The moment those words fell, the dorm door suddenly swung open without warning.
Cheng Zhi swept her broom across in one motion and instantly knocked down the three people standing on the left.
Holding a kitchen knife, Xiao Feiran took one huge step forward and pressed the blade directly against Chen Cuixi’s neck. The remaining two people had been standing farther away, and they immediately fled in terror.
Anyone would be scared with a knife at their throat. Chen Cuixi burst into tears on the spot.
“I was wrong! I was wrong! Please don’t kill me! Wuwuwu…”
Cheng Zhi was extremely irritated. She jabbed each of the three people lying on the floor with the broomstick one after another. A wooden stick would not kill anyone, but it still hurt a lot. Miserable screams continuously echoed through the hallway.
The fat girl who had just been acting all arrogant earlier curled up into a ball in pain and started wailing too.
“Stop hitting us! We just wanted some food!”
Wow.
The moment Cheng Zhi heard that, she became even more annoyed. Just as she was about to add another couple of hits, Huang Yiyi flew in with a kick and sent the fat girl crashing toward Dorm 835 across the hall.
“‘Just’?! Threatening people and smashing doors, and you call that just? Has all this rainwater flooded your brain these past few days too?!”
“…”
Why did you steal my line?
Cheng Zhi stood there holding her broom awkwardly for a moment, but quickly covered it up.
“We already told you last time. We’re not your parents, and we’re not obligated to raise you. We’re all adults here. Please support yourselves. Stop acting like clingy stray dogs. We already said we don’t have anything, yet you still keep sticking around.”
After saying that, she gave everyone a look, signaling them to retreat.
The three moved quickly. Zheng Wan, who had been standing behind the door the entire time, immediately slammed the lock shut.
Chen Siyu, standing nearby, finally lowered the electric baton she had been holding up the whole time. Even her lowered voice trembled.
“Holy crap, that happened so suddenly. Scared me to death.”
Cheng Zhi was still standing at the door. Only after checking through the peephole and confirming everyone had left did she finally let out a sigh of relief.
Beside her, Xiao Feiran set down the knife. Because she had used too much force earlier, her hand was trembling uncontrollably.
“I thought we’d already be seeing blood from the start.”
“Seeing blood was inevitable sooner or later. If something like this happened at our dorm, then maybe other dorms have already been robbed, fought, or had bloodshed happen.”
Cheng Zhi stood up, put the broom away, and spoke righteously:
“We can’t keep slacking off anymore. Starting today, we’re training.”
The moment the decision was made, they got to work.
The five of them spread out yoga mats and immediately started exercising. For a full two hours, no one stopped.
They ended up so exhausted afterward that nobody even wanted to cook. They simply made instant noodles and called it dinner.
After showering, everyone went off to do their own things.
Cheng Zhi and Xiao Feiran gathered together to make slingshots. That way they could hit people from farther away.
Zheng Wan was worried about wasting fresh vegetables, so she brought out a Chinese cabbage and started researching how to make spicy kimchi cabbage.
Chen Siyu remained firmly convinced that the rabbits were pregnant and was studying how to care for baby rabbits.
As for Huang Yiyi, her side of the room had taken on a completely bizarre atmosphere.
She had cut out an illustration of Hua Tuo from a book and stuck it on the wall. In front of it sat a neat row of QQ Star milk drinks and Daliyuan mini bread. Then she even took out her tablet, lit three electronic incense sticks, clasped her hands together, and looked utterly devout.
At that exact moment, Cheng Zhi had just finished making a slingshot prototype. She picked up an eraser and launched it straight at Huang Yiyi.
Unexpectedly, it actually hit.
Master Xiao nodded in satisfaction and took back the prototype to continue improving it.
Huang Yiyi’s prayers had been interrupted. She clicked her tongue, picked up the eraser, and tossed it back at Cheng Zhi, who was still grinning.
“Such a solemn and sacred moment, and you’re disturbing my studies…”
Cheng Zhi pointed at the things on the desk and laughed so hard she nearly collapsed.
“Offering QQ Star to Hua Tuo? Looking across the entire history of Chinese medicine, this really is unprecedented.”
On the other side, Zheng Wan, who was sprinkling salt onto cabbage leaves, was laughing too.
“Hahahaha! Wow! You even thoughtfully offered incense, even if it’s electronic. Honestly, it kind of feels like traditional Chinese style mixed with cyberpunk.”
Huang Yiyi snorted proudly and opened a QQ Star drink.
“You people just don’t understand. Sincerity brings miracles. Divine Doctor Hua Tuo will definitely help me become an outstanding traditional Chinese physician.”
Whether it was psychological or Hua Tuo had really answered her prayers, Huang Yiyi studied with extraordinary focus that entire night.
No pained expressions, no constant sighing.
She actually looked like things were going smoothly.
Cheng Zhi and Xiao Feiran also finished making their slingshots. Later on, the two continued researching other little gadgets.
At midnight, everyone prepared to sleep.
But Cheng Zhi began worrying.
The threat earlier that day had awakened her sense of crisis.
Thinking back to the apocalypse, arson, murder, and looting mostly happened late at night, because sleeping people were the most defenseless.
“Guys, after today’s incident, people nearby probably all know we have food. Should we start keeping watch at night?”
Cheng Zhi stood up and asked for everyone’s opinion.
No one thought for long.
Especially Xiao Feiran, who had always been cautious.
“Yes. The guys robbed the convenience store, and we got threatened today. That means everyone’s really reached the end of the line. Once people get desperate, they’ll do anything. Someone might launch a sneak attack during the night.”
Going by the order they had arranged, it should have been Zheng Wan and Huang Yiyi’s turn to stand watch.
Since Huang Yiyi was still unusually energized, she voluntarily asked to take the first half of the night.
Leaning against the bed, Zheng Wan looked worriedly at her.
“Don’t get too immersed in your studying. What if the bad guys reach the door and you still don’t notice?”
Huang Yiyi nodded and made an OK gesture.
“Relax. I won’t keep reading later. Go sleep.”
Sure enough, that night, aside from the sounds of wind and rain outside, many other noises echoed through the darkness.
Shattering glass.
Girls screaming.
Even vicious male voices coming from the girls’ dormitory.
That night, nobody in Dorm 806 slept well.
Chen Siyu struggled out of bed the next morning. Dark circles were clearly visible under her eyes.
“Last night was terrifying. Every now and then there’d be another scream. I felt like my heart was about to jump out of my chest.”
Across from her, Cheng Zhi yawned repeatedly and rubbed her eyes furiously.
“I heard it too. I even heard guys coming into the dorm building. Wow. Couldn’t rob other men, so they came to rob women instead. They really have no shame.”
Xiao Feiran had always been a poor sleeper. With all the noise last night, she had barely slept at all.
Seeing everyone awake, she started reinforcing the dorm door while still wearing her nightgown.
“I barely slept last night. Every time I dozed off, I’d dream that our door got kicked open. Too terrifying.”
As she spoke, she continued grabbing tools.
Still half asleep and talking incoherently, Zheng Wan nodded repeatedly.
“While sitting here last night listening to all those sounds, I felt exactly the same. I kept worrying someone would suddenly kick our door in.”
Cheng Zhi sighed and collapsed weakly onto her bed.
“From now on… every day is going to be like this.”
Hearing that, everyone’s spirits sank a little.
Then Xiao Feiran suddenly let out a cry of shock, startling everyone.
They quickly climbed out of bed and rushed over.
Following Xiao Feiran’s line of sight, they looked downstairs.
On the road below floated countless corpses.
Men and women alike drifted silently as rainwater washed over them.
The reason they were floating was because water had already started accumulating on the roads.
The typhoon would not stop for another month in the future. The rain would only become heavier and heavier. Eventually even the second floor would be submerged.
Right now, the water level had probably only reached ankle height.
They had seen scenes like this in their previous life.
But even after seeing it again, their hearts still felt heavy.
No one spoke.
They simply tightened their grips on each other’s hands, as though doing so could somehow fill them with courage.