"It’s on the fifth basement level," the security guard said, his head throbbing.
Even though the basement levels were sealed off, it was pitch-black down there. With the power out, it would be dark and terrifying. He really didn’t want to go.
However, the path to the generator room was a winding maze, and they would have a hard time finding it if he didn’t lead the way.
Xuan Yabing looked at Chen Xing. The security guard looked at her too.
The light from a phone illuminated her expressionless face, which was a deathly, almost sickly, shade of white.
Chen Xing knew what Xuan Yabing was thinking—he wanted her to go.
’No power really is inconvenient!’
Her eyes remained emotionless. Her blood-red lips parted, her voice cold and indifferent. "This is the last time. After this, we go our separate ways."
’I have to make things clear!’
Otherwise, they would keep dragging her into their problems.
Xuan Yabing, a tall man, didn’t understand why he was so dependent on this young woman. For some reason, he just felt safer when she was around.
The security guard immediately returned to the conference room. After telling the attendants not to come out, he went down to the basement with Xuan Yabing and Chen Xing.
As they passed the stairwell entrances on the second and first floors, the sound of rampaging zombies echoed from within, draining the color from the security guard’s face.
Their steps were slow and light. After safely passing the first floor, they entered the basement.
With no lights, it grew darker the farther down they went, until it was so pitch-black you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. Thankfully, the phone’s flashlight lit up the path ahead.
Chen Xing, however, didn’t find it particularly dark. It seemed she had adapted to the darkness and could see everything in the stairwell clearly.
Little did she know this was a night-vision ability granted to her by her personal dimension.
They soon reached the fifth basement level, which was filled with all sorts of equipment and pipes.
It was the perfect kind of place for someone—or something—to hide.
Everywhere you looked, there were obstructions. Something could jump out from anywhere at any moment.
Chen Xing’s ears perked up as she focused her attention on her surroundings.
It was precisely this caution that had allowed her to survive for ten years in a world full of zombies.
The security guard walking in front was trembling all over, his clothes soaked with sweat. The beam of light from his phone quivered faintly.
Meanwhile, the crisp sound of dripping water echoed from time to time, sending a chill down the spine.
After walking for a while, the security guard suddenly stopped and pointed ahead, indicating that their destination was close.
Xuan Yabing nodded and immediately walked forward.
’I don’t know much about generators, but I have to find a way to fix this.’
The security guard, holding the light, followed closely behind him, with Chen Xing bringing up the rear.
They rounded a corner and saw a generator room. The door wasn’t wide, barely large enough for one person to squeeze through.
Fortunately, the space inside was much larger.
"The automatic generator is at the very back!" Feeling safe now, the security guard finally dared to speak, and he walked toward the far end of the room.
But just as he reached the back, he suddenly let out a yell and collapsed to the floor. He then snatched his dropped phone and scrambled hysterically back toward the exit. Xuan Yabing couldn’t have stopped him if he tried.
The generator room was instantly plunged into darkness. To Xuan Yabing, it was just blackness; he couldn’t see a thing.
Chen Xing looked deeper into the room. A zombie was snarling and flailing at them from between the generator and the wall. From the looks of it, it was completely stuck.
Just then, another scream came from the security guard who had run out. It sounded like he’d run into something. He quickly came tumbling back, blocking the door with his body. His phone was gone.
Banging sounds came from outside.
Chen Xing ignored the commotion outside. ’First, I’ll deal with this one.’
Gripping her knife, she walked over and plunged it directly into the zombie’s head. With a firm tug, she easily pulled the corpse free.
’...’ ’Are the zombies now starving or something?’
’How could it not even get itself out of there?’
It didn’t occur to Chen Xing that she might just be incredibly strong.
Xuan Yabing and the security guard hadn’t seen any of this, only hearing some noises.
Suddenly, the room lit up. The power was on.
The security guard leaning against the door was terrified, two streams of tears running down his face. It was so contorted with fear that it was barely recognizable.
Or so Xuan Yabing thought.
Chen Xing’s gaze sharpened.
’He’s clearly been bitten by a zombie.’
Xuan Yabing was about to step forward and comfort the guard when Chen Xing warned, "He’s been bitten."
Xuan Yabing froze in his tracks.
Although the apocalypse had only just begun, he had already seen enough bitten people to know they all turned into monsters.
The security guard’s expression was a mixture of terror, fear, and resentment.
’Didn’t I risk my life coming down here for everyone’s sake? Now that I’m bitten, no one even cares about me.’
Xuan Yabing looked at Chen Xing, unsure of what to do next.
"Either kill him now, or wait for him to turn into a zombie and kill him then." Chen Xing’s answer was brutally direct.
The security guard immediately shook his head. "Don’t kill me! I don’t want to die! I came down here for all of you. You can’t be so heartless! How is killing me any different from repaying kindness with cruelty?" He really didn’t want to die.
Chen Xing looked at Xuan Yabing.
’This isn’t my problem. He can decide.’
Xuan Yabing, in the end, was too soft-hearted. "Let’s wait and see. Maybe he’ll be fine?" He was deceiving himself, and he was deceiving the guard.
Chen Xing didn’t object.
’Turning into a zombie only takes a few minutes. I can wait.’
The terrified guard looked back at his shoulder. Beneath his torn clothes, the wound was ghastly.
At that moment, he felt hopeless, helpless, and deeply resentful.
’From the way she talks, I’m going to die no matter what?’
’No!’
’I don’t want to die!’
’My wound isn’t even that serious. If the rescue teams arrive, maybe they’ll have a cure.’
The security guard composed himself and stood up with an amicable smile. "Thank you for giving me some time..." As he spoke, he slowly moved toward the two of them.
One of his hands was behind his back, tightly gripping the security baton tucked into his belt.
The moment he reached Xuan Yabing, his expression twisted, and he swung the baton down.
Xuan Yabing was completely unprepared. Seeing the baton swing toward him, he froze on the spot.
But the baton never landed. Instead, the security guard collapsed.
Even in death, he couldn’t believe he had died at the hands of a frail-looking young woman.
He had thought he had a good chance of winning. One was just a young woman, and the other was a big boss who sat in an office all day. That’s why he’d decided to kill them, focusing his main attack on the man.
"You owe me one," Chen Xing said. She never saved anyone for free.
She had saved Xuan Yabing’s life. As long as he was alive, he was obligated to repay this debt.
Besides, three of them had come down, but if only she went back up, it would cause unnecessary trouble. It was better for Xuan Yabing to be alive.
The tension slowly drained from Xuan Yabing’s rigid face. He nodded. "Thank you..." He still couldn’t quite adapt to this new reality.
Even though things were spiraling out of control, killing someone? That was something he couldn’t even imagine doing.
’Should I learn from her courage?’
Now that the power issue was resolved, Chen Xing wanted to head back up quickly.
Ignoring Xuan Yabing, she walked straight to the door and opened it.
There were only two zombies outside. They were clumsy and slow, not much different from mindless husks.
Getting bitten by zombies like these... the security guard’s fate was truly pathetic.
After dealing with the zombies, she headed for the stairwell, and Xuan Yabing immediately followed.
When they reached the fifth floor, Chen Xing didn’t stop or say goodbye, continuing straight up.
Xuan Yabing didn’t try to make her stay this time.
After working with her these few times, he realized Chen Xing was a woman of few words but very decisive.
Even if he asked, she wouldn’t stay.
Before Chen Xing even reached the sixth floor, she heard footsteps, followed by an attendant’s gentle pleading, "Ma’am, please wait a moment! Ma’am..."