Wu Dayong avoided eye contact and did not answer Tian Hui’s question.
These strangers all carried weapons, and there was a faint smell of blood and a sense of oppression about them. The atmosphere became deathly silent, until a man stepped forward.
“You are—”
Before he could finish, everyone only heard a bang, and a bloody hole appeared in his chest.
“Aaah! Murder!!” someone screamed.
Thud.
A severed zombie head rolled over, its enlarged pupils staring straight at everyone, its mouth still opening and closing. The torn flesh at the neck dragged across the carpet, leaving several smeared bloodstains.
Tian Hui recognized it as her husband. She clamped a hand over her mouth, suppressing a mournful sob.
Another gunshot rang out. The man who had screamed the loudest was shot in the head.
The burly man gestured for silence, if they didn’t want to die, they should behave.
“Don’t be nervous. We’re just here to take shelter. Such a good place should be shared by everyone, don’t you think?”
The axe man curled his lips and swung his axe violently down onto the zombie’s head several times. He didn’t stop until the skull cracked open and dark, foul blood burst out.
The crowd was both terrified and disgusted by the scene. Some of the timid ones trembled uncontrollably, retching nonstop as tears and mucus streamed down their faces.
“We can leave. We won’t take anything with us,” Yang Minghao said in a low, cautious voice.
The burly man smiled and shook his head, satisfied as he scanned their terrified expressions.
“From now on, in order to ensure we can all get along peacefully, I hope you will cooperate properly. Put down what you’re holding and squat by the wall.”
Faced with a group of ruthless killers who didn’t hesitate to take lives, everyone could only obey if they wanted to survive.
The men’s murky gazes drifted toward the women. Qiu Xiang even stepped forward and grabbed a young woman by the hair. Watching her terrified expression, he revealed a perverse smile.
“Go find the rest of the people first.”
Only after hearing Brother Scar’s order did Qiu Xiang restrain himself.
“Boss, there are two women in that room, both young and pretty,” Wu Dayong said with a fawning smile. Since they had fallen into this group’s hands, what would happen to them didn’t need to be imagined, that was the price of offending him.
“They were the first ones to go to the mall. They have the most supplies, but they’re tough.”
“Is that so? I’d like to see just how tough they are,” Qiu Xiang said, glancing at the knife in his hand. “Tough ones are more fun to play with.”
Song Jinhe’s condition had worsened significantly. Her mind was filled with chaotic static like an old television screen, her eyelids burning and heavy, her lips pale and cracked. Her thoughts kept stalling, her body no longer obeyed her commands, lifting a finger alone felt difficult.
But she knew people were approaching, and they were armed.
That sound just now, was it a gunshot?
She couldn’t tell whether she was dreaming or awake. The uneasy feeling made her heart race and her breathing quicken. The footsteps outside were getting closer and closer.
Song Jinhe suddenly sat up like a corpse reanimating and looked at Zhang Yi. “Something’s wrong. Hide in the cabinet.”
“W-what… what happened…” Zhang Yi looked confused.
“Hurry! There’s no time!”
Those people were already at the door.
“Okay.” Zhang Yi nodded and got up to open the cabinet. Although she didn’t understand what was going on, she trusted Song Jinhe.
After two knocks on the door, the people outside immediately began smashing the lock. Zhang Yi curled up inside the cabinet, her heart pounding violently.
Song Jinhe opened the supply bag and stored part of the items in her space, leaving behind the worst-tasting green-packaged instant noodles. She returned to bed, lay down, gripped a kitchen knife tightly in her right hand, and stared at the trembling door, forcing herself to stay conscious.
Bang—
The door was kicked open.
The first person to enter was a young man wearing two expensive-looking layered jackets. Seeing Song Jinhe lying half-dead on the bed, her eyes bloodshot and unusually red, he froze for two seconds before picking up the thermometer on the table and cursing in disgust.
“Damn, she’s infected? Didn’t they say there were two women? Where’s the other one?”
Cheng Yan, who had been pushed in at knifepoint with a blade against his neck, steadied himself and said, “I told her to stay here and watch the place. She might have been too scared to come over.”
“What a pity. So pretty too, I liked that look she gave earlier,” Qiu Xiang said as he walked forward with his knife. He pointed the blade at Song Jinhe, moving it up and down in front of her. “It’s actually a bit hard to start. How about this, you beg me, and I’ll try to make your death a little less painful.”
Song Jinhe said nothing, staring at the pervert in front of her. The knife handle dug deeply into her palm, causing sharp pain.
Then she remembered who these people were.
They were the same group that had followed the team into the hospital to find her. In her memory, she had seen the buzz-cut man holding a knife to Cheng Yan’s throat.
He had said this group had found a decent base in the city, slaughtered a group of survivors, and kept a few women alive.
Suddenly, Song Jinhe felt as if an invisible hand had already arranged everything in the dark. No matter which path she took, what she was destined to encounter could never be avoided.
If she were in normal condition, she might still have a chance to escape. But given her current physical state, at most she could take one person down through a surprise attack. Song Jinhe, breathing faintly as if on her last thread of life, closed her eyes briefly and quietly concealed the coldness in her gaze.
Since they were from the same group, this entire team was likely the same. At this stage, they wouldn’t easily kill someone who still had value.
“Don’t touch her!” Cheng Yan shouted anxiously. “She might not be infected. I’m a doctor from the Third Municipal Hospital. I’ve seen many infected patients.”
Hearing this, the axe man immediately ordered his companion to release Cheng Yan. He straightened Cheng Yan’s collar and said in a calm but threatening tone, “You better be able to prove you’re a doctor. Otherwise, I’ll blow your brains out!”
“My work badge is in my backpack.”
The buzz-cut man went to Cheng Yan’s room, brought back the backpack and ID badge, and said, “This kid really is a doctor. The photo has an official seal.”
Then, as if remembering something, he turned to Cheng Yan. “You two drove out of the hospital in two SUVs? Where are the cars parked?”
“C District parking lot,” Cheng Yan replied, referring to the lot they had first used, allowing them to search him and take the car keys.
“You’re sensible enough. Where’s the other key?” the axe man asked, his gaze turning colder.
Slowly, Song Jinhe pulled the car key from under her pillow. Her fingers loosened, and it dropped to the ground, making her look like someone critically ill, barely alive, with more breath leaving than entering.
Not handing it over would only lead to a search anyway. It wasn’t the time to resist.
“Don’t touch these two for now,” the axe man said, glancing at Qiu Xiang. “The others don’t matter.”
Doctors and ability users were scarce resources. Their leader had already given strict orders.
Qiu Xiang picked up the key and, while scrutinizing Cheng Yan and Song Jinhe’s expressions, walked slowly to the cabinet door. Seeing nothing unusual on their faces, he abruptly opened it, only to find neatly folded blankets and two hanging pieces of clothing. Frustrated, he slammed the cabinet door shut.
Just moments ago, he had already rehearsed countless ways to kill this woman in his mind. Just imagining that pale, delicate face struggling under his hands had filled him with excitement, but now it was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, leaving him thoroughly disappointed.