine, Zuo Feng knocked on the door of Room 1105, asking if anyone was there, regardless of whether he got a response…
In Room 1103, Mao Zi, who had been lying on the sofa, instantly jolted awake at the sound. He darted to the door and peered through the peephole, seeing Zuo Feng knocking on the door of Room 1105…
“Boss, bad news! Someone! Someone! Is knocking on the door of Room 1105!”
Mao Zi ignored everything else and anxiously ran into the bedroom to wake Yin Jiu.
“Damn it! Let him knock! He’s not knocking on our door, so what’s it to us!”
Yin Jiu was sleeping soundly, dreaming of being entangled with that beauty. Being woken by Mao Zi was unforgivable.
He groggily opened his eyes, his gaze filled with anger, then suddenly snapped wide awake—the Fruit Store Owner was trapped by them in 1104, and the person knocking on the door absolutely couldn’t rescue her!
“Damn it, don’t just stand there, grab your weapons and go check it out!”
Without even having time to put on his shirt, Yin Jiu grabbed the machete from the living room. Mao Zi quickly snatched an iron rod, and the two rushed out of the bedroom.
“Xiao Nan Ren? Is that you?”
Zuo Feng’s body, which had been leaning against the door listening, suddenly stiffened. His heart rate abruptly accelerated. The familiar, charming voice carried a hint of surprise and uncertainty.
Zuo Feng was all too familiar with this voice, and in this world, only one person called him Xiao Nan Ren: Fruit Store Owner, Yun Qianqian!
“Da Bai Tu?”
Zuo Feng responded tentatively, his voice slightly trembling. At this moment, Zuo Feng was incredibly afraid. He feared that what he heard was just an illusion, and even more, he feared that after responding, there would be no sound.
He had always thought Da Bai Tu was gone, but he never expected to hear her voice, which had haunted his dreams, here.
“Creak!”
The door of 1104 next door opened. Through the gaps in the piled furniture, the apartment door opened inwards, so even with furniture piled at the entrance, it didn’t prevent someone from opening the door from inside.
What met his eyes was Yun Qianqian’s familiar, fiery figure, her charming face streaked with faint tear marks. Her usually bright eyes were now filled with exhaustion and grievance, making Zuo Feng’s heart ache when he saw her again.
At this moment, Yun Qianqian was filled with immense grievance. Just when she was on the verge of despair, she heard the voice of her Xiao Nan Ren. Opening the door, she was met with the face she thought of day and night. Beyond the surprise, there was mostly grievance—she had been bullied by bad people!
Yun Qianqian didn’t even know how she had survived these past few days. When the apocalypse descended, zombies appeared in her shop. She was terrified at the time, but fortunately, the zombies were slow when they lunged at her, and she managed to dodge them.
In her fear, all she could think of was finding her Xiao Nan Ren, the one who made her feel safe. She knew Xiao Nan Ren lived on the 13th floor of this building. She wanted to take the elevator, but there were zombies behind her, so she didn’t have time to wait for the elevator and could only climb the stairs.
Her original high heels had broken from running, and she had sprained her ankle…
Fortunately, the zombies ran slowly. Even with her sprained ankle, limping, she was still a little faster than the zombies. She finally managed to climb to the 11th floor.
But then, people started running down from upstairs, with zombies following them. Her path up was blocked. In her panic, she hid in this apartment which was under renovation. It was empty except for some construction materials.
She had originally planned to wait for all the zombies to leave before going up to find Xiao Nan Ren.
But unexpectedly, not long after, someone knocked on her door and told her that all the zombies had been killed, it was safe outside, and she could come out. Through the peephole, she saw the person knocking—the one she had sent to the police station twice!
Yun Qianqian wasn’t stupid; she didn’t dare to open the door. She wanted to call the police, but in her earlier panic, she had only grabbed her purse, leaving her phone in the shop.
She had thought about calling for help to Xiao Nan Ren from the balcony.
But Xiao Nan Ren was to the south, and her room was to the north. Although only one floor separated them, even if she shouted, Xiao Nan Ren wouldn’t hear her. Just two floors apart, yet it felt like the ends of the earth. She couldn’t contact Xiao Nan Ren.
Hiding in Room 1104, Yun Qianqian slowly realized something was wrong. Everything outside was in chaos. Yin Jiu had even blocked her door, threatening her: either compromise or starve to death here.
The thought of Yin Jiu’s foul language at her door made Yun Qianqian feel nauseous. Yin Jiu was disgusting.
Today was the fourth day of the apocalypse. She originally only had a small bottle of mineral water and a few lollipops in her bag. These past few days, she had eaten only one lollipop per day. The lollipops were finished yesterday, and only a tiny sip of water remained…
Yun Qianqian knew she couldn’t hold on much longer. Her ankle was still swollen, and she was on the verge of despair. She was even thinking about whether she could eat the construction wood if she pulverized it, even if it only helped with the hunger!
But unexpectedly, at this moment, she vaguely heard the voice of her Xiao Nan Ren. She thought she was hallucinating from hunger and tentatively leaned against the door to test.
When he asked, “Da Bai Tu,” those three words made her tears fall. She knew it was really her Xiao Nan Ren. Only Xiao Nan Ren would call her Da Bai Tu to her face, and he had done so for over a year.
Excited, she opened the door and saw his strong physique. All the grievances of these past few days surged up at once. Her Xiao Nan Ren had come, her throat choked, but she couldn’t say anything…
“Creak!”
The sound of Room 1103’s door opening interrupted Zuo Feng and Yun Qianqian’s gaze.
Da Bai Tu’s door was clearly blocked from the outside. Da Bai Tu herself couldn’t possibly have done it. In this apocalypse, blocking someone’s door, it goes without saying, must be with malicious intent!
Da Bai Tu’s eyes, full of grievance, surely meant she had been bullied severely.
It was also the first time Zuo Feng had not seen a smile on Da Bai Tu’s face. In the past, Da Bai Tu had always been smiling, even in the most difficult times, he could always see the smile in her eyes.
Now, those eyes were filled with exhaustion and grievance. Zuo Feng’s heart felt as if it had been pricked by a needle, hurting terribly.
“Don’t be afraid, I’m here.” Zuo Feng’s voice was infinitely gentle, carrying an undeniable firmness.
Then he turned around, and boundless rage instantly surged in his eyes.
The door to 1103 opened, and Zuo Feng saw a burly middle-aged man in large shorts. The man's build was no less robust than Zuo Feng's, but he was more than half a head shorter. Behind him followed a young man with yellow hair, carrying a steel pipe. The short, thin, long-haired young man with yellow hair. With just one glance, Zuo Feng's expression became solemn; he saw the bald man's machete stained with gray, dried zombie blood.
This bald man was clearly a ruthless character in the apocalypse. Zuo Feng knew he couldn't act rashly.
He clenched his fists, his eyes cold, and quickly strategized. Da Bai Tu's safety was his only concern at this moment; no matter what, he had to protect her.
As Yin Jiu opened the door, the first thing he noticed was the open door of 1104. Anger surged in his heart. He had coaxed, tricked, threatened, and forced, but that woman wouldn't even open a crack in the door, yet now she had opened it for another man.
And they were even standing right at the doorway! Fortunately, the entrance was completely blocked, so that woman couldn't come out.
A sinister glint flashed in Yin Jiu's eyes, and he tightened his grip on the machete. Yun Qianqian, that alluring woman, belonged to him, Yin Jiu; he wouldn't allow anyone else to lay a hand on her.
But when Yin Jiu's gaze swept over the sharpening rod in Zuo Feng's hand, stained with zombie blood, his heart tightened. He knew the other party was no easy opponent.
Yin Jiu's eyes flickered, and he subtly shifted half a step back, signaling the young man with yellow hair to step forward. A cold sneer twisted his lips as he tried to intimidate with words:
"Brother, this woman is mine. If you're smart, scram quickly and don't cause trouble for yourself."
Zuo Feng snorted coldly, his gaze like a knife, looking directly at Yin Jiu: "She is my woman. No one will touch her."
His tone was firm, leaving no room for doubt. A tense atmosphere filled the air; the two sides faced off, on the verge of an explosion.
During those days when he lost Da Bai Tu, Zuo Feng's heart was twisted with pain, every second felt like torture.
It proved the old saying: you don't know what you have until it's gone.
From the moment he saw Da Bai Tu again, Zuo Feng made up his mind. He would no longer maintain the ambiguous relationship they had before; he would guard her closely by his side, never allowing anyone to harm her in the slightest.
That resolve in his heart was like the sharpening rod he held tightly at this moment, sharp and unyielding.
"Pah, Yin Jiu, you shameless man! I told you long ago I don't like you, you pervert! I'm telling you, this is my man! You'd best let me go, my man has a bad temper! Be careful he doesn't treat you kindly!"
When she heard Zuo Feng say, "She is my woman," a hint of tenderness flashed in Da Bai Tu's eyes. This Xiao Nan Ren had finally understood.
Yin Jiu had been sent to the police station twice by her, and she knew his background. He used to be involved with the underworld and had spent a long time in prison; he was not a good person.
She had also told Xiao Nan Ren about this, but Xiao Nan Ren had never met Yin Jiu; so Yun Qianqian deliberately brought up Yin Jiu's name, intending to warn Zuo Feng to be careful.
"Did you hear that? Let her go!"
Zuo Feng took a step forward, his presence intimidating. Hearing Da Bai Tu mention Yin Jiu, Zuo Feng knew who this bald man was. But what if he had been to prison!
Today, he had to take Da Bai Tu away. Whoever blocked him would die! At worst, they would all perish together, but he would never let Da Bai Tu suffer any more harm.
Yin Jiu's face turned ashen, veins bulging on his knife-wielding hand, yet he dared not act rashly.
Seeing this, the young man with yellow hair knew his chance to shine had come. He quickly stepped forward, tilting his head and glancing at Zuo Feng with provocative eyes, barking like a dog relying on its master's power: "Son of a bitch, do you know who I am? How dare you stir up trouble with me! My Brother Jiu and I are from the streets. If you know what's good for you, scram, or I'll make you regret ever being born into this world!"
"Bang!"
Zuo Feng's response to the young man with yellow hair was to grab a chair that was blocking the doorway with one arm and smash it fiercely at the young man with yellow hair's feet. The chair, thrown with immense arm strength, was instantly shattered into pieces, wood splinters flying everywhere, some even splashing onto the young man with yellow hair's face.
The young man with yellow hair was startled, his feet involuntarily retreating.
But then he reacted. His boss was still watching! He had actually been scared off; it was so damn embarrassing! The young man with yellow hair instantly bristled.
"You're looking for death! I give you face, and you dare to refuse! Do you believe I won't kill you!"
The young man with yellow hair's face flushed red, and he stepped forward, his right hand gripping the steel pipe, pointing it directly at Zuo Feng. The tip of the steel pipe was almost touching Zuo Feng's nose, but that was as far as it went.
Zuo Feng's eyes turned icy cold. A mere hooligan, at most just blustering, but Zuo Feng wouldn't bluff.
Yin Jiu's machete was stained with zombie blood; if they fought, even a slight scratch would be the end of it. He was wary of Yin Jiu, but this young man with yellow hair was not on his list of concerns.
But the young man with yellow hair and Yin Jiu were too close. That chair smashing at the young man with yellow hair's feet was also deliberate on Zuo Feng's part, intended to enrage the young man with yellow hair and make him come forward—to his death!
Zuo Feng moved swiftly, his left hand grabbing the young man with yellow hair's wrist and twisting it sharply. With a crack, the young man with yellow hair screamed in pain, the steel pipe flying from his grasp. Zuo Feng's right foot flew up, kicking him hard in the knee. The young man with yellow hair instantly fell to his knees, tears and snot streaming down his face.
A cold glint flashed from his right hand as the sharpening rod pierced straight into the young man with yellow hair's throat. Blood gushed out, staining the ground red.
Zuo Feng's eyes were cold and merciless; he knew that in this life-or-death situation, any hesitation would be fatal.
This was Zuo Feng's first time killing someone, and there wasn't much ripple in his heart, but his hands couldn't stop trembling slightly. It wasn't the trembling of fear, but the trembling of excitement, as if the primal beastiality hidden within his body had been completely awakened.
Yin Jiu witnessed all of this, and his scalp tingled. Zuo Feng's ruthlessness was something he hadn't anticipated.
He hadn't expected Zuo Feng to kill the young man with yellow hair so decisively. He saw Zuo Feng's hands trembling, but he understood it wasn't fear,
but the thrill of killing. This made Yin Jiu recall when he used to lead young men in fights in the red-light district before he went to prison.
Back then, Yin Jiu knew that there were only two reasons why people trembled during a fight: one was trembling from fear;
The other was like Zuo Feng, trembling with excitement. These kinds of people were lunatics; once they started fighting, they completely disregarded their lives.
At this moment, Yun Qianqian was stunned, her rosy lips slightly parted, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"Xiao Nan Ren killed someone! Xiao Nan Ren killed someone for me!"
Complex emotions surged in Yun Qianqian's heart, both shock and profound emotion, and her eyes welled up with tears.
The overwhelming emotion almost overflowed from her chest. She knew the apocalypse had arrived, and there was no longer order or rules. In such an apocalypse, who could be more reliable than this man who killed for her?
Yin Jiu took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the shock in his heart. He knew that today, Zuo Feng had completely lost control, and if he didn't back down, he might also fall here.
Yin Jiu slowly retreated, his eyes wary, and raised the machete in his hand, stained with zombie blood.
"Brother, let's call it a day. It's not worth risking your life for a woman."
Zuo Feng pulled the sharpening rod from the young man with yellow hair's throat, allowing the young man with yellow hair's body to slowly fall, blood spreading across the ground.
"Rip!"
Zuo Feng ripped off his shirt, revealing his muscular physique. The shirt was splattered with the young man with yellow hair's blood and could no longer be worn. He shook the blood off the sharpening rod,
and with his left hand, he took the torn shirt and slowly wiped the blood from the sharpening rod, his eyes growing colder, like an awakened beast.
His murderous gaze fixated on Yin Jiu for a long time, but ultimately, he gave up. He wanted to kill Yin Jiu but wasn't confident he could do so without getting injured at all. For now, Da Bai Tu was the priority.
"Yin Jiu, I'm taking Yun Qianqian now. Are you still going to stop me?"
He casually threw the shirt onto the young man with yellow hair's face, covering the young man with yellow hair's wide-open eyes in death.
Zuo Feng was a polite person and knew that covering the face of the deceased was a basic sign of respect.
"I'll remember today's events!"
Yin Jiu's face was grim as he slowly retreated into the room and closed the door. He ultimately no longer had the youthful drive to act decisively. Moreover, Ye Wenwen was pregnant with his child, and he cherished his life now.
Even if he was unwilling, he had no choice but to retreat. As for the death of the young man with yellow hair, a newly recruited subordinate with no blood relation, if he died, he died; Yin Jiu didn't care.
Seeing Yin Jiu retreat, Zuo Feng turned, the killing intent in his eyes gradually fading. He laboriously cleared away the furniture blocking the door of 1104, and before Zuo Feng could even step through the doorway,
Da Bai Tu had already bounced out and thrown herself into Zuo Feng's arms, her eyes brimming with tears.
This was Zuo Feng's first physical contact with Da Bai Tu. Her soft, delicate body made Zuo Feng's body stiffen, his hands not knowing where to go. He hadn't expected the Fruit Store Owner to throw herself into his arms. The Fruit Store Owner was about 173 cm tall, and her head was perfectly nestled against Zuo Feng's chest. Zuo Feng gently patted Da Bai Tu's back, comforting her in a low voice: "Don't be afraid, it's over."
"Xiao Nan Ren, big sister is so touched."
Da Bai Tu's murmur made Zuo Feng's heart ache.
"Let's get out of here first; this isn't the place to talk."
Gently patting Da Bai Tu's rounded shoulders, Zuo Feng softly reminded her. Yin Jiu was still nearby, and if he had a change of heart and attacked, it would be troublesome. Moreover, the young man with yellow hair on the ground had been killed by a sharpening rod stained with zombie blood, and he could turn into a zombie at any moment.
"I twisted my ankle, it hurts, I can't walk. You carry me, big sister wants a princess carry..."
Looking up, Yun Qianqian's charming, bright eyes gazed at Zuo Feng pitifully.
Only then did Zuo Feng notice that Da Bai Tu was barefoot, and her right ankle was severely swollen. His heart ached, wondering how much Da Bai Tu had suffered these past few days.
Zuo Feng bent down and scooped Yun Qianqian into his arms. Yun Qianqian wrapped her arms around Zuo Feng's neck, her cheek pressed against his chest, snuggling into Zuo Feng's embrace, feeling his strong heartbeat. She let out another series of coquettish giggles. Hearing Da Bai Tu's laughter again, Zuo Feng's heart warmed, and he quickly carried Da Bai Tu through the corridor and into the stairwell.
In the stairwell, Da Bai Tu's alluring little mouth chattered incessantly.
Well, she was still the familiar Da Bai Tu, the lively and flirtatious Da Bai Tu; Zuo Feng's heart swelled with the joy of having her back.