Chen Xing ate a lot, but she finished in record time, perfectly embodying the fine virtues of a dedicated foodie.
She ate so quickly that the video didn’t even need to be edited. Of course, she was all thumbs anyway and had planned to just post it as-is.
This was the apocalypse; there was no need for polish.
After Chen Xing packed everything away and headed downstairs, the sky was already beginning to pale with the first light of dawn.
This was the easiest time for people to be on the move.
Zombies’ sight and hearing were at their weakest at dawn. They were practically sluggish, especially when the first rays of light appeared in the sky.
In her previous life, it had taken her more than half a year to figure out the zombies’ weaknesses. By then, unfortunately, there was no food left anywhere.
The door to the second-floor stairwell, which she had locked, was wide open. This was how the zombies had gotten into the building.
In the apocalypse, there were many people like Xu Mengyao who would completely disregard the safety of others for their own selfish desires.
Chen Xing closed the door and dragged a table over to barricade it.
As long as nothing inside drew the zombies’ attention, they wouldn’t try to break in on their own.
The street was a disaster scene, filled with nothing but dazed zombies and vehicles strewn about haphazardly, blocking any clear path.
Just yesterday evening, it had still been possible to drive through here.
But starting today, forget about a car—even a motorcycle would struggle to navigate these obstacles.
Chen Xing looked up and scanned her surroundings. It was a habit of hers.
Whenever she arrived somewhere new, she would always survey the area first to pinpoint the best escape routes.
The street she was on was in the central district of Hualai City. Major brand-name shopping malls towered around her. You could say that picking any building at random and heading inside would guarantee a decent haul.
However, she wanted to find some restaurants first and gather the food before it all spoiled.
Supermarkets in the big malls were a good option, but they would also attract more people fighting over supplies. Once everyone realized the apocalypse had truly begun, supermarkets would be their first choice.
She was willing to bet that as soon as the sun was fully up, every mall would be swarming with people—so many that they would outnumber the items of food.
’You try to grab something...’
’No matter how strong you are, can you really compete with hundreds, even thousands of people? How exhausting would that be?’
Chen Xing had no desire to fight those people for scraps. In the time it would take, she could just hit up various restaurants. They had plenty of supplies, and she could take whatever she wanted.
She immediately broke into a run toward the commercial district, where the restaurants were concentrated.
She hadn’t run a hundred meters before she suddenly stopped. Her grip on her knife tightened, her expression hardening as she stared straight ahead.
Under the desolate sky, four large dogs stood directly in her path, baring their fangs.
Their eyes glowed with a bloodthirsty red light. A viscous fluid dripped from between their bared fangs and lolling tongues.
They seemed to be waiting for a command, merely eyeing her menacingly without charging.
Chen Xing didn’t move.
These zombie dogs were even larger than the ones she had first seen at the Research Institute. A single bite from those sharp fangs could snap a person’s bones.
The standoff lasted for about ten seconds before the impatient Chen Xing made the first move, lunging forward.
’Strike first to gain the advantage.’ She knew that principle well.
As Chen Xing closed the distance, she saw one of the zombie dogs lunge, aiming straight for her neck.
She didn’t dodge. Instead, moving a fraction faster, she plunged the sharp tip of her knife straight into its head.
With a heavy THUD, the zombie dog that had leapt at her crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
At the same instant, the other three zombie dogs pounced on Chen Xing.
’Only a fool wouldn’t dodge this!’
As Chen Xing yanked her knife free, she retreated, spun around, and slashed, taking down the fastest dog that had gotten behind her.
In the blink of an eye, two zombie dogs were dead. Chen Xing’s confidence skyrocketed.
’I thought it would take some time to readjust after being reborn, but I never expected to get back into the swing of things so quickly.’
She twirled the knife in her hand and pivoted ninety degrees to face another zombie dog just as it flung a string of slime from its tongue, nearly splattering her face.
Furious, she leaped up, planting her foot on the zombie dog’s head and stomping down hard.
The zombie dog was completely pinned, able to do nothing but scramble with its hind legs.
Just then, the last zombie dog attacked from behind. The moment it bared its fangs, Chen Xing’s knife came slicing down through the top of its head.
With one last, forceful kick, all four were dead.
The fight had been noisy, but the nearby zombies seemed not to have heard a thing, continuing to sway back and forth mindlessly.
’In my past life, I always figured this brief period was the zombies’ rare window for sleep.’
She had to get out of here. Immediately.
’The appearance of these zombie dogs is no coincidence!’
Chen Xing didn’t even stop to take the Crystal Cores, immediately running for the end of the street.
Only after she turned the corner and the Research Institute was completely out of sight did she slow her pace.
’Those zombie dogs definitely came from the Research Institute!’
’Does the Research Institute already know I escaped?’
’Probably not. I remember breaking all the surveillance cameras along my escape route.’
’Besides, plenty of people inside the Research Institute turned into zombies during the outbreak. Who would have even noticed me?’
She was full of questions but lacked the courage to storm the Research Institute and investigate.
After all, for her, that place was where the nightmare began.
First, food. Solve the problem of survival.
Chen Xing shook her head.
’Since I don’t have the courage to investigate now, I’ll just put it aside. I’ll look into it when I’m brave enough.’
She quickened her pace, eager to find a restaurant while the zombies were still in their stupor.
"Miss..." As she passed a set of large, tightly shut double doors, one suddenly swung open. A young man stepped out and called to her in a gentle voice.
It was so gentle, in fact, that she almost missed it.
Chen Xing had always hated people who appeared out of nowhere.
In the apocalypse, appearing so suddenly was a good way to get mistaken for a zombie and cut down on the spot.
"Miss, can you please help us?" The man looked anxious, glancing nervously at the zombies, clearly afraid of speaking too loudly and attracting their attention.
The man was tall, with a square jaw, sharp brows, and a high-bridged nose. He had a heroic air about him.
Honestly, his appearance was somewhat at odds with his gentle voice.
"No!" Chen Xing refused without a second thought.
She wasn’t kind enough to go around helping people.
’And I’m certainly not stupid enough to help a stranger. Who knows what his real intentions are?’
"I don’t mean any harm!" The man realized he might have given her the wrong impression and hurriedly explained, "My name is Song Yiguo. I live on the top floor of this building. Yesterday, we rescued a pregnant woman, but a little while ago she started complaining of severe stomach pain. She might be going into labor. My friend and I are both single guys; we have no idea what to do. That’s why I risked coming down to look for help. I just happened to see you, and since you’re a woman, you’ve got to be more helpful than two clueless men."
Chen Xing was speechless. ’I may be a woman, but it’s not like I’ve ever had a baby!’
"I’m not a doctor. I can’t help you."
Seeing that Chen Xing was about to leave, Song Yiguo immediately threw out a tempting offer. "If you help us, everything in this building is yours!"
’Shit!’
’Do I really look that materialistic?’
The woman, who had already taken a few steps away, immediately spun around. "You’ve got a deal!"