After taking a shower, Bai Zixi swallowed a whitening pill and lay down on her bed, falling asleep without a single worry. Beauty sleep was important, after all. Staying up late? That was absolutely out of the question.
She slept soundly until five in the morning before finally waking up. After freshening up, she left her room.
Zhu Rui and Mo Yanfeng were sitting on the living room sofa, looking rather exhausted.
She walked over and sat on a nearby single sofa, asking with concern, “Do you two want to get some rest?”
“Zixi, the captain still hasn’t woken up,” Zhu Rui said with a worried expression. Given the current situation outside, he felt even more uneasy.
Just then, Yu Haoran and Han Shuo also came out of their rooms, their faces equally troubled.
Was she really the only one in a good mood?
At that moment, a series of loud knocks came from the front door, accompanied by the voice of a middle-aged man.
“Is anyone in there? Open the damn door!”
Bai Zixi was a little surprised. Were there no more zombies outside? Someone actually dared to go around knocking on other people’s doors.
Yu Haoran and Han Shuo quickly pulled pistols from their waists and warily stared toward the entrance.
Dark City was an extremely chaotic place. Here, whoever had the biggest fists was the boss. Gambling dens, entertainment venues, red-light districts, underground auction markets, underground fighting rings, and all sorts of other establishments could be found throughout the streets.
“Not opening the door? Don’t blame us if we smash it down!” another unfamiliar male voice shouted.
Han Shuo exchanged glances with his companions, signaling that he would open the door while the others stayed ready to act.
Bai Zixi wondered whether she should return to her room and fetch her pistol to help them out. But on second thought, she decided against it. She would just obediently play the role of a helpless young woman.
When Han Shuo opened the inner door, there was still another iron gate outside, allowing them to see what was happening beyond it.
A small group consisting of five men and two women stood outside. The men had greedy and vicious expressions. There was no need to guess what they were after.
Through the gap in the door, the outsiders had already spotted the people inside: four young men and one beautiful young woman.
A slightly chubby man spoke first.
“Sorry to bother you, but you need to pay a protection fee. We’ve already cleared all the zombies in this building.”
When the people inside didn’t respond, the chubby man continued arrogantly, “It’s not much. Just three catties of rice.”
“Open this door first!” another middle-aged man rudely ordered Han Shuo.
Han Shuo remained expressionless. He simply opened the final door and looked at them with disdain.
As soon as the door opened, the outsiders hurriedly tried to rush inside, eager to loot all the food in their apartment.
Mo Yanfeng had already raised his gun and aimed it at the middle-aged man who was first through the doorway.
“Take one more step and see what happens!”
The middle-aged man was startled. Seeing this, the younger men behind him quickly pulled out their own pistols and pointed them at Han Shuo and the others.
Zhu Rui and Yu Haoran also drew their guns, aiming them at the opposing group.
Both sides were now locked in a standoff.
Meanwhile, Bai Zixi blinked and shifted her gaze toward the two women in the enemy group.
The apocalypse had already arrived, yet these two women were still dressed so provocatively. Both wore spaghetti-strap dresses that revealed a considerable amount of their fair cleavage. They even had heavy makeup on their faces.
Bai Zixi liked wearing dresses too, but she would never dress as tackily as they did.
The two women also glanced at her face, which was beautiful enough to make others jealous, before turning their attention to the handsome men standing beside her.
The difference was obvious. Compared to Bai Zixi’s group, their own team seemed completely inferior. Their presence was weaker, and their looks couldn’t compare either.
The middle-aged man was the first to break the standoff.
“Since we’re all in the same line of business, we’ll let you off the protection fee. Consider it a chance to make friends.”
He knew that continuing the confrontation would do neither side any good. Their numbers were roughly equal, so it was better to leave quickly and collect supplies from other apartments instead.
“We’ll pass on being friends,” Han Shuo replied calmly, rejecting his offer without hesitation.
They were clearly people who walked different paths, and there was no point in associating with them.
Hearing this, the middle-aged man wasn’t offended. He simply turned around and led his people away.