《Rebirth: City Beseiged By Zombi》


 Chapter 1

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ding!!!


    The crisp ringing of an alarm sounded. A young man, who was eighteen or nineteen years old, shot up from bed, his eyes flashing open like lightning, making the ordinary young man look as sharp as a sword out of its sheath.


    ¡®A piercing sound like this is enough to attract large numbers of zombies!¡¯ He didn¡¯t have time to curse. He instinctively pressed himself against the wall, nervously and cautiously pushing open the window, then quickly reached for the machete behind him, but the spot he reached for was completely empty¡­


    ¡®Where¡¯s the knife?¡¯ A hint of nervous confusion flashed in the young man¡¯s eyes, but the next moment, he was completely astonished by the sight before him. Outside the window, there were no enveloping zombies. There was no rotting stench, and there was no dark, wild jungle¡­ The winter sunlight hit his face. Colorful underwear from the neighboring girl¡¯s dorm billowed in the wind. The ringing of bikes heading to different academic buildings lingered in the air.


    Shen Chen narrowed his eyes. He was at a loss. After staring at the sight outside the window for a full minute, he finally turned back to the room. There were no zombies, no thick scent of blood. All he saw before him was a small room with melon seeds and ramen on the floor. The disorderly blankets on the four neighboring beds made the room look extremely messy.


    ¡®Is this Room 603 of J University of several years ago¡­?¡¯ Suddenly, an inconceivable thought rose in his mind, but Shen Chen quickly shook his head unconsciously. After pausing for another half minute, he turned around and returned to his desk, then opened his laptop with trembling hands. His nimble fingers paused noticeably in front of the laptop, then he clumsily pressed down on the keyboard.


    With a pleasant melody, the date at the bottom of the laptop screen told him clearly, ¡°Today is February 14, 2116!¡±


    He stared at the date on the computer for a full three minutes, then began gasping for air. If his eyes weren¡¯t lying to him¡­ he had returned to the day¡­ to the start of all the disasters!


    Shen Chen took out his phone with trembling hands. He had to confirm his speculation. Looking down at the unfamiliar phone in his trembling hands, Shen Chen dialed a number engraved in his memory with a sense of unease. It was to his family, who he had once lost forever.


    His dad¡¯s strong voice came from the speakers. ¡°Hello?¡± Shen Chen was instantly filled with indescribable mixed feelings. In his previous life, his parents had lost their lives in the beginning of the apocalypse. During the few years Shen Chen had struggled through Doomsday, there hadn¡¯t been a single moment where he hadn¡¯t missed them. And now, the parents he had thought of for years were alive. Even as strong as he was, Shen Chen couldn¡¯t control his emotions.


    ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, brat? Are you getting bullied at school?¡± His Dad was always so keen. He immediately sensed something wrong in Shen Chen¡¯s voice. Before he finished his sentence, the phone was quickly taken over, and Mom¡¯s anxious voice came through. ¡°Chen, is school too hard for you?¡±


    Parents are always the ones who care about you most. Shen Chen was incredibly happy that, with his rebirth, he at least had the chance to save his dad and mom¡¯s lives. He calmed himself down, then, after taking a deep breath, his voice took on an anxious tone. ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m all right. I just wanted to tell you that I heard from my friend that a bunch of scoundrels carrying the Ebola virus have fled into our H City. There might be a curfew in the city soon. Don¡¯t go out tonight carelessly. Also, before the city gets closed off, go buy some food and water to store at home. They¡¯ll be hard to buy once they rise in price.¡±


    His mother screamed on the other end of the phone, then she lowered her voice and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling like something is wrong lately. Lots of people have been coughing. Do you think they¡¯re infected?¡±


    Shen Chen was alarmed. Coughing was indeed a preliminary symptom of people infected by the biochemical virus. He didn¡¯t expect Mom to have already noticed.


    Shen Chen quickly said, ¡°That¡¯s right, Mom. If you see those people, you must stay away! Also, don¡¯t leave the house. Stay inside the house until I come back to find you guys!¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s repeated warnings made his mother suddenly very serious. ¡°I understand, I understand. And you, you must be careful on your own in S City!¡±


    Shen Chen answered his mom with a smile, telling her not to worry. He repeatedly warned his parents to follow his instructions, and, after confirming that they would, he hung up the phone. Feeling that his parents believed him without a doubt, Shen Chen let out a sigh of relief.


    In his past life, his dad wanted to be romantic with his mom like young people, so they went out for a candlelit dinner on Valentine¡¯s Day. Ever since then, he and his parents had been separated by life and death. Now that he had warned them like this, they wouldn¡¯t go out again and carelessly lose their lives. And H City had the largest human survivors base. As long as his parents could hold out in the beginning, once the military people took over the city, their safety would definitely be guaranteed.


    ¡°You are my¡­ little apple¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the strange yet familiar ¡°Little Apple¡± interrupted Shen Chen¡¯s thoughts. Shen Chen suddenly came to. He looked at the call. The woman¡¯s name on the screen made him frown. Fang Yi!


    Shen Chen slowly picked up the phone and heard a girl¡¯s cold voice from it. ¡°Shen Chen, I¡¯m busy tonight. I won¡¯t be spending Valentine¡¯s Day with you!¡±


    A figure that he had nearly forgotten appeared in his memory¡­ Fang Yi was his girlfriend. She was a freshman in college like him. They had been dating since high school and had been accepted by the same college. On this day in his previous life, he had happily gone to her dorm building to wait for her to spend Valentine¡¯s Day together, but her classmate told him with some regret that Fang Yi had gone to eat dinner with Senior Qian¡­ That was when he found out that the girlfriend he treasured had hurled herself into the arms of a rich second generation senior in school.


    The impatient female voice from the phone interrupted Shen Chen¡¯s memories. ¡°Shen Chen, did you hear me?¡±


    A smile appeared on Shen Chen¡¯s lips. Things from his past were like clouds of smoke, but they were still vivid in his mind. He smiled faintly and said, ¡°That bastard Qian Fangxin is with you, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    The rich yet indifferent voice made Fang Yi freeze. The young man next to her was also shocked. ¡°Shen Chen, what are you saying?! How can you be so rude to senior¡­¡±


    Fang Yi was a little bewildered, but Shen Chen didn¡¯t give her another chance to speak. ¡°Out of the feelings I once had for you, I¡¯ll give you a piece of advice: stay in your dorm alone tonight¡­¡±


    The indifferent tone rang in their ears. It was especially jarring. Fang Yi and Qian Fangxin were both astonished.


    Qian Fangxin grabbed the phone in a frenzy. ¡°What the hell do you mean, Shen Chen?!¡± But the next moment, his face looked even greener; a busy signal came from the speaker, as if Shen Chen were mocking him.


    Fang Yi had an expression of disbelief on her face. Shen Chen had always been soft-spoken and submissive around her. Not only was he cold today, but he even¡­ hung up on her? Fang Yi bit her lower lip¡­


    Shen Chen! He must have learned about her and Qian Fangxin from somewhere and was terrorizing them on purpose.


    Shen Chen briskly hung up the phone. He had one day. He had to make every second count. He didn¡¯t have time to babble with his ex-girlfriend. Right now, the three brothers in his dorm were still nowhere to be found. Shen Chen anxiously called all of them, but no one picked up.


    He looked at his watch. There were still ten hours before the explosion of the biochemical virus. Shen Chen sighed, then slowly shut the door to the dorm. Almost an hour later, he arrived at the door of a five-star hotel. When the apocalypse arrived, a safe refuge would bring them a lot of convenience. This hotel met Shen Chen¡¯s standards for a refuge. It was in a new district built next to the school. Since the district was recently built, there weren¡¯t many inhabitants. Less than five hundred meters away was a commercial square. In the square was the five-star hotel, and next to it was a large supermarket. A hotel like this was enough for him to survive for as long as two months, and the humans who were still living by that time were the ones who would have survived the first crisis and had the right to continue living on.


    When he walked out of the hotel, the balance of the credit card in Shen Chen¡¯s hand had been depleted by a third. He put his room card into his pocket, then he went onto the online mall in his phone, looking for a familiar phone number in the plethora of pages that sold realistic toy knives. His gaze paused on a page with a lion logo. There was a knife drawn on the web page! Black-Bladed Jungle Machete! His old pal, who had been by his side in all his battles in the previous life!


    ¡®In this life, you will follow me on the journey again!¡¯


    ¡­


    Shen Chen walked into a small, inconspicuous shop. He pointed at the picture of the knife on the website and said to the lazing shop assistant, ¡°I want this knife!¡±


    The girl took a knife out from the cabinets. ¡°Here. One hundred yuan.¡±


    Gazing at the Black-Bladed Jungle Machete toy made of plastic, Shen Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Tell Old Gui to come out. I want to buy this knife!¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes lit up. She looked Shen Chen up and down, then spoke into her mic. Only loud noises came out of it, and the girl quickly made an apologetic expression. ¡°Sir, our boss isn¡¯t around¡­¡±


    ¡°Water-drop-shaped blade. Make the front end of the blade wider. This will shift its center of mass forward and make the power it exerts at the front more terrifying when it¡¯s swung. Spring-temper the blade so it¡¯s both hard and resilient, nearly unbreakable¡­¡± Shen Chen interrupted her and said with composure. Before he finished, he heard a shout from the handset say, ¡°Please come in.¡±


    Old Gui studied the incredibly calm young man, and for the first time felt a faint pressure. He didn¡¯t expect someone who knew Black Blade so well to be such a young person. What surprised him even more was that this was a gentle and frail-looking young man, but he gave the impression of having climbed out of a mountain of corpses.


    Old Gui cleared his throat. ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    As he observed Shen Chen, Shen Chen observed him. In his past life, he had had encounters with Old Gui. Back then, Old Gui had been leading quite the valiant squad. When the apocalypse came and everyone fought for weapons, this squad had had hundreds of sharp knives.


    Shen Chen had been a medium master back then. After the two fought once, they admired each other¡¯s strength. After getting to know each other, Shen Chen had learned that Old Gui used to sell controlled weapons on the internet. Later on, he heard that Old Gui¡¯s squad had been surrounded by zombies¡­ then they had lost contact.


    At this time, Old Gui looked much younger, but his strong aura was just like it was before. ¡®Old friends who don¡¯t recognize each other. What an interesting situation.¡¯

 Chapter 2

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Shen Chen didn¡¯t answer Old Gui¡¯s question. He just looked at the knife on the table and said coolly, ¡°I need a machete.¡±


    Old Gui smiled. ¡°All sorts of machetes. American. German. We have everything. Which one do you want?¡±


    ¡°No, the ones on the market don¡¯t meet my standards, only this one¡­¡± Shen Chen raised the Black-Bladed Jungle Machete toy in his hands. ¡°But I need you to make adjustments.¡±


    Old Gui knew this young man was very knowledgeable about knives. He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Go on.¡±


    ¡°58 cm in length. The blade needs to be 45 cm long, 0.56 cm thick, 5.1 cm wide. Hardness should be 70¨C75 HRC. As for weight¡­ can you manage it?¡±


    After spouting out a string of stats, Old Gui carefully observed Shen Chen again, looking rather surprised. A machete like that was for professionals. Aside from fierce old hunters, special forces, and mercenaries, there was probably no one else who could use it. Even the most professional mercenaries would find such a heavy machete difficult to use, not to mention ordinary people. Knives like machetes nearly completely lost their chopping function unless the user had gone through extensive practice. Even with practice, they would only be effective for a short amount of time. It was very hard to use. Could the thin and weak looking man before him really swing such a heavy machete?


    Shen Chen saw Old Gui¡¯s expression. He didn¡¯t say anything, but just took out a thick wad of cash from his wallet and tossed it at him.


    Old Gui smiled. He didn¡¯t ask any questions. He took a long, profound look at Shen Chen, then turned and went inside his room.


    ¡­


    Old Gui was indeed a hidden forging master. A mere eight hours later, holding the familiar Black-Bladed Jungle Machete in his hands, Shen Chen left the shop satisfied. At that moment, there was only two hours left before the apocalypse! Shen Chen looked at the time, then raced to the pharmacy.


    During the apocalypse, medicines become in great shortage. It was just that Shen Chen didn¡¯t have enough money, so he could only buy some drugs for wounds and antibiotics that they could use during the preliminary period.


    Then, Shen Chen started sweeping through the supermarket. He bought rice, brined meat, salted fish, dried sausages, and meat like such that were easy to preserve. Of course, he also got as much as he could of cans and fresh water.


    His hoarding shocked everyone around him. They all stared at Shen Chen as if he were an idiot. Shen Chen only shook his head. If he weren¡¯t reborn, he would probably think the same thing they did, but now¡­


    Despite all the disdainful gazes, he did what he had to do. Shen Chen saw that it was about time. He immediately called a taxi and stuffed the goods into every crevice of the car, then headed straight for the hotel. It was Valentine¡¯s Day. The streets were decorated with lanterns and streamers. Couples holding flowers were everywhere.


    The taxi raced through the streets. Looking at the couples flying past outside the car, Shen Chen couldn¡¯t help a sigh. The revelry now was like the final struggle before the darkness. Very soon, everyone would fall into the swamp of Hell and never be able to get out.


    The masses moving in the streets turned into terrifying corpses in Shen Chen¡¯s mind. Lovers waving to each other seemed to Shen Chen like the countless waving zombie arms that would arise in only a few more hours.


    There was a red light ahead. The car slowed down. Shen Chen looked at his watch somewhat anxiously, then at the endless line of cars before him. A red light. There was still fifty-six seconds left.


    Suddenly, a purple face appeared before him. In the darkness, it stared at him with wide white eyes. If not for the fact that there was a car window between them, it would have been up against his face!


    Instantly, Shen Chen felt like his heart had been beaten by something. He was nearly scared to death by the unexpected sight. Shen Chen shot up uncontrollably, and with a thump, pressed himself against the other side of the car. ¡®Zom.. Zombie?¡¯


    Shen Chen¡¯s first reaction was to take his Black Blade and chop it toward the zombie¡¯s head. He had just grabbed the hilt when he heard a curse outside the window. ¡°D*mn it.¡± The man left the car window and said to his friends waiting on the side of the street, ¡°It¡¯s not an empty car. There¡¯s someone inside.¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s tightened heart relaxed. He slowly released his hands around the hilt. He was already unnerved. That person clearly appeared to have signs of zombifying. Evidently, the virus outbreak was about to start! He must rush back to the hotel immediately! Luckily, the car started very soon. At this speed, he could reach the hotel in half an hour.


    When Shen Chen arrived at his reserved room on the sixteenth floor of the hotel, he quickly called his roommates. Aside from Fourth Guo Yuan, everyone else had their phones turned off. Shen Chen was extremely helpless. He could only text them and tell them where he was. He wrote that if they encountered any danger, they could come there to find him.


    After Fourth Guo Yuan arrived at the hotel, the sky started to darken. Guo Yuan was an H City resident too. Since the two of them were from the same place, they were more casual around each other. The moment he saw Shen Chen, he said loudly, ¡°Second, did you become rich or something? You reserved such a good room to host a party! Huh, where¡¯s Fang Yi? Is she not with you?¡±


    Seeing Shen Chen wasn¡¯t speaking, Guo Yuan looked all around. ¡°Where are the girls? Where are the girls?¡±


    ¡°Girls my a**!¡± Shen Chen said with contempt.


    ¡°No girls? Then why did you tell me to come¡­? I have no interest in men!¡± Guo Yuan flopped on the sofa chair.


    ¡°I called you over to enjoy life¡­¡± Shen Chen said randomly, then walked before the window. Right then, the street lamps were just lighting up outside the window. There was a great commotion outside. Shen Chen silently checked his watch.


    The hand was right at eight o¡¯clock¡­ A shrill cry pierced the night sky, immediately disrupting the tranquil holiday atmosphere.


    ¡®The apocalypse! It¡¯s here!¡¯


    ¡­


    Shen Chen quickly looked outside. Through the window, he saw that the glass on the seventeenth floor restaurant was already stained with blood.


    A woman dressed luxuriously was pounced onto the table by a friend she had just been whispering with. What aroused her friend¡¯s appetite was no longer the delicious food on the table but the aromatic human atop it. With a swing of its head, it tore a large chunk of meat off the woman¡¯s body. It instantly turned the woman into a bloody person! Fresh blood streamed endlessly from her face. The woman let out a scream that didn¡¯t sound human. She kicked roughly with her feet, trying to escape the terrifying hold, but no one came to her rescue. Death was happening all over the restaurant.


    Horror! Gore!


    People wailed as they got pounced on by zombies. Before the massive numbers of zombies, humans were as helpless as harvested wheat.


    A few people got grabbed by the ankle. They tried to crawl forward while crying, but the pain from their feet told them that the zombies were eating them from the bottom up. They didn¡¯t have time to do anything before they realized that more and more zombies were gathering around them, about to join the feast.


    Those who weren¡¯t bitten at first didn¡¯t have time to rejoice in their fortune. They realized with horror that the people who were bitten to death by zombies stood up after a few minutes. The resurrected people became the terrifying monsters and joined the army of zombies that were eating humans.


    The people that were killed and then revived were even more scary! Their intestines dragged on the ground, and they waved their broken limbs, attacking the other living humans with bared fangs and open claws!


    Everything fell apart. Blood sprayed everywhere. Broken limbs flew in the air. Cries of pain were heard without end. The entire restaurant had turned into mortal hell.


    Suddenly, a certain window in the restaurant opened. A middle-aged man bent over on the window, panting. He had just dodged a zombie¡¯s attack, and had even cracked a zombie¡¯s head with a bottle, but it was completely useless!


    The middle-aged man desolately looked back at the crowd of zombies slowly approaching him. He let out a painful wail, then his will to live made him jump down from the window! It was the seventeenth floor!


    Thump¡­


    The loud sound of a heavy object hitting the ground sounded. It was especially jarring against the melodious hotel music. Through the glass, he could see the man lying on the floor like a thin piece of paper, blood slowly seeping out of his shattered head¡­ The scent of blood attracted the few zombies lingering around the hotel door. Then, blood spewed everywhere.


    Guo Yuan let out a sharp exhale. His eyes had widened to their max. ¡°Second! What is going on here?!¡± Guo Yuan¡¯s jaw dropped, and his expression changed. As someone who had been bathed in the radiance of the civil world just a moment ago, he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. It was more terrifying than a horror movie!


    The veins on his hands stood out, and Shen Chen¡¯s eyes dimmed¡­ He could save one person, two people¡­but even if he were reborn, he couldn¡¯t save many more, because this was the apocalypse¡­ a grotesque, horrible, death-around-every-corner¡­ future¡­


    Suddenly, his expression changed! Perhaps it was the atmosphere in the room, or a slight noise, but a strange sixth sense told him, ¡®There¡¯s someone behind you!¡¯


    He immediately turned over, rolling off the chair next to the bed, his hand rapidly reaching for Black Blade in his traveling bag. In an offensive stance, he fiercely stared at the person who had come in. It was an attendant! She walked in swaying!


    The room card in her hand made Shen Chen quickly realize how she had gotten into the room. The attendant had clearly been attacked by the zombies outside. She was still at the stage of transforming from a human into a zombie. She still had a human consciousness and probably wanted to seek help from Shen Chen, which was why she had opened the door.


    Her body shook uncontrollably, and blood clots spewed out of the corners of her mouth. ¡°Help me¡­ There are monsters outside¡­ I¡­ roar¡­ roar¡­¡±


    The attendant¡¯s face looked panicked for a second, then grim the next. Soon, her soft voice became the same as the zombies. Her red lips cracked wider and wider, then she bared her sharp teeth and a scary ¡°hehe¡± sound came out of her throat. She pounced toward Shen Chen with staggering steps.

 Chapter 3

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Guo Yuan¡¯s eyes widened suddenly as he watched the grim scene in front of him. All his hair stood on end, but his hands and feet didn¡¯t react. They felt as heavy as lead.


    He watched Shen Chen narrow his eyes, holding the machete in both hands. At the moment the zombie pounced on him, he dodged to the side, stabbing the zombie¡¯s back with his hilt. Then the zombie fell onto the bed. It was just struggling to get back up when Shen Chen jumped onto the bed.


    Snap¡ª


    Black Blade precisely cut the back of the attendant¡¯s head. Its solid skull was easily split open. The attendant looked like all her energy had been sucked out of her by some sort of machine. Her body shook for a bit, then fell limp to the bed like a pile of mud.


    Shen Chen lightly panted, but his eyes were tranquil. Only then did Guo Yuan feebly crawl over, an expression of horror on his face. His face was extremely pale. ¡°Second! Second¡­ She¡­ Zombies¡­ Is this the apocalypse?¡±


    Shen Chen smiled helplessly. ¡°It is! Congratulations! Welcome to Doomsday!¡± Then he stepped on the zombie¡¯s skull with his foot and pulled Black Blade out of the zombie¡¯s split skull.


    Blood spurted onto Guo Yuan¡¯s face. Fear made him lose his senses for a few seconds, but he quickly recovered. He called people frantically on his phone, but the automatic reply on the phone made Guo Yuanhim fall limp onto the floor.


    ¡°Grandpa¡­ Grandma¡­¡± He wanted to cry, but he had no tears. Guo Yuan didn¡¯t know how the world had become like this. He had lost his parents when he was young and had grown up with his grandfather and grandmother. To him, his grandparents were his only family¡­ yet now¡­


    Shen Chen patted his shoulder, consoling him. ¡°Think about it this way: ninety percent of old people became zombies. Compared to those who still live¡­ perhaps becoming zombies is actually a happy thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Guo Yuan had no choice but to nod. His gaze was dull, and he rambled incoherently.


    Shen Chen didn¡¯t pay any mind to him. There was a process of adaptation after Doomsday came. He wiped the fluid on Black Blade with the bed sheets in disgust, then he opened the window and tossed down both the zombie and the bedding.


    Boom!


    The loud noise of heavy objects falling to the ground attracted dozens of swaying zombies. But after they didn¡¯t smell the scent of living humans, they quickly scattered and began wandering around.


    There were more zombies this time than before! Shen Chen keenly noticed this. It looked like in the short while that had just passed, at least another dozen people had been infected and had become zombies!


    Screams came one after another, lingering in the air. At the same time, the pungent scent of blood and rotting corpses came from outside the window. Soon, the screams became more and more infrequent. What replaced them were the growling of zombies and the noise of them eating. Shen Chen knew that by now the remaining people in the hotel either had become zombies or had been eaten by zombies. Less than ten percent of people survive in those kinds of public locations.


    Shutting the window, Shen Chen¡¯s heart fell. He had initially thought that the hotel was in a remote location and that there weren¡¯t many people in it. He didn¡¯t expect there to be more than a hundred zombies on the seventeenth floor. It made him nervous. The restaurant door was always open, which meant that the hundred zombies in the restaurant could appear anywhere in the hotel at any moment. ¡°Second! Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Shen Chen raised his head.


    ¡°Thank you for saving me!¡± Guo Yuan said seriously. ¡°Perhaps you knew early on, but no matter what, thank you for calling me to the hotel¡­¡±


    Guo Yuan gazed outside the window with a complicated expression. He saw another woman jumping off a building with broken legs¡­ then he turned back around. ¡°Otherwise, I might have ended up like the rest of them!¡±


    Looking at Guo Yuan, who quickly calmed down, Shen Chen smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. We¡¯re brothers!¡±


    ¡®Yes, brothers! Even at the moment of death in my previous life, you stood in front of me without hesitating. In this life, no matter what, I will let you escape the fate of death! Because we are brothers!¡¯


    Ding!


    His phone rang again. Shen Chen quickly picked it up and heard Third¡¯s trembling voice. ¡°Second, are¡­ are you still alive? I¡¯m with Boss. There are so many zombies here! So many people have been eaten¡­ The biochemical¡­ biochemical crisis has erupted!


    ¡°Where are you guys now?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve fled from the street of snacks. We¡¯re not far from the school now¡­ There aren¡¯t many zombies on the road¡­ Shen Chen, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go back to campus. Come quickly to XX Hotel 1618. I¡¯ll meet you downstairs!¡± Shen Chen interrupted Third. ¡°From now on, don¡¯t make any loud noises. You must be cautious. If you see any fire axes, you must hold them in your hands, then chop them at zombies¡¯ heads!¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡­ I got it!¡±


    The Boss in the dorm was Zhao Zhen. Fourth was Pan Di. The four brothers in the dorm were great friends. Now that they were coming over, the dozens of zombies at the door might be hard for them to handle!


    Shen Chen felt like he was done recovering. He picked up Black Blade. ¡°I¡¯ll go downstairs to meet Boss and the rest!¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Guo Yuan quickly shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you!¡±


    Shen Chen took a long look at Guo Yuan. He smiled and tossed a mask and a fire axe at Guo Yuan, then made a violent chopping gesture. ¡°Remember. Chop down at those zombies¡¯ heads!¡±


    The calmness and courage in Shen Chen¡¯s eyes transferred to Guo Yuan. Unexpectedly, Guo Yuan stared at Shen Chen and no longer felt as afraid as before. He nodded firmly and said, ¡°Okay!¡±


    The elevator showed it was on their floor. Shen Chen cautiously pressed the button, then signaled to Guo Yuan. The two of them pressed their bodies against the wall, raising their weapons in their hands. Their eyes locked on the elevator. The attendant from before had clearly been attacked by zombies, but there wasn¡¯t a single zombie in the hallway.


    The elevator door slowly opened, and a rotting figure leaped out of the elevator. Guo Yuan was unprepared and was pounced on. The moment before the zombie reached Guo Yuan, Shen Chen jumped forward and pushed Guo Yuan out of the way, but Shen Chen became completely exposed to the zombie.


    Watching the zombie bite toward him with a rotting mouth, Shen Chen narrowed his eyes, leaning his body to a certain angle. Then, with the force of his back, he did a kip-up from the ground. The moment he jumped up, he exerted his lower back again, and his body quickly twisted in the air. When he landed, he was standing behind the zombie. The entire move was natural and smooth and took less than a second.


    Guo Yuan¡¯s mouth opened wide, and he stared at Shen Chen in disbelief. A move like that was impossible for an ordinary person! Even soldiers in the army couldn¡¯t guarantee that they would be able to stand up again after being pounced on by a zombie! But Shen Chen, the guy who had never gone through any training, did it!


    Indeed, Shen Chen had practiced the technique countless times in his previous life. With the move, Shen Chen had been able to escape the grasp of death countless times after being pounced on by mutated zombies.


    The zombie didn¡¯t have time to adjust. It didn¡¯t know that the prey beneath itself had escaped, and it fell down from the momentum. Its sharp teeth bit the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s an idiot!¡± Shen Chen shook his head. The zombies were all acting on instinct. They haven¡¯t gone through another mutation. That was why, when facing zombies that hadn¡¯t mutated, as long as he could overcome his fears, even a child could kill them. With a swing of his knife, the zombie was completely dead.


    ¡°Second, you¡­ where did you learn that from? It was awesome!¡± Guo Yuan said with a stutter, but he looked pleasantly surprised. If Second was this skilled, then he didn¡¯t have to worry about being eaten by zombies when around him!


    Shen Chen smiled. ¡°I learned it from some gym teachers¡­¡±


    The two of them dragged the zombie into the elevator with its body and head. The descending elevator gave off a light hum. The elevator descended without obstruction, just like Guo Yuan¡¯s sinking heart. He turned around and studied Shen Chen. He still had the same face, but for some reason, he looked different from the Second before, like he had something more. But soon, Guo Yuan withdrew his gaze and stared at the elevator door. He didn¡¯t know how many zombies would be waiting for them in the first floor lobby. Perhaps the moment the elevator door opened, he would be drowned in them. But he had to do this with Second, because if his brothers were greeted by a crowd of scary rotting corpses the moment they entered the hotel, he would never forgive himself.


    The hotel lobby had become a paradise for zombies. Dozens of zombies surrounded a couch to the side. Judging from their heads, which rose and fell continuously, they were clearly eating. Their bellies had swelled up, and they looked like pregnant women.


    Zombies wandered through the spacious hotel lobby. The creaking sound of their gnawing made the whole place more terrifying.


    Guo Yuan watched the zombies that were eating and couldn¡¯t help a shiver, but Shen Chen looked like he was taking a stroll in a garden. He easily came up behind a zombie. The woman clad in rich fur walked with teetering steps, but the next moment, before she could let out a growl, her entire head was separated from her body.


    Guo Yuan looked at Shen Chen with respect. He made a thumbs-up at Shen Chen. Their next targets were the two attendants pushing the luggage cart. They were the ones closest to them. Four meters¡­ Three meters¡­ Two meters¡­ One meter¡­


    The sharp Black Blade and fire axe streaked through the air one after another, slicing the rotten atmosphere like lightning. The two zombies let out a ¡°gege¡± noise from their throats at the same time, and they subconsciously reached for Guo Yuan and Shen Chen¡¯s throats with dark claws. Before their claws reached Guo Yuan and Shen Chen¡¯s throats, the zombies¡¯ heads slowly fell, followed by a light thump, and rolled onto the smooth marble floor. Dark red blood spewed two meters up from the wounds in their necks.


    But the next moment, Guo Yuan¡¯s expression of joy became one of horror. The neck of the zombie he had attacked was only half-broken. The other half was still attached to its body. It let out a mad growl, then turned around and reached for Guo Yuan with sharp claws.


    The fire axe was stuck in its skull and couldn¡¯t be pulled out. Guo Yuan trembled all over, trying his hardest to pull the fire axe out, but the more anxious he became, the more scared he got, and his hands became weaker.


    Finally, nearly limp, watching the zombie jump toward him, its rotten stench already hitting his face, Guo Yuan¡¯s eyes widened¡­

 Chapter 4

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡®No¡­ no¡­ I can¡¯t be such a coward¡­¡¯


    In an instant, the sharp wind from a knife blew over his head¡­ Guo Yuan¡¯s lifted his head only to see Shen Chen kicking off with his right foot and pulling the Black Blade out from the other zombie¡¯s skull. He then stabbed straight toward the second zombie¡¯s chest. The massive impact made it take a few steps backward. His movements were fast and clean, cold and sharp as a machine.


    Guo Yuan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and he stared incredulously at a fierce Shen Chen. He couldn¡¯t help but think to himself, ¡®Is this¡­ is this still Second?¡¯


    Shen Chen hollered in a low voice, ¡°What are you waiting for? Chop its head off!¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh!¡± Only then did Guo Yuan come to. He hastily escaped, then ran behind the zombie in front of him and used newfound strength to yank out the fire axe. Black Blade cut through the middle, and the zombie¡¯s big head shot into the air.


    ¡®The second zombie is dead!!!!¡¯ Guo Yuan sat on the ground, panting heavily. He finally felt calm after escaping near death. He also felt deep respect for Shen Chen. He had seen how effortlessly Shen Chen killed a zombie, and had therefore underestimated his enemy. He hadn¡¯t expected that when it was his turn, he would nearly be killed by the zombie. It looked like there was a big difference in skill between him and Second.


    Shen Chen put away his knife and patted Guo Yuan. His eyes cautiously looking around, he said in a low voice, ¡°We must be alert from now on!¡±


    Although the zombies didn¡¯t have consciousness, the death of their companions and the heavy scent of blood in the air made all the zombies look in their direction. They had made too much of a commotion. All the zombies around them stood up. A dark mass of zombies walked their way with the stench of putrefaction. Twenty-some zombies rushed toward them with waving arms. The scene gave Shen Chen and Guo Yuan goosebumps. Their expressions changed immediately.


    ¡°Go behind the counter!¡± Shen Chen said hastily. He grabbed Guo Yuan, who was trying to charge up and fight against the zombies by force. The two of them raced backwards, killing some blind zombies on their way, and ran to the reception counter.


    Only two or three zombies were trapped behind the counter. Shen Chen yanked the door open and kicked a zombie to the floor, then he violently cut two zombies down. Guo Yuan held his own, too. His giant fire axe threw a zombie to the ground.


    After the two of them finished off the zombies behind the counter, they faced a bunch of zombies throwing themselves onto the counter with bared fangs and open claws. Fortunately, the zombies hadn¡¯t evolved to learn more movements, so they didn¡¯t know how to climb the counter. Right now, they could only stay blocked by the counter with their huge pungent mouths open, waving their arms, trying to grab either Shen Chen or Guo Yuan. It was like they were delivering their heads to the door to be chopped off. With the advantage of their location, Black Blade and the axe slashed through the crowd of zombies. Each cut knocked a zombie down. The zombies outside the counter weren¡¯t matches for the two of them at all. Half an hour later, dozens of zombies formed a pile of corpses.


    Guo Yuan sat on the counter, panting. He was covered in sweat in the middle of winter. Shen Chen tossed a bottle from behind him. ¡°Restore your strength.¡±


    Guo Yuan drank the water and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Second! I¡¯ve never respected you so much! You¡¯re so powerful!¡±


    He only killed around five or six zombies. Shen Chen killed the rest of them. Which meant Shen Chen killed at least a dozen zombies on his own! Was this still the feeble Second he knew? It was like he was on steroids! Guo Yuan¡¯s arms were so sore he couldn¡¯t even raise them, but Shen Chen? He didn¡¯t seem tired at all. This made the naive Guo Yuan admire Shen Chen even more.


    But Shen Chen knew that his combat capacity shot through the roof only with the power of Black Blade. His current body, which had yet to go through training, was really a drag. If it were his previous life¡¯s body, he could defeat a dozen zombies, not to mention a hundred.


    After taking a short break, they saw a few figures appear not far away. Guo Yuan said with surprise, ¡°It¡¯s Boss and the rest!¡±


    Shen Chen opened the counter door. He leaned against the counter and furrowed his brows. There were a total of six people. Three women and three men. One of them was Third Pan Di. Two of the women were Pan Di¡¯s girlfriend and Boss¡¯s girlfriend. As for the other three, they were complete strangers¡­


    The six of them looked very shabby. Their clothes were all tattered, and they were battered out of their senses, like birds startled by a bow, but when they staggered into the hotel lobby and saw the mountain of corpses piled in the center and dark red blood everywhere, the girls immediately bent over and began vomiting uncontrollably.


    Guo Yuan frowned, too. He ran in front of Third and said, ¡°Third¡­ where¡¯s Boss? Wasn¡¯t he with you¡­¡±


    Pan Di looked very out of shape. He looked at Guo Yuan, pursed his lips, then lowered his head dejectedly. ¡°Boss got separated from us on the way here¡­¡±


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Guo Yuan let go of Pan Di, looking like a deflated balloon. He lowered his head, and a lump formed in his throat.


    Shen Chen walked over slowly, scrutinizing the six of them. His gaze swept over the six people¡¯s faces several times, then he ordered in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs first!¡±


    When everyone walked into the hotel room, they all let out a sigh of relief. To the five of them, after more than an hour of fleeing, it was like they had just arrived in heaven. The girls immediately ran into the washing room. The two unfamiliar men sat on the couch and started smoking, which annoyed Guo Yuan. He was about to approach and say something, but Shen Chen slowly shook his head.


    Guo Yuan trusted Shen Chen a lot at this point. Seeing that Shen Chen wasn¡¯t going to say anything, he also grabbed a chair and sat to the side, staying silent.


    A while later, the girls came out. They had washed off the filth on their faces, put on perfume, and came out refreshed.


    Girls are always perceptive. Seeing that Shen Chen seemed to be in a bad mood, their cheerful faces immediately tightened, then they sat in a row on the couch.


    Shen Chen coughed lightly and clapped his hands. Third Pan Di and the two strange men¡¯s gazes turned to him. ¡°All right, now that everyone¡¯s here, let¡¯s introduce ourselves.¡±


    The taller strange man furrowed his brows. He didn¡¯t expect a youngster like Shen Chen to give orders to him. This made him snuff out his cigarette and closely study Shen Chen.


    He suddenly discovered that Shen Chen was completely different from the college freshmen he had seen. In Shen Chen, he could see a maturity and jadedness that was beyond his age. That sort of aura on a college freshman was truly surprising. But then he chuckled. So what if he¡¯s mature? Could Shen Chen be more mature than himself, who groveled in society for a dozen years?


    Third Pan Di pointed to the girl on the couch wearing a white down coat and said, ¡°Second, I must introduce you. That¡¯s my girlfriend, Li Qianqian. The one wearing a red coat is Boss¡¯s girlfriend, Zhang Xiaoya. As for¡­ these three people¡­¡± Pan Di was hesitant, because he didn¡¯t know how to introduce them. In the end, he said, ¡°Yeah¡­ we met each other while fleeing.¡±


    ¡°My name is Li Qi. I live in the nearby neighborhood!¡± Li Qi looked like he was still suffering from the shock and spoke somewhat cautiously.


    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce myself!¡± the taller man interrupted Li Qi, flashing a proper smile. ¡°My name is Zhao Ze. I¡¯m a manager at a company. This is my girlfriend, Li Jing. We were eating together nearby, but you know¡­ It¡¯s a total mess outside, so we fled with this little dude.¡±


    Zhao Ze patted the cigarette ashes off his body, then asked, ¡°Little dude, who are you?¡± His tone had a hint of superiority. Even his question sounded somewhat judgmental.


    One could tell from his outfit that he must have had a rather high status originally. That was why he spoke as if he were above everyone else.


    Shen Chen instinctively disliked people like that, so he automatically ignored his inquiry. Instead, he asked, ¡°Third, how did Boss get separated from you guys? Tell me what happened.¡±


    ¡°Boss ran away with us, but after we ran for a while, we realized that he was gone!¡± Pan Di¡¯s expression was somewhat gloomy. ¡°It was very chaotic at the moment. No one noticed¡­¡±


    Pan Di¡¯s eyes reddened. He said with a lump in his throat, ¡°What the hell is going on¡­ Why are zombies out here all of a sudden¡­¡±


    ¡®Exactly! Who knows what is up with this world?!¡¯ Everyone¡¯s eyes reddened uncontrollably. The commotion that had occurred in the past hour was enough to make them terrified and confused.


    ¡°Third, where did you guys get separated?¡± Shen Chen asked.


    Pan Di thought for a bit. ¡°It was when we got close to the hotel, at that restaurant called ellu.¡±


    Shen Chen nodded. It would be easy now he knew the location, but the road was in the downtown area. There was probably a lot of zombies there. He needed to go as soon as possible to rescue Boss.


    Just as he was about to get up, he heard the guy named Zhao Ze suddenly stretch his back lazily and say with a yawn, ¡°You guys do your thing. I¡¯m going to sleep now!¡± Then he stood up, about to walk to the master bedroom.


    Shen Chen frowned. He took a cold glance at him. ¡°That bedroom isn¡¯t for you!¡±


    ¡°One room for one night. I¡¯ll give you a thousand bucks. Is that enough?¡± A playful smile appeared on Zhao Ze¡¯s face. But the disdain and mockery in his tone made Pan Di and Guo Yuan frown, instinctively feeling repulsed.


    Shen Chen stared at the cash he handed over. His expression didn¡¯t change. Then he ordered the others, ¡°Third and Fourth get one room. Li Qi and Zhao Ze get one room. The three women will sleep in one room. Everyone go rest for now!¡±


    The implicit authority in his voice made everyone nod.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Shen Chen raised his head again, frowning slightly this time.


    ¡°All right. You¡¯re the one who reserved the room. I won¡¯t argue with you, but there must be food here. Give us something to eat, now!¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s disregard provoked Zhao Ze. He raised his chin haughtily and threatened Shen Chen with a tone of superiority. ¡°Brat, don¡¯t be so ungrateful!¡±

 Chapter 5

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Guo Yuan was infuriated. He shot up from his seat. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    But Zhao Ze laughed, raising his voice and saying with scorn, ¡°I know hotels are expensive. One bowl of ramen. Is twenty enough? Give us five bowls!¡±


    Zhao Ze regarded Shen Chen and Guo Yuan as beneath his notice. His tone was that of one handing out alms, as if Shen Chen were just the most lowly scum in his eyes. Yes, he thought he really was qualified to look down on them. To Zhao Ze, he was the president of a company, with control over hundreds of people¡¯s lives. But they, they were just a bunch of college dogs who would likely rely on him for a living in the future!


    Guo Yuan couldn¡¯t help saying with rage, ¡°There¡¯s none. If you want to eat, go out and find your own food!¡±


    Zhao Ze¡¯s gaze swept over Guo Yuan¡¯s face, then he purposely made a retaliatory expression. ¡°Are you trying to cheat me?¡± Zhao Ze looked like he knew everything they were thinking about. He weighed his leather wallet in his hand with contempt, then said with a drawn-out, exaggerated tone, ¡°All right! I¡¯ll multiply it! One hundred bucks! Is that enough? I don¡¯t believe you won¡¯t submit to money.¡±


    This was pure humiliation! Guo Yuan immediately became furious. He was about to charge up, but Shen Chen held him back.


    Zhao Ze smiled, taking out a wad of cash from his leather wallet, a scorn of disdain on his face. ¡°Those who suit their actions to the time are wise. One thousand bucks. Get out of your room and hand over the food!¡±


    ¡°Second!¡± Guo Yuan turned around to look at Shen Chen, only to see Shen Chen walk straight toward Zhao Ze.


    He stood gazing at Zhao Ze¡¯s arrogant face, then he turned around and looked at a furious Guo Yuan and said slowly, ¡°I used to not believe in the existence of morons, but now I do!¡±


    Before Zhao Ze could even react, he was slapped! Zhao Ze¡¯s smile was still on his face when the wad of cash was violently thrown against it. Amidst everyone¡¯s shocked cries, Shen Chen grabbed Zhao Ze¡¯s collar.


    ¡°You¡¯re rich?!¡± Slap! Slap! ¡°Double?¡± Slap! Slap! Slap!


    The money made loud cracks on Zhao Ze¡¯s face. Watching Zhao Ze¡¯s expression turn from shock to resentment, Shen Chen said with a cold smile, ¡°Don¡¯t treat money as all-powerful. From now on, it¡¯s worth less than toilet paper!¡± After finishing speaking, he hurled the wad of cash in his hands onto the floor, then left the parlor with vigorous strides.


    The loud boom of the door closing made everyone wake from their stupor. Everyone stared at one another in disbelief.


    Zhao Ze¡¯s face got as red as a pig liver. The hand that had taken out his wallet was shaking, trembling with rage. He hurled the wallet onto the couch and yelled, ¡°What does he mean? What does he? He¡¯s insulting me! He¡­ insulted me with money?¡±


    Lin Qianqian raised her pinky finger, which had pink nail polish on it, and said aggrievedly, ¡°Boyfriend, you¡¯re the one who said it would be safe here with Second. That¡¯s why I came with you. Otherwise, I would have waited to be rescued back at school. But isn¡¯t Second going a little overboard with the way he¡¯s treating us?¡±


    Pan Di¡¯s face didn¡¯t look so good, either. He was the one who had brought everyone there. If Shen Chen didn¡¯t give them face, it was the same as not giving him face. But in front of everyone else, he naturally took his own brother¡¯s side, so he said, ¡°Second is an honorable man. It¡¯s only because Boss got separated. That¡¯s why he¡¯s in a bad mood. Tomorrow¡­ I¡¯ll ask him for food¡­¡±


    Lin Qianqian tsked. ¡°Ask him for food!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Fourth for food tonight, all right?!¡± Pan Di was a little annoyed, but then he was unsure. ¡°Second isn¡¯t the only one in charge of this place¡­ is he¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Shen Chen returned to his room, feeling somewhat concerned. Among the newcomers, he only knew Third through and through. As for the other five, they were literally strangers, and clearly Lin Qianqian had Third in her grasp.


    This was completely different from the previous life. Then, the four brothers had all returned to campus to flee. In their struggle to survive at school, their friendship had been extraordinary. But his new plans in this life had changed many things. Boss got separated. Third was clearly not the Third from the previous life. Among these people, only Guo Yuan was a companion he approved of.


    Shen Chen didn¡¯t hesitate. He called Guo Yuan over and, in front of him, opened the giant room that used to be a walk-in closet. The boxes of resources made Guo Yuan¡¯s jaw drop. Only then did Guo Yuan realize how much Shen Chen had prepared for the disaster. Guo Yuan was in complete shock. He stared with wide eyes and couldn¡¯t speak for a long time.


    Shen Chen sat on the bed and said, ¡°This room has many valuable things. You saw, too, that those people have Third in their grasp, especially Third¡¯s girlfriend. I¡¯m afraid that hothead will get used by the others. As for Zhao Ze, he¡¯s not easy to deal with, either. That¡¯s why, when I¡¯m gone in a bit, don¡¯t let anyone inside. Fourth, I leave this to you!¡±


    Guo Yuan instantly realized that Shen Chen was showing his heart to him. The level of trust made Guo Yuan nod firmly. ¡°Second, I¡¯ll do as you say!¡±


    Suddenly, his gaze fell on the protective gear on Shen Chen¡¯s body, and he realized something. ¡°Second, you¡¯re¡­ still going to go out?¡±


    Shen Chen acknowledged it. ¡°Boss is gone. I can¡¯t rest assured he¡¯s okay!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone mad! It¡¯s too dangerous at night! Boss is¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you!¡±


    Shen Chen smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not dangerous if I go alone. If I brought you along, I wouldn¡¯t be able to say that!¡±


    Guo Yuan knew Shen Chen was right. He would only be a burden if he went along. He could only send Shen Chen off with his gaze.


    By that point, it had been two hours since Doomsday erupted. Shen Chen knew that the zombies hadn¡¯t gone through a large-scale outbreak yet. They were still quite easy to handle. If time went on, more and more people would get infected, and it would become increasingly dangerous for Boss¡­


    There were still a few cars parked outside the hotel that hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to drive into the parking lot. Shen Chen pulled out two wires from the ignition lock and connected them from practice.


    In the night, the sound of a starting car was especially jarring. He heard the sound of zombies growling. Shen Chen paid no mind to them, and stepped down on the gas pedal. The strong force he felt made him rediscover the pleasure of zooming through crowds of zombies in a car he had felt in his previous life. The dark street was no longer dazzling with cars that came and went. The green belts along the sides of the street looked like primal jungles, which monsters lurked in in the night wind. Shen Chen held the steering wheel in both hands, his eyes locked on the windshield. The road was clear ahead. There were no remaining cars on the street. Only a few zombies swayed around.


    Bang! Bang!


    From the dim bushes, two zombies jumped at the car. Shen Chen scoffed and drove over them without hesitation. Their brains and rotting flesh sprayed on the windshield. With a sweep of the windshield wiper, they were gone without a trace.


    Suddenly, Shen Chen¡¯s eyebrows twitched. When he hit the zombies with his car, he had sensed something off. Shen Chen grabbed his knife, quickly looking through the entire car. There was nothing wrong.


    Shen Chen carefully recalled the details of what had happened after he hit the zombies. His gaze fell on the car trunk, and a cold smile flashed across his lips. He floored the gas pedal, then stepped on the brake. As he expected, he heard the thump of a heavy object in the trunk!


    Shen Chen parked the car on the side of the road. He closed the car door and walked to the back of the car, raising his Black Blade without hesitation and shouting, ¡°Come out!¡±


    On the side of the road, the car was completely silent. Shen Chen chuckled, kicking the trunk forcefully, then he heard a cry come from the trunk.


    ¡°Come out!¡±


    But the person hiding in the trunk clearly didn¡¯t plan on coming out. Annoyed, Shen Chen opened the trunk. When he saw what was inside, he frowned. In the small trunk, there was a girl hidden inside. She was curled up in the trunk, showing only a part of her face, staring at Shen Chen in shock and confusion.


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    ¡°This is my car! Why should I get out?!¡± The girl stared at Shen Chen in alarm, her hands grabbing tightly onto the car.


    Shen Chen was getting a headache. He never would have expected that he would drive a car with an owner still in it, and he definitely wouldn¡¯t have expected the owner of such a burly SUV to be a delicate little girl. He could only sigh and say, ¡°Get out. I¡¯ll take you back to the hotel first. It¡¯s not safe here.¡±


    The girl stared at Shen Chen in alarm. ¡°I won¡¯t get out! I ran back into the car from the hotel! The hotel is filled with zombies. Don¡¯t try to swindle me!¡±


    Shen Chen scratched his head helplessly. Even after living two lives, he was instinctively helpless around women. He pointed to Black Blade and the bloodstains all over himself and explained patiently, ¡°It¡¯s very dangerous for you to stay in the car. I have to drive back to the downtown area to save someone. This means I¡¯m entering territory with hundreds and thousands of zombies in a bit. Do you know what that means?¡±


    Only then did the girl let out a sigh of relief, but she quickly shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s more dangerous for me to stay here alone. At least if I follow you, I can ask you to kill me before I¡¯m eaten by a zombie!¡±


    The girl¡¯s words stunned Shen Chen. Her fearless expression made him recall people in his previous life who had shot themselves after being surrounded by zombies.


    Suddenly, the girl covered her mouth, panic in her eyes. She stared directly behind Shen Chen. Shen Chen looked back and saw two zombies that were like humanoid grasshoppers. They jumped up from the side of the road and jumped toward Shen Chen with bloody open mouths and meat in their teeth.


    ¡°Oh!¡± The girl was shocked! She didn¡¯t know what to do at all! Her expression was full of horror and panic. Her knees went weak. To her, the handsome man before her was going to turn into zombie food the next moment! But she saw the light of a blade shoot through the night sky. She heard two ¡°shunk¡±s, and when she came to again, the two zombies¡¯ heads were no longer on their bodies.


    The girl stared at Shen Chen in disbelief, her mouth wide open. She couldn¡¯t say anything for a while. ¡®This man, how is he so aggressive?¡¯ she thought. She suddenly realized what Shen Chen had meant earlier. ¡®This man is so powerful. He probably wouldn¡¯t care about my life.¡¯ At the thought, her face became pale.


    Unexpectedly, Shen Chen was silent for a while, then he waved his hand. ¡°Sit in the front passenger seat. Be careful. If you follow me, you might die even sooner.¡±

 Chapter 6

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The girl stared at Shen Chen in disbelief, then cried out in joy. She jumped out of the car trunk like a rabbit and wormed herself into the front passenger seat.


    She glanced at the connected ignition wires and couldn¡¯t help being astonished. ¡°Are you a secret agent or something? You know a technique like this that only appears on TV?¡±


    Shen Chen couldn¡¯t help shaking his head. ¡°Sit tight. Put on your seat belt.¡±


    The girl pouted her lips. ¡°I know. This is my car.¡±


    The car started advancing on the road. The girl looked at Shen Chen, rejoicing in the fact that she was able to escape her ill fate. She had been tailing her stepmother to catch her in the act of cheating, but she never would have expected that her stepmother would be pounced to the ground by the man who had just intimately whispered to her in front of everyone. By the time Ye Xiaoyu reacted, the entire hotel had become a living hell. The corpses that fell from the sky at the door further provoked her desire to survive. The only idea she thought of was to lock herself in the car. Then she crawled into the trunk. She knew it was the only way she could survive. She initially thought she would be trapped in the trunk until she died. She hadn¡¯t expected that someone would drive the car. The vibration of the car had nearly made her cry. It meant that she could continue to live!


    The girl gritted her teeth, combing out her hair to appear less disorderly, then said, ¡°My name is Ye Xiaoyu. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Shen Chen.¡±


    ¡®Shen Chen¡­¡¯ Ye Xiaoyu thought to herself. She saw his firm face clearly in the car mirror outside. He looked to be at most nineteen years old, around the same age as herself. He was probably a student nearby as well, but she had never heard of such a fierce person on the J University campus.


    Ye Xiaoyu thought to herself that although she had been hiding in the trunk, she had clearly felt how skilled the driver was. Now that she saw all the bloodstains on his body and the steel knife in his hand, she was even more certain that this guy named Shen Chen must have killed a lot of zombies. He was a true master!


    Suddenly, a few cars appeared in the middle of the road. There was clearly a multiple-vehicle collision. The crooked cars on the street made Shen Chen frown. He was about to drive around them when, suddenly, a dozen zombies appeared next to the cars, showing their ghastly faces. The moment they saw Shen Chen¡¯s car, they immediately ran over screaming, their arms swinging. They scratched at the windows with their nails, making a jarring noise.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± Ye Xiaoyu jumped in her seat. The zombies that had appeared out of the darkness violently pounded on the windows. They pressed their faces against the glass, eyes locked on the ¡°food¡± in the car. Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s entire body shrunk toward Shen Chen, but she covered her mouth tightly so she wouldn¡¯t make a sound.


    This made Shen Chen have a better impression of her. ¡®It seems like this kid¡¯s not stupid. The dissemination of sound in the night would have attracted more zombies.¡¯ Shen Chen smiled, then said in a low voice, ¡°Sit tight! Don¡¯t be afraid!¡±


    He spoke in a cool tone, but it unexpectedly made Ye Xiaoyu feel at ease. She quickly held tightly onto the handle and said in a somewhat tearful voice, ¡°What are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°What are we going to do? It¡¯ll depend on how good your car is!¡±


    Shen Chen narrowed his eyes, accelerating the car. The four wheels turned wildly simultaneously. Clouds of smoke rose from the ground. The entire car shot out like an arrow from a bow, sending several zombies flying in its path. Shen Chen kept a straight face in the sturdy German car, charging through the crowd of zombies.


    Suddenly, a small car parked horizontally in the middle of the road appeared in their sight. Ye Xiaoyu immediately panicked. ¡°Oh, no! There¡¯s a¡­¡±


    Thump.


    After savagely shoving the car out of their way, they crashed into two more zombies that jumped on the car. The zombies went flying with a boom.


    Shen Chen turned around. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ my car¡­ Oh, no! Zombies!¡± Ye Xiaoyu turned pale and shouted while pointing at the window.


    A zombie had rolled over the engine hood and was now lying on the windshield. It grabbed the windshield wipers in one hand and pounded on the glass with another. Its mouth was wide open, and its hideous pale white face blocked the view ahead.


    ¡°Roar¡­¡± The living humans before it made the zombie let out a growl of excitement. Even though its lower body was paralyzed by the car, it still pounded on the glass. Shen Chen furrowed his brows and pulled out Black Blade.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Ye Xiaoyu asked anxiously.


    ¡°Finish off this zombie. Otherwise, with its strength, the windshield will be shattered soon.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s face was white as a sheet of paper. She said frantically, ¡°You¡¯re crazy! How is that possible?! How about we stop the car and¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t even finish her sentence. In the rearview mirror, she could see a dozen zombies were still chasing them persistently. Once they stopped the car, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    ¡°Hold onto the steering wheel!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh!¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu hastily leaned over, grabbing onto the steering wheel tightly with shaking hands. Shen Chen opened the car door, hooked himself onto the seat with one foot, and stuck half his body out of the car.


    The winter wind howled past. The violent chill quickly rushed into the car. Ye Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help shivering. She looked out the car window. Shen Chen¡¯s entire body was leaning outside the car. The aroma of human flesh made the zombie immediately decide to abandon the windshield and turn toward Shen Chen. It opened its large rotten mouth, straightened its torso, and violently jumped toward Shen Chen, but Shen Chen swung his left hand heavily and chopped toward the zombie¡¯s head with Black Blade with full composure.


    Shunk! A pungent gush of blood shot several yards into the air. The zombie fell off the car. Its arm didn¡¯t even touch Shen Chen¡¯s clothes before it was caught under the car wheels and ground into bits.


    Shen Chen returned to the car. A soft body hugged him tightly, accompanied by a scent unique to girls. ¡°Shen Chen! Shen Chen! You were amazing!¡±


    Her overjoyed exclamations made Shen Chen feel somewhat awkward. Because she was hugging him too tightly, the car started snaking on the road.


    ¡°All right, all right¡­¡± Shen Chen lightly patted Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s back. The girl¡¯s thin back made him ponder, but he quickly adjusted himself. ¡°Get back in your seat. I¡¯m still driving!¡±


    After a short while, Ye Xiaoyu finally withdrew her arms slowly and sat back in her seat. She had an expression of disbelief and surprise on her face after such a dangerous situation. ¡°Goodness, you¡¯re even more amazing than I thought!¡±


    Shen Chen also glanced at her with surprise. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re also braver than I imagined.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu instantly smiled. Indeed, during the whole trip, Ye Xiaoyu hadn¡¯t seemed delicate like ordinary girls. She had also showed her strength early on, which impressed Shen Chen. Of course, a girl who could escape from the hotel back into her car and hide in a trunk was definitely not some weak woman.


    Luckily, there were no more zombies gathered ahead. They drove to a gas station, and the car slowed down to a halt. The bright car lights instantly attracted the attention of a few wandering gas station employee zombies. Watching the zombies approach, Ye Xiaoyu asked with confusion, ¡°There¡¯s still gas in the tank. Why are we stopping here?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t drive anymore up ahead. Otherwise, we¡¯d be like a target in the night and get engulfed by zombies.¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t you going to rescue someone? If you don¡¯t have a car, how will you rescue them?¡±


    Shen Chen pointed to the zombies outside the window. ¡°That¡¯s why we have to rely on them!¡±


    ¡°Rely on them?¡± Ye Xiaoyu was a little confused, but after seeing Shen Chen open the door and kill one zombie after another, she gritted her teeth and followed him. Staring at Shen Chen, who was crouching on the floor and examining something, she seemed to realize Shen Chen¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a little bloody. You can turn around,¡± Shen Chen said, then he raised Black Blade up high and slammed it down on the zombie¡¯s corpse. Instantly, blood spewed everywhere, covering the ground. Soon after, the zombie was chopped up into ground meat. Only then did Shen Chen stand up and cautiously rub the decayed zombie blood and minced meat onto his body.


    His experience from the previous life told him that in the preliminary stages of the apocalypse, zombies could only distinguish their prey based on scent and sound. Therefore, as long as he reeked of the smell of zombies, he wouldn¡¯t be in any danger, even if he walked among a crowd of zombies. This was also the method he had thought of earlier to rescue Boss.


    ¡°Shen Chen, I want some too!¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s words made Shen Chen raise his head. He frowned slightly. ¡°You? You won¡¯t need it. This gas station is very safe. In a bit, I¡¯ll kill all the zombies in the supermarket. You stay here¡­ and wait for me to come pick you up.¡±


    His last sentence made Ye Xiaoyu smile, but she squatted down stubbornly and scooped blood and flesh out of the zombie¡¯s tattered body with her hands, rubbing it onto her down jacket.


    Shen Chen stood up. He watched Ye Xiaoyu continuously scoop out all sorts of organs from the zombie¡¯s body with a straight face, then throw them behind her. He couldn¡¯t help being surprised. ¡°Ye Xiaoyu, aren¡¯t you afraid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a medical student. I¡¯ve dissected corpses before¡­ this¡­¡± Ye Xiaoyu paused, then smiled in embarrassment.


    Only then did Shen Chen feel relieved. In the preliminary period of the apocalypse, a girl who had just gone through a huge shock was not only not panicking, but also had a will that was comparable to that of a man¡¯s. He was impressed, but also suspicious. But she was a person who was used to seeing life and death and corpses, so it wasn¡¯t so hard to accept.


    Shen Chen knew very well how valuable people who had learned medicine were in the later stages. If Shen Chen only felt pity for Ye Xiaoyu at first, he now was seriously considering taking her into the team.


    Shen Chen leaned against the car as he watched Ye Xiaoyu calmly spread the zombie blood all over herself, then asked her, ¡°If I gave you a weapon, would you dare to kill zombies?¡±


    ¡°I would!¡± A spark lit up in Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes. She knew that her performance had finally been recognized. If she stayed by Shen Chen¡¯s side, she believed she could definitely live on!


    ¡°All right.¡± A smile appeared on Shen Chen¡¯s face. ¡°Then stay with me.¡±

 Chapter 7

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    After the two armed themselves, Shen Chen brought Ye Xiaoyu to a small supermarket near the gas station. Currently, there was only one cashier trapped at the checkout stand inside the small supermarket, wandering back and forth.


    Watching Ye Xiaoyu holding the fire axe in her hands, Shen Chen ordered in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll leave this zombie to you. You get some practice.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu gulped anxiously. She raised the fire axe and nodded firmly. The supermarket door slowly opened. A ¡°welcome¡± greeting instantly made the zombie¡¯s hideous head turn toward the door, emitting a terrifying growling sound from its mouth.


    Ye Xiaoyu stepped back in a flurry, but she heard Shen Chen¡¯s deep and strong voice from behind her say, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. It can¡¯t find you.¡±


    As Shen Chen said this, the zombie growled a few times, then turned around and no longer paid any mind to them.


    ¡°Go. Aim for the zombie¡¯s head.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu slowly walked next to the zombie. Although she was prepared, her heart still tightened in that moment. She quickly raised the fire axe and swung down on the zombie¡¯s head, but in the end she missed her target¡­ It didn¡¯t hit the zombie¡¯s head. Instead, it hit its chest!


    The zombie instantly let out a mad roar, then it turned around, glaring at Ye Xiaoyu with bloodthirsty eyes. She suddenly felt an absurd fear in her heart, making her hair stand on end. She didn¡¯t have a single doubt that the zombie would shatter her in its arms the next second.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. What you need to do now is pick up the axe and continue chopping at its head.¡± Shen Chen promptly appeared next to the cash register. He didn¡¯t look like he was going to attack the zombie at all. He just brought Ye Xiaoyu out of the zombie¡¯s range of attack.


    ¡°Listen up. The current world gives you no opportunity to be weak. Chop off its head, then become my companion. If you can¡¯t do it, then stay behind.¡± Shen Chen¡¯s voice was very stern.


    Shen Chen was used to the sight of humans being torn apart by zombies from his previous life. Women, kids¡ªas long as one was a human, he had to pick up a weapon and fight. Otherwise, death was his only end. Weakness and fear would never appear in any Doomsday person, because those who were weak had already died or become zombies!


    Shen Chen¡¯s stern words provoked Ye Xiaoyu. Ye Xiaoyu suddenly found strength. She yelled and quickly jumped forward, violently yanked the fire axe out, and chopped down on the zombie¡¯s head with all her strength.


    With a grunt, the zombie¡¯s head left its body and fell to the floor. Ye Xiaoyu turned around, half in surprise and half in horror. She couldn¡¯t smile, and she couldn¡¯t cry.


    Shen Chen calmly watched Ye Xiaoyu, who had quickly overcome her psychological barrier. He nodded. ¡°Not bad. Let¡¯s go, then!¡±


    Not far ahead was a prosperous intersection. Shops in every tier dazzled in the streets. There were even more people today, on Valentine¡¯s Day. But now, the shops¡¯ roll-up doors were all rolled down, and the vast number of cars in the wide street piled together like a lot of scrapped cars, sprawled around in every direction, blocking the road to the point where not even a drop of water could trickle through.


    Tens of thousands of zombies wandered in the streets, feeding. The heavy odor of blood was sickening. On the side, Ye Xiaoyu grabbed onto Shen Chen¡¯s shirt with trembling hands. ¡°Shen¡­ Shen¡­¡±


    It would be nearly impossible to pass through to get into a certain shop on a street like this. Ye Xiaoyu didn¡¯t have any doubt that if she took a single step forward, the zombies would all pounce onto her just like in TV shows. They would tear her apart alive and stuff her into their decaying bodies.


    Shen Chen turned around and said softly, ¡°From now on, don¡¯t talk. The zombies will discover our aura. Remember, our goal is to get inside a restaurant called ellu.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu stared at Shen Chen, asking with the lightest of whispers, ¡°Shen Chen, can we really get through like this?¡±


    Shen Chen watched Ye Xiaoyu, who was weak and trembling from fear but still trying to feign bravery, and smiled. ¡°Rest assured!¡±


    ¡®Rest assured¡­¡¯ Perhaps it was Shen Chen¡¯s confident smile that infected Ye Xiaoyu, but she nodded with a pale face and grabbed the fire axe tightly in her hands.


    Shen Chen took a deep breath, cautiously raising Black Blade. He prudently took the first step forward. The zombies around them suddenly turned around. Under the stare of hundreds of zombies, Shen Chen¡¯s expression finally changed. Walking through such a dense crowd of zombies, a single mistake would lead to only one outcome¡ªgetting eaten to the bones. It was no exaggeration to say that they wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to turn into zombies.


    He forced himself to calm down, then raised his arms and imitated the zombies¡¯ steps, slowly walking forward. One step¡­ Two steps¡­


    The zombies slowly turned their heads around, treating Shen Chen as one of their kind. They continued to wander the streets. Only then did Ye Xiaoyu follow Shen Chen closely, passing through the tens of thousands of zombies in alarm.


    After walking some dozen yards, the zombies still hadn¡¯t noticed the two of them, which calmed the butterflies in Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s stomach. She couldn¡¯t help gazing at Shen Chen. ¡®This guy thought of such a gross way to fool the zombies. He¡¯s truly amazing!¡¯


    Before she could even finish rejoicing, the next moment a zombie passed before Shen Chen. Suddenly, it paused in its steps, turning its purple face in Shen Chen¡¯s direction. It stared at Shen Chen with white eyes.


    The zombie halted and studied Shen Chen carefully, examining him. The butterflies in Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s stomach immediately started fluttering again. She couldn¡¯t control her thoughts at all. Her mind was completely blank. ¡®What shall we do? It¡¯s about to find us out!¡¯


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s steps slowed down, but Shen Chen didn¡¯t hesitate at all. He controlled his steps and posture, shuffling toward the zombie.


    By then, Shen Chen had gradually closed the distance between himself and the zombie, but the zombie only gazed at Shen Chen with suspicion. It didn¡¯t look like it intended to move out of the way. Ye Xiaoyu widened her eyes in despair. ¡®With their keenness, if his warm hand touches the zombie, they will tear us to pieces! She couldn¡¯t continue imagining it. Ye Xiaoyu wanted to scream, but she bit down hard on her lips and didn¡¯t dare make a sound.


    Shen Chen¡¯s arm slowly moved toward the zombie. Ye Xiaoyu was prepared for the worst. ¡®What if the zombie doesn¡¯t leave? What if the zombie recognizes us as humans?¡¯ Ye Xiaoyu thought pessimistically. Perhaps¡­ Shen Chen has a solution?¡¯ She suddenly gazed at Shen Chen, but Shen Chen¡¯s solemn expression and tightly pursed lips made her realize that this time they had encountered a great danger!


    Shen Chen¡¯s fingertips were about to reach the zombie¡¯s body, yet he still calmly walked forward. But Ye Xiaoyu knew he was only probing tentatively. He was betting on the zombie stepping aside right before they touched.


    At the same time, Shen Chen felt less nervous than before. He carefully observed the zombie that had paused to examine him, rapidly thinking of solutions in his mind. If he killed it the moment he approached it, he could escape, which would alarm the zombies around them. Both him and Ye Xiaoyu could sink into the crowd of zombies.


    ¡®Wait. It¡¯s still making a judgement! It didn¡¯t try to attack me¡­¡¯ Shen Chen thought to himself. ¡®It¡¯s still making a judgement. That means I still have a chance of fooling it! This is definitely a zombie that hasn¡¯t completely lost its human consciousness yet. That¡¯s why it knows to suspect and to doubt.¡¯


    ¡°Zombies like these are in a sense even more terrifying than normal zombies, because they are still more or less human. But no matter what, they are still zombies by nature. This means that zombie blood does fool them. As long as I make myself a little more convincing, it¡¯ll definitely be fooled!¡± At this thought, Shen Chen¡¯s expression tightened. Then he made a growling noise from his throat.


    Zombies have their own language, too. Shen Chen recalled how in his previous life he had spent three years doing research while struggling through the apocalypse. Although no one believed him, Shen Chen stubbornly insisted that zombies didn¡¯t growl by instinct. Thankfully, after a few years of research, Shen Chen finally distinguished the meanings of different zombie growls. The noise he just made was one of the few zombie growls that he had mastered, a growl indicating a threat to another zombie.


    Ye Xiaoyu stared at Shen Chen in shock. She didn¡¯t know how Shen Chen had made the noise without even opening his mouth, but she knew very well that it was a noise only zombies could make. The problem was, was growling like that really effective?


    But the next moment, her eyes widened. At the growl, the zombie before them started moving slowly. Although it continued to stare at Shen Chen, it started retreating.


    Shen Chen¡¯s expression was cold, and he continued moving forward determinedly while making growling noises. After walking a dozen steps forward, Shen Chen made a loud noise in his throat. As if hearing a command, the zombie shook and quickly left.


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. She stared at Shen Chen, her eyes filled with wonder. If not for the fact that Ye Xiaoyu knew Shen Chen must be human, she definitely would have thought Shen Chen was a zombie king like from the novels. Otherwise, how else could he command a zombie?! This was totally beyond human imagination. It was incredible! If they weren¡¯t in such a dangerous place, she definitely would have run up and kissed Shen Chen hard!


    Shen Chen felt relieved, too, that the zombie was easier to deal with than he had expected. Good thing his mastery over zombie growls had kept the two of them from being exposed. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unfathomable.


    He calmed himself down and made a face at Ye Xiaoyu. Ye Xiaoyu nodded at the same time, and the two of them slowly advanced down the street full of zombies. They didn¡¯t encounter anything like what had happened before. Both of them let out a sigh of relief. After a while, the two of them arrived before the restaurant. Shen Chen frowned. There were many zombies gathered around the door of the restaurant. There was no way they could get in by force.


    Ye Xiaoyu knitted her thin brows, then she asked with her eyes, ¡°What shall we do?¡±

 Chapter 8

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Shen Chen only gave it a brief consideration, then immediately raised his head to scan the perimeter. The floor windows of the ellu restaurant showed there were no living humans inside. Most zombies had left through the open door and had gathered outside it.


    Not far from where they were, a few cars were skewed on the street. One car was thrown over on its side. The pungent odor of gas dripping out of its gas tank kept the zombies far away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go next to that car!¡± Shen Chen mouthed to Ye Xiaoyu silently.


    ¡®Does he want to pour oil on himself to repel the zombies?¡¯ thought Ye Xiaoyu in confusion.


    The two of them changed their direction again, walking side-by-side to the car. When they arrived before it, Shen Chen quickly got inside and yanked off the seat covers. Then he tore the seat covers into strips, soaked them in gas, left one end in the gas tank, and dragged out a rope covered in gas.


    After doing all this, Ye Xiaoyu stared at Shen Chen in astonishment. The latter only nodded, then said, ¡°Go wait for me near the restaurant.¡± Then he tossed a lighter on the ground.


    The fire lit up. Gas is extremely flammable. The flames slowly crept along the rope. The fire¡¯s light in the dark night attracted all of the zombies¡¯ attention. More and more zombies started to gather over to it.


    Shen Chen used a few toppled outdoor trash cans to nimbly climb up the roof of a two-story building. When he turned around, he saw the flames start to spread out from the gas tank. The exposed wires caught fire first, then the car seat cushions, insulation, and other such flammable textiles.


    More and more zombies gathered toward it. The zombies that had approached the car first had lost interest in the fire, but when they tried to leave, they were surrounded by more arriving zombies. The situation became disorderly. The outer layers of surrounding zombies squeezed the zombies in the middle out of shape. The zombies in the middle started falling, but the ensuing zombies were already approaching with raised arms¡­


    Boom! The first loud noise was the sound of car windows exploding. The great noise broke through the silence of the night that was supposed to be clamorous. Then the lid of the gas tank flew off. Flames spewed out of it. Soon, the tires could no longer endure the high temperature and began exploding, but the zombies had no sense to escape. Instead, they rushed over even more excitedly.


    In the fire light, Shen Chen¡¯s smile was especially indifferent. He looked down at the military watch on his wrist, then raised his head again and said, ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡±


    As his last word fell, a giant sound rang through the night sky. Rumble!! A giant rumble! Accompanied by the deafening sound of the explosion, the entire car flew off the ground. The strong air current made a massive explosion like a cannonball, shooting out a scorching wave. Followed by the boom, which shook the earth and sky, thick rolling smoke rose up from the ground like a sand storm, accompanied by the crimson fire. The zombies that were heading toward the car were all incinerated in the explosion. Bloody limbs and flesh were sent into the sky by the air current, then rained down on the earth, splattering everywhere. They splattered onto the shattered glass curtain walls and the broken asphalt road.


    The entire ground shook. Ye Xiaoyu pressed herself tightly against the glass curtain wall behind her, watching the man standing on the roof in shock and excitement. The flames in the dark night made his face somewhat blurry, but she could tell from his clothes, which billowed in the wind, how composed he was, and that he had everything under control.


    Suddenly, Ye Xiaoyu let out a light gasp, only because the figure ran and jumped straight down from the three-story high rooftop and rolled over on the ground, then ran straight toward her.


    Ye Xiaoyu quickly rushed up. Shen Chen nodded at her approvingly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go into the restaurant!¡±


    The two ran into the restaurant. There were only a few wandering zombies wearing server uniforms and chef uniforms in the restaurant. They were drawn to the firelight and tried to walk outside.


    Shen Chen shut the door behind him, then put down the roll-up door. He held Black Blade in both hands. ¡°Let¡¯s make it quick. You take two. I¡¯ll take six.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu nodded. The two of them slowly walked toward the zombies. In a blink, all eight zombies were killed. They lay on the floor silently without a single hint of the horror and scariness they had displayed when they were still ¡°living.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu looked around and said, ¡°Shen Chen, there¡¯s no one here besides dead people and zombies.¡±


    Shen Chen agreed. He said to Ye Xiaoyu, ¡°Go look in the kitchen.¡±


    The two came to the kitchen and saw that the large kitchen was completely empty. Steam rose from the food on the stove. The delicacies had once been sought after by customers, but now they were like symbols of the city¡¯s demise.


    ¡®Boss isn¡¯t here¡­¡¯ Shen Chen furrowed his brows, using the expensive napkins to wipe Black Blade. Then he stood up and walked outside. ¡®If Boss isn¡¯t here, where could he be?¡¯


    Suddenly, a strong gust came from behind him. Shen Chen instinctively dodged, taking on a fierce expression.


    ¡°Catch this! A savory lamb leg!¡±


    Shen Chen was a little surprised. When he came to, he caught the little lamb leg, which was crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, with precision. He felt a little helpless.


    ¡°Restore your strength. Lamb is good for heating you up and restoring your strength. It¡¯s good for exhaustion and cold and all sorts of injuries,¡± Ye Xiaoyu said with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat when we come back,¡± said Shen Chen.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have strength after you eat. Then it¡¯ll be easier to rescue others!¡± Ye Xiaoyu said stubbornly.


    The aroma of cumin made Shen Chen swallow. He suddenly remembered¡­ How long had it been since he had eaten anything like that in the previous life? Starting from the second year of the apocalypse, tree bark, termite, grass roots¡­ anything that was edible in the world had been eaten by the surviving humans. If anyone was lucky enough to find a moldy cookie, they would even lick the crumbs clean off the floor¡­


    Shen Chen slowly sat down with his legs crossed, taking a small bite of the lamb. The fat and cooked meat full of nutrients quickly melted in his mouth. He ate quickly but carefully, seriously, not even missing the crevices in the bones. Finally, the small lamb leg was lightly placed on the counter, as if it were an air-dried skeleton.


    ¡°Are you a Virgo?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Shen Chen was a little perplexed.


    Ye Xiaoyu pointed at the clean lamb bone. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone eat a bone so artfully. Aside from being a Virgo, I can¡¯t think of any other reason.¡±


    Shen Chen couldn¡¯t help laughing, as if reminiscing about something. ¡°I¡¯m just so traumatized by hunger¡­ To me, food is worth using my life to defend myself.¡±


    ¡°So Shen Chen is a foodie.¡± Ye Xiaoyu didn¡¯t understand what Shen Chen¡¯s words meant, but Shen Chen didn¡¯t intend to explain it.


    ¡°In a sense, I suppose I am.¡±


    The conversation lightened the previously tense and oppressive atmosphere. After the two of them took a short break, Ye Xiaoyu asked, ¡°Shen Chen, is the person you¡¯re looking for¡­ in here?¡±


    Shen Chen shook his head.


    Ye Xiaoyu looked relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good, but where are we going to look for them? And also, who is this person? Your girlfriend?¡±


    Shen Chen shook his head. ¡°No, he¡¯s the Boss of our dorm. When the zombie outburst started, he got lost around here.¡±


    For some reason, Ye Xiaoyu felt a little relieved, then she coughed lightly and said, ¡°When the zombies broke out, there was no way he could have walked into a restaurant full of zombies. If he¡¯s around here, I saw a cardroom nearby earlier¡­ Say, did Boss go there to hide?¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, then he looked at Ye Xiaoyu with approval. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go take a look at that cardroom.¡±


    A light blush rose on Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s face, then she jumped up excitedly, holding the fire axe. Shen Chen found another woven bag and put some frozen food in it. The two of them opened the restaurant door again. By then, the fire from the car explosion had gradually died down. The zombies that had approached were also scattering. The rotten stench around the cars made them frown. The two quickly walked along the street to the cardroom and lightly hit the door. There wasn¡¯t a single sound from behind it.


    Ye Xiaoyu was a little agitated. She quickly said, ¡°Open up! We¡¯re humans!¡±


    After a while, shuffling noises came from behind the door, then someone said quietly, ¡°You guys should leave. We can¡¯t open the door. There are so many monsters outside. If we opened the door, everyone would die.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s face suddenly fell. ¡°We¡¯ll make it quick. Just let us in!¡± But no one answered from behind the door.


    Ye Xiaoyu gazed at Shen Chen in shock and disappointment. Shen Chen only made an expression indicating he was used to this type of situation. Shen Chen handed her a pack of bacon and said, ¡°Tell them we have food. If they open the door, we¡¯ll give them the food.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu turned around again to communicate this, but the people inside the door only nagged. They asked for ten boxes of bacon, then for drinking water, but didn¡¯t mention anything about opening the door.


    Ye Xiaoyu finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°What the hell do you mean? Open the door!¡± She spoke very quietly, but her words were rushed from anxiety. ¡°Just let us inside!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t open the door! Get lost!¡± a husky, rude voice suddenly said from behind the door.


    Ye Xiaoyu gasped. She had handed in all the food through the crack in the door, but the man was suddenly not opening the door anymore.


    Shen Chen finally couldn¡¯t take it any longer. He walked up and said in a calm and deep voice, ¡°Everyone inside, listen up. We¡¯re only two people. Let us in now, and I promise there will be no danger.¡±


    A few snickers came from inside the door, then quieted down. Ye Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help cursing. ¡°You bunch of wimps! Cowards! Inhumane demons!¡± She couldn¡¯t imagine how these people could only care about their own safety in this situation.


    Shen Chen took a deep breath, then pulled Ye Xiaoyu away slightly. Then, before Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s stare of disbelief, he kicked the door forcefully. The roll-up door emitted a jarring rattling sound. Shen Chen yelled aggressively, ¡®Listen up! If you don¡¯t open the door, I¡¯ll kick the door open and draw all the zombies over. If we die, none of you guys can live!¡±

 Chapter 9

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Shen Chen¡¯s vicious tone made the people behind the door gasp. The zombies nearby, who were drawn by the sound, also cooperatively let out excited growls.


    ¡°I¡¯m only giving you three seconds to consider!¡± Shen Chen¡¯s voice sounded again, incredibly unyielding. Then he began counting down. ¡°Three! Two! One!¡±


    The roll-up door was rapidly opened. Two strong young men hastily pulled Ye Xiaoyu inside. Shen Chen turned back to look at the zombies, who were only a few steps away, and nimbly went inside. The roll-up door was quickly let down. A few zombies, attracted by the sound, strolled around the door, then their footsteps got farther away. Only then did everyone feel relieved.


    A while later, a faint light glowed at the cash register, dimly illuminating the entire cardroom. Ye Xiaoyu quietly made a thumbs-up at Shen Chen. Shen Chen smiled, then looked around the room.


    It was a small cardroom. It only had four or five mahjong tables and a few fish hunting machines for gambling. There were thirty-some men and women in the room, who were all currently staring at him and Ye Xiaoyu in unease.


    Seeing all the bloodstains on Shen Chen¡¯s body, everyone backed up in terror. In a blink, there was a large empty space around Shen Chen and Ye Xiaoyu.


    ¡°D*mn it, you little b*stard!¡± a vicious male voice suddenly said. ¡°You¡¯re good at kicking doors, aren¡¯t you? Why didn¡¯t the zombies just kill the two of you? Do you know you nearly killed us just now?¡±


    Shen Chen glanced up coldly. He saw a fatty with a candle in his hands. ¡°Is that why you wouldn¡¯t save the others? Is that why there are so many eaten skeletons at the door?¡±


    Everyone was silent, all sneaking glances at the fatty.


    Ye Xiaoyu said quietly, ¡°This guy is probably the owner of this cardroom!¡±


    The fatty walked out, his chubby face jiggling with each step. ¡°You little b*stard. You have a sharp tongue, don¡¯t you? Let me tell you, I don¡¯t f*cking care about who lives or dies. I only know that you two were trying to draw zombies here to eat us all! You jerk!¡±


    ¡°If you had opened the door earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± Shen Chen said coolly.


    ¡°Opened the door earlier? Why the hell should I open the door for you? Who do you think you are?!¡± The fatty turned around and raised his hands, as if he were a superior king. ¡°These two jerks wanted us to die. They wanted the zombies outside to eat us all! What do you say we should do with them?¡±


    ¡°D*mn it. Kick them out!¡± a young man raised his hand and said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The fatty turned around and glared at them. ¡°Leave the food, and kick these two people out!¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu drew a breath in shock. She hadn¡¯t expected the fat shopkeeper to do something like that. It made her remember all the skeletons at the door. How many of them had he rejected, and how many had he kicked out?


    Shen Chen scoffed. ¡°Leave the food behind? You¡¯ve got a great imagination.¡± His eyes narrowed, and his fingers closed around Black Blade behind him.


    ¡°Second!¡± Suddenly, a surprised cry came from the crowd. ¡°Second, is that you?¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s Boss! He¡¯s in here?¡¯ A hint of pleasant surprise flashed in Shen Chen¡¯s eyes. His murderous aura relaxed. ¡°Boss!¡±


    A tall and lanky young man pushed everyone aside and ran up to Shen Chen, shouting in surprise, ¡°Second, it¡¯s really you!¡±


    Shen Chen carefully studied Boss. He saw that Boss had bruises all over his face and body, and that there was a deep knife wound on his arm, which was roughly wrapped in fabric strips. Blood seeped through the bandage.


    Shen Chen hastily supported Boss. ¡°Boss, how did you get like this?¡±


    Boss couldn¡¯t help glancing at the fatty, then he forced a smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ I just did it¡­ by accident.¡±


    ¡°F*ck! These three people know each other!¡± The fatty whistled. ¡°That¡¯s just f*cking great! You¡¯re all putting on a show of brotherly love, aren¡¯t you? D*mn it. Leave the food behind, and the three of you get out!¡±


    Boss anxiously turned around and pleaded, ¡°Boss, this is my classmate. Oh, right. I still have some food. Will you please let them stay?¡± He hastily rummaged through his pockets, then held up a bar of chocolate in his hand.


    ¡°This kid is still hiding food! Did I not give you enough of a beating?¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s gaze grew cold. ¡°They beat you up like this?! Then what about the knife wound?¡±


    Boss lowered his head. ¡°Second, it¡¯s nothing. Everyone took out all their food. The shopkeeper is doing this for everyone¡¯s sake¡­¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s face suddenly fell. Ye Xiaoyu also stood up. ¡°Who the hell are you? How dare you demand everyone¡¯s food?¡±


    The fatty brought his candle light closer and exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s a pretty good girl! I¡¯m about to burst. That¡¯s perfect. I¡¯ll have a good time tonight!¡± A perverted smile appeared on his face. ¡°Leave the food behind. Leave her behind, too, and you two can get out¡­¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu angrily raised her fire axe and said, ¡°Are you even human? You scum!¡±


    The fatty scoffed. He raised his right hand and pointed a pitch black gun at Ye Xiaoyu. ¡°You witless little girl, trying to scare me with that fire axe? You¡¯re too naive!¡±


    It was a military gun. In China, only those with certain status could get their hands on a gun. This shopkeeper had managed to open an underground casino in the downtown area, so he definitely had something to count on. Shen Chen immediately stood up, shielding Ye Xiaoyu behind him, about to draw Black Blade from behind his back. The atmosphere suddenly grew tense. No one dared to breathe. Sparks flew.


    ¡°Shen Chen? Is it you?¡± A female voice broke the stalemate. A woman walked out from the shadows, parting the crowd. She shouted in astonishment.


    Shen Chen focused his eyes on the woman, who was dressed up and didn¡¯t look to be in much disorder. He couldn¡¯t help a sneer.


    Fang Yi looked at Shen Chen, who looked a total mess, a scorn on the corner of her lips. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Wife? You know this person?¡± the fatty asked.


    ¡°Of course I do. We¡¯re¡­ college classmates, after all. But I didn¡¯t expect him to look this shabby, so I didn¡¯t want to admit I knew him at first,¡± Fang Yi said with a smile.


    ¡®Husband? Wife?¡¯ Shen Chen raised his eyebrows. Watching Fang Yi hug the big and hefty shopkeeper, he couldn¡¯t help a snicker. ¡®Looks like she has already abandoned Qian Fangxin. She managed to find a man with a gun quickly. What a decisive woman.¡¯


    Fang Yi strutted in front of Shen Chen, looking at all the blood on his body. She couldn¡¯t help but make a face of extreme disdain and disgust. Then she flashed a charming smile at the fatty and said, ¡°Husband, I know this guy. For my sake, let them off!¡±


    There was an indescribable tone of disdain and superiority in her voice. ¡°This guy¡¯s a total good-for-nothing. It must have been very hard for him to escape all the way here. Just treat it as doing charity and take them in.¡±


    Zhao Zhen¡¯s face immediately changed. He was just about to say something, when Shen Chen patted him lightly. Zhao Zhen glanced at Shen Chen and held in his rage. ¡®Hehe, how interesting.¡¯


    At this point, Ye Xiaoyu also got the hint. ¡®This girl is really calling Shen Chen a good-for-nothing? Is she really sound of mind?¡¯ But Shen Chen didn¡¯t say anything, so she also suppressed her anger.


    The fatty stroked Fang Yi¡¯s small face. ¡°All right. You¡¯re the hostess here. It¡¯s up to you. It¡¯s fine for him to stay, but make them hand over the fire axe and the food!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Fang Yi nodded with a flirtatious smile, then walked in front of Shen Chen and said coldly, ¡°Did you hear what my husband said? Weapons. Food. Hand them all over!¡± Shen Chen studied Fang Yi¡¯s face, which was distorted in the dim light. After a moment of silence, he looked toward Ye Xiaoyu and Boss Zhao Zhen.


    Ye Xiaoyu anxiously said, ¡°Shen Chen, we can¡¯t. We can¡¯t give them everything!¡±


    Boss looked like he was ready to submit to the command. ¡°Second, just give it to them! We can¡¯t go outside!¡±


    The two of them spoke at the same time, and they both stared at Shen Chen in anticipation.


    Shen Chen¡¯s gaze fell on Boss¡¯s wounded arm, then he sighed. Finally, he tossed over the bag of food. ¡°All right, take it!¡± Then he said to Ye Xiaoyu, ¡°Give him the fire axe.¡±


    ¡°Shen Chen!¡±


    ¡°Give it to him. It¡¯s all right.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu pouted her lips and placed the fire axe on the ground. She sat back with discontent.


    ¡°Good-for-nothing¡­¡± Fang Yi stared at Shen Chen from above. Her expression was extremely contemptuous. The lights gradually dimmed, and the entire cardroom finally returned to a silent darkness, because the light would attract zombies in the dark night.


    Ye Xiaoyu asked Shen Chen, ¡°Why should we give them the things we found?¡±


    ¡°Because we have to stay here a night.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t we find who we were looking for?¡±


    Shen Chen coldly pushed Ye Xiaoyu away. ¡°We found Boss, but we have to bring him back safely. He¡¯s bleeding from his wounds. You know how alluring human blood is to zombies. We have to wait until Boss¡¯s wounds are no longer bleeding.¡±


    Only then did Ye Xiaoyu realize how good Shen Chen was at enduring humiliation for the greater good. Was he really just a college student?


    Boss asked with surprise, ¡°Second, do you mean to say you came just to rescue me?¡±


    Shen Chen confirmed it. ¡°Third and your girlfriend are both waiting for you.¡±


    Boss¡¯s lips started quivering. ¡°Second! Is what you said true?¡±


    In the night, Shen Chen¡¯s face brimmed with joy. ¡°Boss, we¡¯ll rest for tonight. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll leave this place and go home!¡±


    The night arrived. Snoring spread through the small cardroom. Shen Chen¡¯s eyes shot open. He looked around at Ye Xiaoyu and Boss, who were in a deep sleep, then quietly sat up and took a syringe out of his clothes. The syringe was filled with a black liquid.

 Chapter 10

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    One month after the apocalypse, humans discovered for the first time the existence of an unknown element in the air. The element had never been discovered before the apocalypse, and it was viewed as the source of the zombie virus. The element would quickly control the core of a zombie¡¯s brain and create a strange fungus that rapidly took over the brain nerves. It was safe to say that the fungus was the most terrifying virus in the apocalypse!


    One year later, scientists who dissected and studied zombies suddenly found a favorable turn. They discovered that a black liquid would form in all the zombies¡¯ brains from the fungus. After much experimentation with the liquid, they found that it was the best energy source in the world. It was ten thousand times more powerful than fossil fuel. One could say that it was a completely new energy source, and it could only be harvested from zombies.


    Thus, vast experimentation was performed on the new energy source, and it was used on various machines. Soon, biologists found with surprise that after four hours of sedimentation, the new energy source could be consumed by humans and would rapidly promote human evolution.


    The zombie virus killed billions of people, but at the same time, it gave humans a hope of survival! Thus, a new era began. Human physique began to strengthen. They became stronger and faster¡­


    First Tier neo-humans, Second Tier neo-humans¡­ all the way up to King Tier, Saint Tier¡­


    Although zombies got stronger and stronger, and they were still dangerous, and although earth became more and more unfamiliar and vast amounts of neo-humans died everyday¡­ they finally saw a hope! A hope for survival!


    ¡­


    Shen Chen studied the tube of black liquid and smiled faintly. The tube was full of new energy source evolution fluid that he had extracted from zombie brains at the gas station. Since then, it had settled for four whole hours.


    Without hesitation, he swallowed the fluid. He knew that from that moment on, he would be one step ahead of the entire world. A smile appeared on his face. ¡®I really anticipate its effect!¡¯


    As he breathed, Shen Chen entered an ethereal realm. As expected, after the new substance entered his body, his body wantonly absorbed the energy into its core. Since it was his first time absorbing it, he felt indescribably comfortable all over. The feeling of energy molecules entering his body was like drinking a carbonated beverage. All his pores opened wide. A strange feeling seeped into his veins, as if he were surrounded by a warm tide. Every cell and pore in his body felt like they were waking up from a sleep, ready to greet a new, beautiful world.


    Shen Chen was bewildered. The experience was definitely different from his previous life¡¯s. He recalled clearly that in the previous life, after he drank the evolution fluid, the pain he felt was like being roasted on a fire.


    ¡®Why does it feel completely different in this life?¡¯ He didn¡¯t have time to think more. His whole consciousness had entered a deep level absorption with the comfort the energy brought.


    The energy flowed through his body, rapidly restoring his thirsty body. At the same time, energy gradually merged into Shen Chen¡¯s bones and muscles. If a scientist had analyzed Shen Chen¡¯s body with a machine in that moment, they would have found all the cells in his body jumping for joy.


    His extremely exerted body was in urgent need of energy. His tendons were springing, his bones were thundering, his skin and muscles were pulling. All over his body, every cell showed signs of strength and vitality. The energy rapidly and endlessly entered Shen Chen¡¯s body, washing his body over and over again. When he came to from absorbing the energy, only two hours had passed.


    He swung his arms forcefully. The energy in his muscles somewhat surprised him. In the previous life, when he absorbed energy fluid, he was only able to gain sixty percent of the power contained in it. Even then, he became the cream of the crop. What he didn¡¯t expect was that after being reborn in this life, he would be able to absorb one hundred percent of the new energy source. With such an absorption ratio, if he had been in his previous life, he would have been an entity who could wipe out Ninth Tier masters!


    Shen Chen could hardly contain his joy. A brilliant light shone out of his pitch black irises. The feeling of being filled to the brim with power made him smile. He was one step ahead of everyone. It was safe to assume that in his new life, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for him to become a King Tier master.


    Shen Chen closed his eyes. A short while later, he fell asleep.


    ¡­


    Early next morning, Shen Chen woke to a cry. He looked at his watch. The needles pointed to 4:45 in the morning.


    The cry had come from a middle-aged woman. She was pale from fear. ¡°Someone died! Someone died!¡±


    ¡°What? Someone died?¡±


    Everyone was roused from their sleep by the loud cry. They all went up to look and saw a man about thirty-years-old lying on the floor, having died tranquilly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this Teacher Yu? How did he die all of a sudden?¡± people who recognized him said in disbelief.


    Shen Chen parted the crowd. He placed his fingers on the person¡¯s throat, his gaze falling on the pill bottle next to the body. Shen Chen opened the sleeping pill bottle and saw it was completely empty.


    ¡°He overdosed on sleeping pills¡­ He just died.¡± Shen Chen stood up.


    Ye Xiaoyu said solemnly, ¡°Did he die of suicide?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Shen Chen said calmly. ¡°Death time three minutes.¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s words made everyone sigh. The middle-aged woman stroked her chest continuously. ¡°I was scared out of my wits. I got up to use the bathroom and stepped on him, but something felt off.¡±


    ¡°He came out to eat with his wife and kid yesterday, but in the end he was the only one to survive. He watched his wife eat his child right in front of him¡­ How pitiful¡­ He couldn¡¯t stand to live any longer¡­¡±


    Someone in the crowd sighed. Then, after a moment of silence, a dreary atmosphere permeated the room. Some people in the room began sobbing quietly. Soon after, more people fell into despair.


    Shen Chen stared at the corpse. His expression was hard to read. Boss asked, ¡°Second, is something wrong with the corpse?¡±


    Shen Chen shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it, but it¡¯s¡­ very troublesome¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ye Xiaoyu asked curiously.


    Shen Chen hesitated for a bit, then said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ but¡¯s it¡¯s probably true¡­¡± After some consideration, he finally walked up and slowly raised Black Blade in his hands.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± someone asked in alarm.


    Shen Chen explained, ¡°It¡¯s very likely that this corpse will cadaverize. Just in case, we must chop off its head.¡±


    ¡°How evil!¡± Someone was infuriated. ¡°How can dead people cadaverize? Can¡¯t you let them have an undamaged corpse? You¡¯re going to treat a corpse like this? Are you even human? Why do you have such an evil heart?¡±


    ¡°Shen Chen, he just died, and you¡¯re trying to cut his head off? It¡¯s totally unacceptable! Don¡¯t you know we should respect the dead?¡± Fang Yi found the opportunity to part the crowd and said righteously, ¡°Although he died a coward, we should still respect his decision.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The hostess is right!¡±


    ¡°You little b*stard, if you dare touch him, I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡±


    ¡°After you die, I¡¯ll cut your head off, too!¡±


    As if needing to release their suppressed emotions, more and more people began scolding Shen Chen.


    Fang Yi received everyone¡¯s support and was in a great mood. Doomsday had arrived. The world was about to fall into disorder. She no longer cared about her old considerate boyfriend or rich boyfriend. She was a smart woman. In a world that was about to fall to pieces, only strong people like the fatty could survive and obtain a better future!


    She had seduced the fatty because he was strong, but more importantly, because she had heard the man¡¯s older brother was a major in the military. But Fang Yi knew clearly that in these turbulent times, men could chase after women whenever they wished. She could only gain the stupid fatty¡¯s favor if she did what other women couldn¡¯t. Fang Yi was very smart. She set the goal of becoming the people¡¯s spiritual leader. Only then could her future be insured.


    Shen Chen took a long look at Fang Yi. He had to admit he had underestimated the ambitious woman. She certainly had the ability to charm others, but¡­ in Doomsday, such childish tricks were of no use before great power.


    It was those who didn¡¯t want to open doors for the living, but were merciful to corpses that could turn into zombies, who were the most tragic. Shen Chen sighed and said, ¡°If you insist, then I won¡¯t do it. Boss. Xiaoyu. Let¡¯s leave!¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to explain anything to a bunch of ignorant people. He had already given them a chance.


    Ye Xiaoyu and Boss followed Shen Chen with cold expressions. Compared to a bunch of strangers, they would rather trust Shen Chen, who had saved them.


    The moment Shen Chen¡¯s fingers touched the roll-up door, Fang Yi suddenly shouted, ¡°What are you trying to do?!¡±


    Everyone suddenly came to realize what was happening. Then they all clenched their fists and stood up angrily.


    ¡°Are you trying to let the zombies in?¡±


    ¡°Even if you three want to die, don¡¯t drag us down with you!¡±


    Shen Chen looked at the crowd, whose emotions were totally out of control. He said calmly, ¡°We¡¯re going to leave.¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t leave. Once the roll-up door opens, the zombies outside will pour in!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just trying to kill us!¡±


    ¡°No one can leave! Absolutely not!¡±


    A dozen people pushed Zhao Zhen and Ye Xiaoyu, who were blocking the roll-up door with their backs, around violently. They glared at Shen Chen maliciously. Many of them had clenched their fists and were shouting angrily.


    Ye Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but mock them. ¡°You¡¯re the ones who tried to kick us out last night, and now you¡¯re not letting us leave. How ugly human nature is!¡±


    Shen Chen remained silent, coldly watching the crowd, whose eyes were red as crimson. After one night, everyone¡¯s anxiety had reached a breaking point. Any little spark could ignite an explosion¡ªthe man¡¯s death was the spark. But with the body there, the cardroom would definitely not be safe. He had to leave before the corpse cadaverized and infected everyone.


    ¡°Shen Chen! How long are you going to fool around for? Can¡¯t you be a little more mature? There are so many people here. Are you trying to kill everyone?¡± Fang Yi walked in front of Shen Chen, raising her hand and slapping it forcefully across Shen Chen¡¯s face. ¡°Wake the hell up!¡±

 Chapter 11

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    A pair of pale, delicate hands attacked Shen Chen mercilessly. Shen Chen frowned. The next moment, Fang Yi felt her hands become tightly bound. She forcefully struggled, but couldn¡¯t move at all.


    ¡°Shen Chen, what are you doing? Let me go!¡± Fang Yi panicked. She didn¡¯t expect Shen Chen to dare to bind her hands.


    ¡°Fang Yi, given that we used to be classmates, don¡¯t go overboard. Who do you think you are?!¡± Shen Chen coldly gripped Fang Yi¡¯s hands, an unprecedented coldness on his face. ¡®This woman wants to make an example of me. How ridiculous!¡¯


    ¡°Shen Chen, I¡¯m doing it for everyone¡¯s sake! We¡¯re in the same boat.You¡­ you let go of me!¡± Fang Yi had never seen such an expression on Shen Chen¡¯s face before. His palms were like iron. The cold glare he gave her made a chill go through her heart. She started screaming. ¡°Husband, come save me!¡±


    Boom! The door to the box suddenly opened. The fatty hadn¡¯t even dressed properly. Signs of indulgence in pleasure were apparent on his face. ¡°You little brat. You better be sensible. I¡¯m the boss around here!¡± The fat shopkeeper heard Fang Yi¡¯s cries and said viciously, ¡°Let go of my wife. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let you off easy!¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s gaze was ice cold. ¡°Tell these people blocking the door to leave. Otherwise¡­¡± He shook his wrist, then Fang Yi started screaming like a pig to the slaughter.


    ¡°It hurts! It hurts!¡±


    ¡°Get away. Everyone get away!¡± The fat shopkeeper seemed to really treasure Fang Yi. Seeing Fang Yi cry in pain, he hastily waved his fat hands. ¡°Get away from the door. Let them leave!¡±


    The crowd was hesitant, but the fatty was impatient. He took out his gun. ¡°D*mn it.You¡¯re not obeying me now?! Do you all want to die?¡±


    Their expressions suddenly changed. They looked more and more terrified, but the fatty didn¡¯t realize it at all. ¡°Let them go. I don¡¯t need these people here!¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, he felt someone put a hand on his shoulder from behind. ¡°F*ck! Don¡¯t try to play with me!¡± The fatty intuitively shook his arm. ¡°Get the hell away from me!¡±


    But everyone just stared at the fatty dumbfoundedly, as if they had all lost their voices. Only then did the fatty finally realize something was wrong. He slowly turned around and saw a terrifying pale white face staring at him, as if it were trying to confirm something. Seeing the fatty turn around, it let out a growl from its throat, then pounced on him like a hungry wolf.


    The next moment, shrill cries broke out in the room. Everyone acted as if they had gone mad, frantically dodging the zombie. The man who had just suicided had become a zombie in a few short minutes.


    The fatty kicked the zombie away from him. The zombie fell to the ground heavily, but quickly stood up again, leaping at the fatty again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat me! Don¡¯t eat me!¡± The fatty frantically dodged into the crowd.


    The whole place became disorderly. More and more people were thrown onto the ground. The zombie was just about to grab the fatty when the fatty grabbed someone¡¯s shirt collar and yanked them in front of the zombie. The girl couldn¡¯t escape in time and fell down.


    The zombie instinctively pounced on the prey closest to its body. Its horrifying mouth bit down on the girl who had been tossed over by the fatty. With a crunch, a dark red gush of blood spewed out from the girl¡¯s neck. A large part of the white ceiling was dyed red by her thick blood.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± In an instant, the girl was bitten bloody.


    ¡°You shameless scum!¡± Everything happened so quickly. Shen Chen angrily let go of Fang Yi¡¯s hands. ¡°This is the husband you chose! He sent someone else to their death!¡±


    The next moment, he shot out like an arrow from a bow, Black Blade giving off an intimidating glint in his hand. The hard impact made everyone who was fleeing in his direction subconsciously turn to the side.


    Fang Yi was farthest away from the zombie. Her gaze fell on the tall figure, an expression of disbelief on her face. ¡®The one who just charged out with a knife¡­ Was that Shen Chen? How did he suddenly get so strong? How could he be so strong? Is he not afraid of zombies?¡¯


    Suddenly, she felt like she had made a mistake. Was the man she had abandoned really just a good-for-nothing?


    Within three seconds, Shen Chen came behind the zombie. He swung his knife, and the zombie¡¯s head flew up to the ceiling. It then bounced a few times on the floor, and the corpse fell onto the girl.


    Shen Chen kicked away the zombie¡¯s headless body and quickly bent down. The girl beneath the zombie was completely dead. Her body, which was violently shaking, gradually ceased moving. Her trachea, which had been torn out by the zombie, fell outside her throat. After spewing another two gushes of blood, the girl¡¯s body stopped moving completely. The girl¡¯s eyes were wide open, a distorted expression of extreme horror still on her face. Shen Chen sighed, then stood up again.


    ¡°Wait! She was bitten. She¡¯s going to become a zombie. Chop her head off!¡± someone said anxiously.


    Shen Chen keenly found the speaker in the crowd. It was the perverted fatty, who was trembling in the corner with Fang Yi.


    ¡®How dare he say such a thing!¡¯ Shen Chen smiled, but his smile was solemn. Without saying anything, he picked the girl up. Her expression and pale face made everyone shiver.


    Everyone instantly froze. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. A few minutes later, before everyone¡¯s terrified gazes, the girl emitted an inhuman growl from her torn throat. Her face became blue and purple, and her once clear eyes became an unnatural white color.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Shrill cries sounded in the room. Everyone got goosebumps, and their hair stood on end.


    ¡°Ca.. cadaverized¡­ Kill¡­ kill her!¡±


    ¡°Kill her? Why should I?¡± Shen Chen asked calmly. By then, the girl had cadaverized. It raised its arms slowly, a bloodthirsty look on its face. Everyone took several steps back, but Shen Chen grabbed the back of the zombie¡¯s neck tightly. It couldn¡¯t escape at all.


    ¡®Shen Chen seems to be even stronger than he was yesterday.¡¯ Ye Xiaoyu didn¡¯t feel scared at all. Instead, she further confirmed her belief that Shen Chen must not be an ordinary person.


    Amidst everyone¡¯s startled gasps, Shen Chen spoke slowly. His voice was filled with resentment and rage. ¡°This girl¡­ She shouldn¡¯t have died. She should be standing here just like the rest of you, not becoming a zombie in my hands!¡±


    He slowly scanned everyone. Everyone subconsciously lowered their heads under his cold gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of your ignorance that a preventable tragedy happened! All because of your incomprehensible feelings for the dead, a man who suicided turned into a zombie! There are more than thirty people in this room. More than a dozen of you are men, yet when you saw a zombie, all you thought to do was run away!¡±


    Everyone recalled what they had done. Yes, at that time Shen Chen had said he was going to kill the corpse, but they didn¡¯t believe him. No one expected that they would nearly die from what they did.


    Fang Yi didn¡¯t even blink. Her eyes were locked on Shen Chen. She suddenly felt an emotion like regret. He had changed. The Shen Chen in that moment was certainly not the Shen Chen she used to know. He had no hint of the cowardice and endurance that he had in her memories of him. Instead, the current Shen Chen stood sharp and fully of bloodthirstiness.


    ¡°And you.¡± Shen Chen coldly turned toward the perverted fat shopkeeper and said, ¡°To save your own life, you pushed that girl to the zombie. Your actions are more disgraceful than theirs. You deserve to die!¡±


    Once Shen Chen said this, everyone glared at the fat shopkeeper with disdain and anger. It was true. The one the zombie had been trying to eat was the shopkeeper, but now, he was completely fine. The beautiful little girl was the one who had died.


    ¡°No¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­ Fang Yi, Fang Yi, please beg him for me¡­ I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± The fatty began bawling, reaching out his hands to plead with Fang Yi.


    Fang Yi dodged the fatty with disgust. She felt rather dismal. ¡®How ridiculous. I thought Shen Chen was a good-for-nothing, and I thought this fatty was a savior, and I almost gave him my body. What was I doing? I scolded Shen Chen, and I even tried to slap him¡­¡¯ Fang Yi thought absentmindedly, but it was too late to regret her decisions.


    The fatty was pushed to the front of the crowd. He was shaking. He looked entirely different from the vicious man he had been earlier.


    ¡°Xiaoyu, he pushed this girl with his hands. I don¡¯t want his life. Just cut off his two arms,¡± Shen Chen ordered coldly.


    Ye Xiaoyu nodded obediently. Three or four men immediately held down the fatty, who screamed and tried to run away. ¡°No, you can¡¯t treat me this way. My brother is a major in the military! You can¡¯t treat me like this! Otherwise, I¡¯ll tell my brother not to rescue you!¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu was a little hesitant. The men who held down the fatty also loosened their hold. At that moment, a malicious look flashed across the fatty¡¯s face. He suddenly raised his hand, but Shen Chen was faster to react. With a glint of his blade, a chubby arm holding a gun fell to the floor.


    Blood spurted out from the wound. The fatty rolled onto the floor in pain, crying like a pig to the slaughter.


    ¡°Roar!¡± The blood of a human made the girl zombie growl excitedly.


    The fatty held his cut arm and cried loudly in fear. He now truly felt the threat of death. No! It was even more terrifying than death. His arm was cut off, massively limiting his movements, and the thick smell of blood would draw the zombie to him to tear him to pieces.


    Tears and snot streamed down the fatty¡¯s face. In the end, he even began vomiting bile. At that moment, he finally began to regret his actions. Why did he try to provoke the harmless-looking young man? But it was all too late now. His end was set in stone.

 Chapter 12

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Shen Chen slowly calmed down. He sighed faintly. Then, with a light flick of his right hand, the girl¡¯s body gradually fell limp. Shen Chen placed the girl¡¯s head on her body and slowly stood up.


    ¡°Perhaps you all know now that this world is different from before. Everyone who dies will turn into zombies and attack those who are living. Aside from that, don¡¯t get caught by zombies, because you¡¯ll end up the same way. Good luck to you all.¡±


    After he said this, Shen Chen headed to the door with vigorous strides. Everyone subconsciously stepped aside to make a path for him as he walked.


    Clatter. The roll-up door was pushed open. The first light of dawn shined in, seeming to set a veil of light on Shen Chen¡¯s face. Shen Chen looked at the wandering zombies in the distant streets, then calmly turned back and ordered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Shen Chen!¡±


    Boss and Ye Xiaoyu followed him without hesitation, welcoming the first rays of sunlight.


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu and Zhao Zhen turned around. They saw that Fang Yi had parted through the crowd and was now shouting pitifully, ¡°Shen Chen, you¡¯re my boyfriend. Why aren¡¯t you bringing me with you?¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s heart was in her mouth. Zhao Zhen also watched Shen Chen with a frown. He knew how much Shen Chen loved Fang Yi, but the moment Fang Yi was faced with danger, she flagrantly called a fatty her husband and only later suddenly recalled that Shen Chen was her boyfriend. ¡®This woman is way too shameless.¡¯


    Shen Chen¡¯s gaze slowly fell on Fang Yi, then he said coolly, ¡®Go!¡± Without taking another glance at Fang Yi, Shen Chen coldly turned around.


    The radiance in her eyes was instantly extinguished. In despair, Yang Yi watched the three of them leave in despair and fell to the ground.


    ¡­


    On the way back, Shen Chen didn¡¯t rub anymore zombie blood on himself. Instead, he found a car and drove back with grand fanfare. Based on Shen Chen¡¯s experiences in his previous life, he knew zombies had less acute vision and hearing during the day and liked to rest in dark corners, so he didn¡¯t need to worry.


    Boss leaned against the back seat, letting out a long sigh. ¡°Second, the world has changed. I feel like people will change, too, in the future.¡±


    ¡°Jungle rule. Survival of the fittest¡­ That¡¯s what you want to say.¡± Shen Chen watched the broken roads in front of them, crashing into some zombies, and said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m not a saint, but I feel like, as a living human, we should at least¡­ have a bottom line of morality.¡±


    ¡­


    When Shen Chen, Boss, and Ye Xiaoyu walked into the hotel room covered in blood, Zhao Ze and the others were gathered in the living room. Each of them had a bowl of ramen in their hands, enjoying their meal. Guo Yuan was chattering happily with Pan Di. The moment they saw Shen Chen, the two of them subconsciously sat up tall.


    When she saw Boss, Zhang Xiaoya screamed, then after a few seconds of stupor, quickly put down her ramen and ran into Boss¡¯s arms.


    Pan Di and Guo Yuan also went up to him. ¡°Boss!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad, Boss!¡±


    Guo Yuan and Pan Di weren¡¯t fools. Shen Chen had been out for the whole night, and when he returned, all three of them were covered in blood. It was apparent what a rough night they had had. They quickly received the three, and Zhang Xiaoya immediately pushed her ramen to Boss. ¡°Zhao Zhen, hurry up and eat something!¡±


    The others moved away in disdain. Zhao Ze smiled mockingly and purposely slurped his noodles loudly.


    Shen Chen¡¯s gaze scanned everyone. His brows furrowed unconsciously. ¡®Ramen. Food.¡¯ He remembered that when he left earlier, he had clearly ordered Guo Yuan not to give them any food, but Zhao Ze was flaunting some at Shen Chen.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t give me anything to eat? But I¡¯m eating what I wanted. And it was your friend who took the food you hid away and gave it to me! You don¡¯t have as much authority as you think!¡± His feelings were precisely conveyed to Shen Chen.


    Shen Chen narrowed his eyes. He didn¡¯t believe Guo Yuan would betray him right after he ordered him about the food.


    Zhao Ze¡¯s actions were done to purposely incite conflict between the brothers. Shen Chen walked past everyone and sat in the center of the table. ¡°Xiaoyu and Boss, go take a shower later. Change into some clean clothes and throw out all your old ones.¡± His tone was calm. He didn¡¯t pay any mind to Zhao Ze.


    ¡°Alright, Shen Chen!¡± Ye Xiaoyu said with a smile.


    Zhang Xiaoya was extremely sensitive. She said pleasantly, ¡°Come, come. I saw there were some pajamas in the room. Put those on first!¡± Then she lead Boss and Ye Xiaoyu away.


    Zhao Ze didn¡¯t look too happy. He hadn¡¯t expected Shen Chen to just ignore him. Not only had he not gotten angry at Guo Yuan, but he had even made other orders. Zhang Xiaoya and the newcomers had completely ruined his plan.


    Seeing Zhao Ze and Shen Chen¡¯s solemn expressions, Guo Yuan was confused as first. He looked between the two of them several times, when finally the slurping sound of noodles knocked him out of his stupor. He hastily said, ¡°Second, I found some food in the kitchen fridge. You know Third is a big eater. He complained about being hungry the moment he woke up.¡±


    Zhao Ze was very smart. He knew they were definitely hiding resources. He hadn¡¯t expected that Guo Yuan didn¡¯t disobey Shen Chen and secretly taken out the food. Furthermore, he hadn¡¯t expected that Shen Chen didn¡¯t hide the standard hotel food away. Or Guo Yuan sincerely explaining the source of the food.


    Zhao Ze was dumbfounded at the trust and honestly between the two. It was totally different from what he imagined. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t Shen Chen question Guo Yuan? Shouldn¡¯t these two brothers turn against each other?¡¯ But how could Zhao Ze have known that Shen Chen and Guo Yuan had been good brothers in the previous life?


    To Shen Chen, a little material resource was nothing. And besides, it wasn¡¯t like he wasn¡¯t letting those people eat his resources. It was just that he didn¡¯t trust anyone besides Guo Yuan and Third at that point, so he couldn¡¯t reveal his resources carelessly. In the apocalypse, it wasn¡¯t uncommon to see people kill each other over a bowl of ramen. He had made that very clear to Guo Yuan, and he was confident that Guo Yuan knew what was right.


    ¡®Incite conflict? Such a childish trick.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t worth Shen Chen¡¯s consideration, even in his past life. He stared at Zhao Ze indifferently and told him this through his actions.


    In this psychological warfare, Shen Chen had won! Aside from Zhao Ze and Shen Chen, no one knew Zhao Ze had failed in the secret struggle.


    Lin Qianqian mocked him on the side. ¡°Second, aren¡¯t you overdoing it? Fourth just found us some food. Do you need to be like this? We even saved some for you. If we had known you¡¯d be like this, we would¡¯ve just fed it to a dog. At least a dog would have barked in appreciation.¡±


    ¡°Lin Qianqian, what are you saying?¡± Pan Di immediately stood up. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to speak respectfully?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth. You wanted to ask him for food, but did you dare? Second is glorious now. He doesn¡¯t care about you anymore!¡±


    ¡°Lin Qianqian! You!¡± Pan Di gnashed his teeth in anger, but Lin Qianqian only put her hands on her waist, and he immediately backed down.


    Guo Yuan couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°Lin Qianqian, you shouldn¡¯t treat Third like that!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking to my man. Does it have anything to do with you? Don¡¯t think you can order us around just because you gave us some ramen!¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s gaze fell sharply on Lin Qianqian. ¡°Lin Qianqian, I never fight women. You should watch your actions.¡±


    His words fell on Lin Qianqian¡¯s ears. They weren¡¯t threatening, but they made the ferocious Lin Qianqian suddenly feel a chill. She hastily shut her mouth and shrank back.


    Shen Chen watched Pan Di try to console Lin Qianqian with indifference, then said, ¡°Third! Is it appropriate to be bullied by a woman like this who has neither figure nor face?¡± Pan Di froze, then withdrew his hand from Lin Qianqian¡¯s shoulder in some embarrassment.


    Guo Yuan burst out into laughter. He didn¡¯t expect Shen Chen¡¯s tongue to be so sharp. But after taking another look at Lin Qianqian, he thought she didn¡¯t look as bad as Shen Chen had described her.


    Guo Yuan didn¡¯t know that as a Sixth Tier master in the previous life, Shen Chen had seen his share of beauties. A mere Lin Qianqian was truly someone with neither figure nor face in his eyes.


    Shen Chen was serious. Everyone could tell. Shen Chen wasn¡¯t purposely insulting her. Rather, he really thought that, and told everyone the truth.


    Lin Qianqian was speechless from anger. Her face went red, and she pointed at Shen Chen angrily. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Zhao Ze didn¡¯t expect Shen Chen to have such a sharp tongue, and with so little disregard for other people¡¯s feelings. He tried to mediate the dispute. ¡°Alright, alright. Since we¡¯re in the same survivor squad now, we have to get along peacefully!¡±


    ¡°In the same squad?¡± Shen Chen went blank for a second.


    Li Jing hastily said, ¡°That¡¯s right, Zhao Ze and us had a discussion. Since it¡¯s very unsafe outside, and we ended up together by fate, we should help each other. That¡¯s why we should form a squad so we can better delegate work in the future.¡±


    Li Qi smiled, too, still cautious as always. He said carefully, ¡°I think so, too. It would be better for us to form a squad¡­¡±


    Shen Chen smiled, lowering his head slightly. ¡°And therefore?¡±


    Zhao Ze naturally took over the conversation. He put down his noodles, then sat up straight and called to Shen Chen. ¡°Little Shen, you come sit, too. We¡¯re about to commence the first meeting of the survivor squad. You¡¯re a member, too. You should come listen!¡±


    Shen Chen thought that Zhao Ze and Li Jing must have had their heads kicked by a donkey. Why else would they have such a ludicrous idea? But he saw how serious everyone else was, and suddenly realized he must have missed something. He suddenly realized that these people seemed to not understand what the world was like right now. in other words, they hadn¡¯t been impacted much from the outburst of the apocalypse. They had had the fortune of coming here. In their subconsciousnesses, they may not have realized the danger of the apocalypse and were naively still abiding the rules of civil society.


    Shen Chen calmly stared at Zhao Ze, who looked extremely confident. The anger in his heart suddenly calmed. His eyes filled with pity. He was still very naive. Truly, very naive.

 Chapter 13

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Ze¡¯s speech continued. ¡°I think this disaster is temporary¡­ Think about how our nation controlled previous outbreaks. During SARS, our government exhibited great organizational abilities during the process of controlling the disease. Thus, if we stay here and wait for rescue, we will definitely survive. After that, we¡¯ll try our hardest to save other people. And then we can do even more. For example¡­ Of course, the prerequisite for all this is¡­¡±


    ¡°We must select a captain!¡± Zhao Ze was extremely eloquent. Watching a bunch of young men who were not even twenty cluster around him, their faces showing expressions of conviction and admiration, he couldn¡¯t help smiling.


    Zhao Ze¡¯s goal for saying this was very simple: he wanted to become the captain of the survivor squad. He was an intelligent man. He could imagine how, after he became captain, he would rescue a few more members. Once society became stable again, he would become a hero. He would go on TV, become famous, do interviews, become an ambassador for peace¡­ If everything went the way he hoped, and this was just a temporary disaster, you could say that his plans were very perfect.


    But he was just imagining things! That was why Shen Chen felt that he needed to tell him what reality was like. ¡°F**k!¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s indifference made Zhao Ze¡¯s words catch in his throat. He was infuriated. He turned toward Shen Chen. ¡°Little Shen¡­ What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Shen Chen! Captain Zhao Ze is speaking here. You shouldn¡¯t be cursing like that,¡± said Li Jing. Lin Qianqian also pouted her lips unhappily.


    Pan Di and Guo Yuan were a little surprised. They stared at Shen Chen without knowing what to do.


    Zhao Ze looked toward the other two people. Li Qi looked like he didn¡¯t care who was in charge. Zhang Xiaoya looked obedient, not saying anything.


    Perhaps because he hadn¡¯t received unanimous support, Zhao Ze relaxed the tight expression on the lower half of his face and said earnestly, with a hint of a threat, ¡°Little Shen, do you think I¡¯m unfit to be captain? Or perhaps you want to be the captain. It¡¯s true. I admit that you occupied this room first, but after all, you¡¯re just a student. Do you have any experience with management? Do you know how to run a team? Do you know how to encourage your employees¡­¡±


    Perhaps it was Shen Chen¡¯s expression, which grew colder and colder, that made him afraid. Zhao Ze gulped, and his expression relaxed a bit. ¡°You don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m talking about. You just think that because you occupied a room first, you can be the leader of a team. But this position must be held by someone who is able. It¡¯s not enough for a leader to be aggressive. They can¡¯t just act recklessly. Look at how you acted yesterday. You didn¡¯t even let everyone eat. Can you be a good leader if you¡¯re so stingy?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! You wouldn¡¯t even let us eat!¡± Lin Qianqian was the first to stand up. Pan Di yanked her, but she escaped his grasp. ¡°Selfish people are not welcome in our squad!¡±


    ¡°Lin Qianqian is right! A squad must be collaborative!¡± Zhao Ze¡¯s tone became forceful again, a malicious glimmer in his eyes. He reprimanded Shen Chen righteously. ¡°Little Shen, I must say, if you continue to be so uncooperative, I think I might make you leave this squad and leave this refuge!¡±


    The room suddenly became silent. Guo Yuan and Pan Di were confused, especially Guo Yuan. He stared at Zhao Ze. Had he heard correctly? Zhao Ze wanted to kick Shen Chen out?


    Even Pan Di felt like something was off. ¡®This is wrong!¡¯ He recalled that they had all come here to follow Shen Chen.


    Shen Chen suddenly smiled. He smiled very happily, so happily that Zhao Ze also went blank for a moment, then smiled as well. Then everyone in the room started smiling without knowing what was going on.


    ¡°It looks like Shen Chen understands what I said. That¡¯s great! From now on, hand over all your resources. I will manage them! All decisions will be made based on democratic votes¡­¡± Zhao Ze babbled on, thinking his threats had taken effect.


    Only Pan Di sensed something was off. He had killed zombies with Shen Chen yesterday. He knew the bloodthirst in Shen Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Shen Chen¡¯s gaze suddenly grew cold. He stood up from the chair and grabbed Zhao Ze¡¯s neck, then dragged him all the way to the window. He opened the window and pointed Zhao Ze¡¯s face at the restaurant on the seventeenth floor.


    Zhao Ze made a sound like a pig to the slaughter. He flailed in Shen Chen¡¯s hands. He suddenly realized that his body was depleted by wine and sex, because he couldn¡¯t escape Shen Chen¡¯s control at all. ¡°What¡­ what are you trying to do?¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s voice was very calm. ¡°Look at the seventeenth floor.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I said, look at the seventeenth floor!¡±


    He forcibly turned Zhao Ze¡¯s face straight so he could look at what was going on in the seventeenth floor.


    Thanks to the restaurant¡¯s large floor-to-ceiling windows, Zhao Ze could clearly see the zombies casually strolling on the seventeenth floor. Not far away, a few zombies were quietly savoring a dead person¡¯s intestines.


    A few zombies only had bones beneath their stomachs, but with full upper torsos, they were still trying their best to chew on human meat. He could see the eaten human flesh fall out from their bodies, then the zombies picking it up¡­ and eating it again¡­


    ¡°Barf¡­¡± The revolting sight made everyone who had eaten breakfast vomit uncontrollably.


    ¡°Did you get a good look?¡± asked Shen Chen.


    ¡°I¡­ I got a good look!¡± Zhao Ze¡¯s face was pale. Cold sweat had drenched his clothes, and his legs were shaking uncontrollably.


    Shen Chen said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about your previous experience. From now on, you must be clear on one thing: the place you¡¯re living in is my territory. If you want to form a squad, I won¡¯t oppose it. Go! Leave! Get out of here!¡±


    Zhao Ze¡¯s body shook uncontrollably. He suddenly realized that he might have done something stupid. He shouted loudly, ¡°No¡­ I won¡¯t leave¡­ There are zombies outside¡­¡±


    Shen Chen slapped his face. ¡°So you know that there are zombies outside! I thought you didn¡¯t know!¡± He stood up and started scanning the other people, his gaze sweeping over each person. Then he said slowly, ¡°Look outside. You should know by now that this is not the past anymore. You can¡¯t depend on the government to come rescue you and restore civil society. Let me tell you, that¡¯s absolutely impossible! From now on, everyone must struggle on the frontline to get a single chance of survival! This is not a refuge, and this is not a shelter! If you want to stay, then you must fight for survival! If you¡¯re not willing to do that, then you¡¯re free to leave!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I understand.¡±


    Everyone nodded dumbfoundedly. The bloody scene of the seventeenth floor made them realize their current predicament.


    Shen Chen calmly lowered his head and said to Zhao Ze, ¡°You¡¯re right about one thing. It¡¯s not enough for a leader to be aggressive, or to act recklessly. He must have the ability to match his position! And you¡­ you¡¯re far from it.¡± He slowly let go of Zhao Ze¡¯s neck. Shen Chen wiped his hands with tissues, then tossed them on the floor and returned to his room.


    Everyone was astonished by Shen Chen¡¯s actions. A long while later, Li Jing ran over to Zhao Ze and helped him up. Lin Qianqian said to Pan Di, ¡°Boyfriend, this Shen Chen is taking it too far!¡±


    She was about to continue when Pan Di suddenly stood up and said very seriously, ¡°Qianqian, you need to wake up. Look at those zombies. Second is right. It¡¯s no longer like the past!¡±


    ¡°But we still have police, and the military!¡± Lin Qianqian said unyieldingly.


    Guo Yuan interrupted her. ¡°They can¡¯t even protect themselves, yet you depend on them to save us? That¡¯s fine. Get through this first.¡±


    Guo Yuan¡¯s words made everyone fall into contemplation. An indescribable light twinkled in Li Jing¡¯s eyes. At the same time, everyone selectively forgot Zhao Ze, who was leaning against the windowsill. ¡®It¡¯s true! If the world continues to be like this, a leader who can kill thirty-some zombies is much better than a leader who just babbles.¡¯


    A while later, Shen Chen walked out with a full plastic bag. He stood at the door to the kitchen as if he were somewhat troubled. Finally, he turned around and asked, ¡°Who here knows how to cook?¡±


    These words made everyone¡¯s eyes light up. Li Jing and Zhang Xiaoya immediately raised their hands. ¡°I do!¡±


    Shen Chen approved. ¡°I have some ingredients here. Come make a meal for everyone!¡±


    Li Jing and Zhang Xiaoya ran over gleefully, taking the plastic bag from Shen Chen¡¯s hands. Li Jing opened it and exclaimed, ¡°There are eggs, bread. God, there¡¯s even steak!¡± Then she said happily, ¡°I¡¯m the best at grilling steak, just wait!¡±


    When the aroma of food came from the kitchen, Shen Chen smiled faintly. Half an hour later, the table was full of food. The aroma permeated the room.


    Boss and Ye Xiaoyu had just come out from the bathrooms. Seeing all the food on the table, their eyes lit up. ¡°Such a scrumptious breakfast?¡±


    Li Jing laughed and greeted them in her apron. ¡°Boss, and Xiaoyu, is it? Come have a taste!¡± Then she pushed Zhang Xiaoya. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Zhang Xiaoya to be so good at cooking, too. She¡¯s the one who made this silverfish stew!¡±


    Shen Chen and Guo Yuan walked over calmly. Seeing Li Jing and Zhang Xiaoya¡¯s expectant gazes, Shen Chen smiled. ¡°What are you two doing? Sit down and eat!¡±


    Li Jing¡¯s eyes glimmered. She dragged Zhang Xiaoya over to their seats. In a mere half hour, the two girls had become friends.


    Li Qi walked over, at ease. He even called with respect, ¡°Captain.¡±


    Hearing this, the two girls also called, ¡°Captain.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu also called as a matter of course, ¡°Captain.¡±


    Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen exchanged a glance, and said with a smile, ¡°Captain.¡±


    ¡°Captain, my a**. I¡¯m still Second,¡± Shen Chen said helplessly.


    Zhao Zhen said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re the Captain, and you¡¯re also Second!¡±


    ¡°Boss is right!¡± Guo Yuan said gleefully.


    Ye Xiaoyu pouted. ¡°Captain is too unfamiliar. If it were up to me, we would just call him Boss!¡±


    Shen Chen shook his head with a chuckle, then slowly looked toward Pan Di. ¡°Third, Boss and Fourth are already sitting. Do you need me to carry you here?¡±

 Chapter 14

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Pan Di chuckled and rubbed his hands. He was just about to walk up to their seats when Lin Qianqian yanked him back.


    Pan Di said with annoyance, ¡°What are you on about still? You even threw up the ramen. Are you not going to eat now?¡± As he spoke, he dragged Lin Qianqian to her seat.


    At that point, ten people were sitting at the dining table. One seat remained empty.


    Guo Yuan took a long look at Shen Chen, then another glance at Pan Di and Lin Qianqian. He knew that what Shen Chen did had already conquered everyone. Oh¡­ except for Zhao Ze!


    Everyone realized something. They hesitantly put down the chopsticks in their hands, each person looking somewhat uneasy. They all looked toward Shen Chen. Seeing this, Shen Chen smiled calmly.


    Zhao Ze had now become an important figure. His existence indicated how the new boss, Shen Chen, handled matters. If Shen Chen was strict and didn¡¯t let Zhao Ze eat, it would establish his authority, but at the same time, it would leave an unkind impression on the others. It might even establish an impression that those who obeyed him would live, and those who disobeyed him would die. It wasn¡¯t a good thing for a team. But if he let Zhao Ze come eat so easily, then he would appear weak and easy to bully.


    How he handled Zhao Ze was a troublesome matter. In other words, Zhao Ze had become a way for others to gauge his attitude. But Shen Chen didn¡¯t mind at all. He took the chopsticks in his hands and calmly picked up some food. ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Li Jing forced a smile on her face. No one made a sound. Watching Shen Chen calmly hold his chopsticks, they each had an overcast expression. As time went on, everyone looked more and more disappointed.


    Shen Chen smiled. His chopsticks paused in the air. Then he put them down. He spoke in a steady and powerful tone, ¡°After we eat, the men will go out to clear the zombies in the hotel. Zhao Ze, if you plan to escape combat by not eating, I don¡¯t mind kicking you out right now!¡±


    Instantly, everyone looked pleasantly surprised. Zhao Ze couldn¡¯t believe what he heard. He gazed at Shen Chen in doubt, then nodded his head blankly.


    Watching Zhao Ze join them with swaying steps, everyone suddenly felt like they were about to burst into tears from joy! A leader who had incredible strength. A leader who had a heart that could tolerate those who opposed them. What a happy thing this was in the apocalypse.


    ¡­


    After eating breakfast, Shen Chen returned to his room to rest per everyone¡¯s urging. Since he had just absorbed a syringe of evolution fluid, he didn¡¯t really feel tired. But after seeing everyone¡¯s hopeful gazes, he felt like he should accept their good will.


    Sitting on the bed with crossed legs, Shen Chen secretly perceived the changes in his body. The absorption from last night had brought about some signs of evolution in his body, especially when he had killed that zombie earlier. He clearly had much greater speed than before.


    Shen Chen swung his fists. It looked like he had to expedite the process of obtaining evolution fluid. He turned and opened a cardboard box. It was filled with single-use syringes and sealed reagent bottles.


    There were only twenty-four tubes. Shen Chen considered. Based on his experience from the previous life, he would reach the standard of a First Tier neo-human after absorbing twenty tubes of evolution fluid. In this life, he might not need as much. Then, the extra medicine could be distributed to Guo Yuan, Pan Di, and Zhao Zhen. But Zhao Ze and Li Qi weren¡¯t companions he trusted, so he couldn¡¯t expose the existence of the evolution fluid just yet.


    That day, everyone got to enjoy a rare day of peace. Just like before Doomsday, the men played poker and the women gossiped. Every now and then they would laugh heartily, but no one truly relaxed.


    After eating dinner, everyone sat together and watched TV. All the shows on TV had stopped playing. Only a female broadcaster made the same announcement over and over again in a stiff voice. ¡°A large-scale terror attack happened in our city yesterday. We ask all citizens to stay in their residences, close their doors, and not go outside¡­¡±


    The broadcast on TV didn¡¯t say anything about zombie attacks. They didn¡¯t even mention the military or rescue. That meant what Shen Chen said was correct. The government might not have a way to rescue them right now. It was possible that the entire country¡ªthe entire world¡ªhad fallen¡­


    All of them lowered their heads in dismay and turned off the TV. Suddenly, Li Jing said, melancholy, ¡°I wonder how my dad and mom are¡­¡±


    The moment she said this, all the girls¡¯ eyes reddened. Even Lin Qianqian, who was so fierce, lowered her head. Suddenly, she raised her head and yelled in despair, ¡°This world is over with. We¡¯re no match for those zombies. We¡¯re all going to die!¡±


    Her words shook everyone¡¯s hearts. A feeling of suffocating horror crept over their bodies. The miserable condition outside, the still-wandering zombies on the seventeenth floor, made everyone fall into deep fear and despair about the future.


    ¡°Why did it turn out this way?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die! But when I see those zombies, I think, I might as well just die now! It would be better than being eaten alive by them!¡±


    ¡°Die¡­ Let¡¯s all die together!¡±


    Boom! Shen Chen forcefully slammed the table. His gaze was ice cold, and he shouted angrily, ¡°You want to die? Who the hell wants to die?!¡±


    His shouting shocked everyone. They all turned to look at the infuriated young man.


    ¡°You? Or is it you?¡± Shen Chen turned his gaze toward Lin Qianqian and Li Qi. He drew out Black Blade. The blade gave off an intimidating cold glint under the light.


    ¡°If you want to die, it¡¯s very easy! I¡¯ll grant your wish!¡± Shen Chen reprimanded. ¡°With a single cut, it would be completely painless. Which of you wants to go first?¡±


    Everyone was shocked by his powerful aura. They all watched this mature and prudent man in astonishment and wondered what had provoked him.


    ¡°The apocalypse has come. In the future, even children must pick up weapons and kill the enemy for a chance of survival, all just to live on! Yet you, sitting in a safe room, eating a table of warm food, dare to say that you want to die?¡±


    Shen Chen watched the dismayed people in exasperation. Were these his reborn companions? These were just a bunch of cowards!


    ¡°Look at those people who turned into zombies. They wanted to keep living during the last moment before their deaths. And you, you¡¯re just all despicably trying to seek death? What can death bring you? After you die, you will stand up again and go attack other people like those hideous zombies! If you don¡¯t live well and make use of yourselves while you¡¯re still living, when you die, you¡¯ll harm even more people who crave survival! Among them could be your friends, your family! And they could have lived if it weren¡¯t for you! They could have lived to see the day that zombies disappeared!¡±


    Everyone lowered their heads. They were extremely ashamed. Yes, what right did they have to say they wanted to die? They were all saved by Shen Chen. They lived in such a safe place, yet they weren¡¯t thinking of how to survive.


    Finally, Zhao Zhen spoke hesitantly, ¡°Boss, I don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    Then Guo Yuan and Pan Di said too, ¡°Boss, we must live on. We still have to find our families!¡±


    Soon, everyone raised their heads, all gazing at Shen Chen with tears in their eyes. In that moment, Shen Chen was their backbone, their psychological pillar! Without knowing it, everyone changed their minds.


    Shen Chen scanned everyone with a determined gaze and said with incredible confidence, ¡°Remember, there will only be hope if you live on!¡±


    Yes, there would only be hope if they lived on!


    Everyone spent that night in contemplation and unease.


    ¡­


    The next day, after eating breakfast, Shen Chen and Guo Yuan got dressed and picked up their weapons under Pan Di¡¯s and Zhao Zhen¡¯s stares of admiration.


    Pan Di punched Guo Yuan with envy. ¡°You got it lucky, Fourth. If we went in order, these things would be mine since I¡¯m Third!¡±


    Shen Chen laughed and shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be envious. We¡¯ll get each of you a weapon soon. There¡¯s a fire axe on every floor. As for armguards, just ask the girls to make them at home.¡±


    Pan Di looked at Shen Chen and nodded firmly.


    Zhao Ze screamed in fear. ¡°Shen¡­ Shen Chen? We¡¯re not really going to kill zombies, are we?¡±


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to participate? Then you can leave,¡± Shen Chen said coolly.¡± You¡¯re welcome to go.¡±


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to participate. It¡¯s just¡­ why are we killing zombies? Isn¡¯t it very safe here?¡±


    Shen Chen scoffed and said, ¡°It¡¯s only safe in relation to other places. If we want to survive, we have to find the zombies on the other floors and kill them while they¡¯re still weak.¡±


    Off to the side, Zhao Ze had a downcast face. Right now, no one thought of Shen Chen as a young man who was not even twenty years old. He could only nod. ¡°Fine, then.¡±


    Li Qi nodded honestly. To him, having an axe to protect himself was definitely better self-defense.


    They took the elevator down to the hotel lobby. Since the sixteenth floor that Shen Chen lived on had an exclusive passage, if he wanted to clear the other floors, he had to go down to the hotel lobby, then reach the other floors through the public passages. Right now, the hotel lobby, which had been cleared last night, was stinking. The six of them covered their noses and searched for a long time in the lobby, until they finally found the extinguisher window, which was covered in zombie blood.


    Shen Chen shattered the glass with a kick, then tossed the fire axe to Pan Di. The heavy fire axe made Pan Di¡¯s arms sink. He swayed a bit in place.


    Pan Di said through gritted teeth, ¡°I saw boss raise it so easily, so why is this fire axe so heavy?¡±


    Guo Yuan was a little proud. ¡°Of course it¡¯s heavy! How else could he be the captain?¡±


    Shen Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Why are you still chattering? Hurry up and find the other ones. We have to find one for each of them, too!¡±


    They looked around the hotel lobby for a long time but couldn¡¯t find another fire axe. Shen Chen took a look at Zhao Ze and said, ¡°Looks like we have to search the second floor.¡±


    Zhao Ze hurriedly said, ¡°How about I don¡¯t participate in the fighting? I can lead the girls in making some clothes!¡±


    ¡°Bah! And you¡¯re a man?¡± Pan Di said with disdain. His conviction in Zhao Ze yesterday had already turned into spite.


    Zhao Ze no longer had any signs of the arrogance from yesterday. He was nearly in tears. ¡°I can¡¯t do it. I don¡¯t have a weapon. What if there are zombies¡­¡±

 Chapter 15

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Shen Chen interrupted him. ¡°The zombies right now still retain human biological characteristics. Their nails haven¡¯t mutated yet, and their speed isn¡¯t as fast as humans. They¡¯re only as dangerous as sixty-year-old men. You¡¯re telling me you can¡¯t beat someone like that?¡±


    Shen Chen calmly pointed toward the door. ¡°In my team, men handle the exterior dangers, and women handle the interior matters. If you can¡¯t do it, then leave alone!¡±


    After he finished, he led them with vigorous strides and walked up the stairs. Guo Yuan, Pan Di, and Zhao Zhen naturally followed behind him. Li Qi hesitated for a moment, then followed as well. Zhao Ze looked outside the door, then at the three people leaving, a hint of resentment on his face, but he had to follow.


    The six of them quickly reached the second floor. In the circular hall, there were three zombies. This made everyone sigh in relief, but the moment the zombies saw living humans, they became ecstatic. They swayed their incredibly hideous arms and pounced on them like hungry wolves.


    Shen Chen waved his hands. ¡°Three zombies for me. Third and Fourth will each take one!¡±


    The Black Blade in his hands was like a crescent moon. With a white flash, Shen Chen killed the first zombie. Shen Chen turned around and saw that Guo Yuan had driven a zombie against the wall. With a swing of his axe, his zombie also died. Shen Chen smiled contently, but Pan Di¡¯s condition made him frown.


    Pan Di felt his hands and feet go cold. His hands, holding the fire axe, were drenched in sweat. The hideous and terrifying zombie in front of him made his knees weak. Watching the zombie pounce toward him, Pan Di screamed, then swung down with his axe, but it landed right on the zombie¡¯s skull. The skull was chopped half-open. Brains spurted everywhere, but even then, the zombie, which only had half a head remaining, still leaped toward him with a wide open mouth.


    He was nearly scared out of his wits. He backed up frantically and could no longer hold onto his axe. But as he stepped back, he was suddenly pushed forward by someone. Pan Di fell forward unsteadily. Watching the zombie bite toward him with a rotten mouth, Pan Di screamed his heart out and closed his eyes in despair.


    The expected pain never came. When Pan Di opened his eyes, he saw Shen Chen fiercely kick the zombie into the air from the side. The zombie crashed into the wall with a thump. It made a shallow man-shaped cavity in the wall!


    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened, and they stared at Shen Chen dumbfoundedly. Shen Chen stepped on the zombie¡¯s back firmly, holding it against the wall so it couldn¡¯t move. Then he turned around and said to Pan Di, ¡°What are you afraid of? Pull that axe out and aim for its neck!¡±


    Seeing how casual Shen Chen was, the fear in Pan Di¡¯s heart seemed to vanish. He yelled, then pulled the axe out of the zombie¡¯s skull and chopped at the zombie¡¯s head. The skull flew up high and landed on the windowsill. Pan Di felt like he had broken through the chains in his heart. He turned over in surprise to look at Shen Chen.


    Shen Chen only nodded. ¡°Not bad! But remember, next time aim for the gap in the spine before you chop. That way, you¡¯ll save twenty percent of your strength.¡±


    Pan Di was convinced and nodded. He suddenly had a thought. ¡®Second, oh no, boss, he¡¯s very strong!¡¯


    At the time, there weren¡¯t many zombies in the hallway. After Pan Di got over his psychological barrier, he became fierce, too. Quickly, the few of them cleared the zombies in the hallway, then successfully obtained three more fire axes. After tossing them to Zhao Zhen, Li Qi, and Zhao Ze, Guo Yuan asked, ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°Clean. Clean every room entirely! Zhao Ze, you go kick the doors!¡± Shen Chen ordered.


    Zhao Ze shouted in agitation, ¡°Didn¡¯t we already get the fire axes? Why are we still killing zombies?¡±


    Shen Chen pointed his knife at Zhao Ze. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three, and you will kick the door! If you go, you¡¯ll have a chance of survival. If you don¡¯t, you can die now!¡±


    Zhao Ze trembled. The fire axe in his hands fell on the floor. ¡°No, you can¡¯t treat me this way! I know you made me join combat on purpose, that way you can send me to my death! Am I right? Let me tell you, your hideous face will be revealed very soon! Li Qi! Listen up. After I die, it¡¯ll be your turn soon! Pan Di, do you see this? That¡¯s your good brother. He¡¯s just treating us as baits!¡±


    Zhao Ze was truly an eloquent speaker. Li Qi¡¯s eyes flickered immediately. Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen hastily stood up and tried to cut Zhao Ze off, but Shen Chen scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re a good speaker. Why don¡¯t you continue?¡±


    Zhao Ze hastily pulled on Pan Di. ¡°Pan Di, you must think this through! This man¡¯s a total villain!¡±


    ¡°Think through, my a**!¡±


    Unexpectedly, Pan Di kicked Zhao Ze off angrily. ¡°You were the one who pushed me from behind earlier, weren¡¯t you? You were trying to use me as a shield, right? I can¡¯t believe I trusted you!¡± Pan Di pointed his fire axe at Zhao Ze. ¡°Do as boss said! Hurry up! Otherwise, I¡¯ll kill you right now!¡±


    Zhao Ze was bewildered. He hadn¡¯t expected Pan Di to hold such an attitude toward him at all. Watching the three young men in front of him, Zhao Ze wiped his face helplessly. ¡°All right, all right¡­ I¡¯ll open it¡­¡±


    Zhao Ze couldn¡¯t open the door, even after several kicks. Shen Chen shook his head and thought to himself how society had people like him in high positions, tyrannically abusing their power, yet they didn¡¯t have any skill. But Chen Shen didn¡¯t look like he was going to help at all. Only after he saw Zhao Ze finally kick open the door did he raise the steel knife in his hands and get into a defensive position.


    The room was completely empty. Zhao Ze fell to the ground and cried loudly, as if he had just gone through an extremely dangerous experience. Shen Chen didn¡¯t pay any mind to him. He just said, ¡°Take all the food in this room, and then we¡¯ll leave.¡±


    The few of them finished clearing the second floor. Perhaps because they had weapons, they were all ferocious when dealing with single zombies. Even Zhao Zhen and Li Qi, who were feeble, managed to kill a zombie on their own, but Zhao Ze shrank behind like a coward the entire time.


    While it was still light, they decided to go look in the third floor. There weren¡¯t many zombies on the third floor. It may have been because when Doomsday began, everyone had still been eating. It wasn¡¯t yet time to go to their rooms.


    Twenty-some rooms were all swept clean in a short while. Pan Di still looked very excited. He said with intrigue, ¡°Boss, what are we doing next?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going home. Today¡¯s mission has been accomplished. We¡¯ll come to clean the fourth floor again tomorrow,¡± Shen Chen ordered.


    Zhao Ze let out a sigh of relief. After the entire day, he was truly scared out of his wits. He never imagined that real zombies would be much more terrifying that what he saw in movies.


    After they took a short break, they opened the door and got ready to leave. Suddenly, a swaying zombie appeared at the stair entrance in the distance. Pan Di turned his head, and an excited smile appeared on his face. He weighed the axe in his hands and said, ¡°Boss, you guys go first. I¡¯ll follow after I kill that zombie!¡±


    Shen Chen didn¡¯t mind. He just ordered, ¡°Make it quick,¡± then walked forward.


    Pan Di chuckled, strolling over casually with his axe. The zombie pounced onto him. Pan Di shouted, then swung down with both his arms, and the zombie was instantly as dead as could be.


    Pan Di looked down at the zombie at his feet with content. He suddenly felt incredibly proud of himself. There was no comparison between how shabbily he fled yesterday and how vigorously he fought today.


    But soon, his smile froze on his face. A raspy growl came from overhead. Pan Di found to his horror that a bloody figure had appeared in his sight. But that wasn¡¯t the most terrifying thing. With the fierce growl, dozens of bloody zombies raced down the stairs, all of them with wide open mouths, terrifying growling sounds coming out of their mouths.


    Pan Di¡¯s hair stood on end. He screamed madly, wildly running toward Shen Chen. ¡°Ah! Help me!¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and run!¡± With his words, the rumbling of footsteps filled the stairwell, as if a thousand horses were galloping through it. A vast number of zombies rushed down the stairs. Their countless arms waved in the air like maggots!


    Zhao Ze and Li Qi completely lost their senses from fear. They screamed as they ran forward on their hands and feet. Seeing so many zombies, Shen Chen got goosebumps, too. He immediately pulled Pan Di backwards and yelled, ¡°Hurry up and run! Go down from the stairs on the other end!¡±


    A tide of growling came from the distance and grew nearer. The zombies¡¯ thundering footsteps rang throughout the hallway. Clearly, a mass of zombies was heading toward them. Each rumble of the ground made their hearts quiver. Soon, rotten and eaten purple faces growled at them with bared fangs and open claws.


    Even Second Tier neo-humans wouldn¡¯t dare to fight against more than a hundred zombies alone. These zombies could tear them into shreds before eating them. There were around seventy to eighty zombies, which was far beyond what Shen Chen, who was not even a First Tier neo-human, could handle.


    Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen ran in the front. Li Qi and Zhao Ze followed behind. Pan Di was after them, and Shen Chen was all the way at the end.


    Seeing that they were about to reach the stairs, Pan Di suddenly screamed his heart out. He slipped and fell heavily to the floor. He was in extreme pain and couldn¡¯t get up. Shen Chen grew increasingly anxious, yanking on Pan Di with all his might.


    Pan Di panted heavily. ¡°My foot is sprained. It hurts so much!¡±


    ¡°My a**! It¡¯ll hurt more to get eaten by zombies. Get the hell up!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t get up!¡±


    ¡®F*ck!¡¯ Shen Chen saw that the zombies were about to reach them. He ran in front of Pan Di and gathered up all his strength. The energy from the evolution fluid was transferred in his body, and he lifted up a man who was eighty kilograms in weight. Shen Chen glanced at the stairs and tossed Pan Di straight down them. He watched Pan Di roll down the stairs. At that moment, the zombies were only one step away from Shen Chen.

 Chapter 16

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    A rotten stench hit their faces. Countless arms scratched viciously. Shen Chen swung his knife and cut off several zombies¡¯ arms, retreating as he fought. He quickly retreated to the fire exit door. His eyes lit up, and he shouted, then slashed a zombie¡¯s head off with his pitch black machete. The Black-Bladed Jungle Machete, which Shen Chen had specially tailored, was incredibly sharp. Under the control of Shen Chen, who had been cleansed by the evolution fluid, it chopped the zombie¡¯s head off in one slash. A thick and pungent stream of blood spewed as the zombie¡¯s head flew into the air. The same cut took off the arms of the zombies in the front row as well.


    His chance was here! Shen Chen immediately closed the two doors, and at the same time, as swift as a flash of lightning, he inserted the top and bottom latches. The next moment, the sound of zombies pounding at the door came like a torrential tide. The impact was so heavy, the entire door looked like it was about to fall off.


    Pan Di¡¯s timid cry came from downstairs. ¡°Boss, how are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What are you waiting here for? Go find a safe place!¡± Shen Chen was about to curse at him. The door wasn¡¯t nearly sturdy enough to stop this many zombies. Based on his experience, it would be broken by the zombies within a minute, yet Pan Di and the others were still downstairs instead of looking for a place to hide.


    Shen Chen jumped over the railings, yelling with urgency, ¡°Hurry! Everyone get into one room! Make it fast!¡±


    Zhao Ze and Li Qi thought they were already safe. They didn¡¯t expect Shen Chen to continue looking frantic. They both gave off a twisted scream, then ran forward on their hands and feet. Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen also screamed in panic, then each grabbed one of Pan Di¡¯s shoulders and dragged him along at flying speed.


    When Shen Chen entered the second floor hallway, he took a long look at the fire exit door. The door was bent out of shape from the zombies¡¯ thrusting, and the latches were coming loose. There was a small gap in-between the fire exit door. Countless arms reached out from the gap, waving up and down like withered branches in the cold winter wind. Shen Chen looked down. Even after being reborn, the hideous things were still so disgusting and terrifying.


    ¡°Roar. Roar.¡±


    Accompanied by the agitated and elated roaring, the fire exit door was crashed open with a boom. The zombies came toward Shen Chen like the tide.


    ¡°Ah!¡± A piercing scream was drowned out in the zombies¡¯ growling.


    Everyone ran as if their butts were on fire. They ran into the closest room at a nearly impossible speed. Zhao Ze burst forth with power this time and kicked the door open in one move. Then Li Qi immediately jumped in. Guo Yuan shouted, ¡°Move inside! Move inside!¡± Before the three could even get in, they were pushed forward by a strong force from behind.


    The three of them staggered into the room. Shen Chen quickly shut the door, then lowered his voice. ¡°Hurry up! The lock is broken. Bring all the furniture over to block the door!¡±


    Li Qi appeared feeble, but he was very quick-witted. With a howl, he lifted the nightstand and charged over. Zhao Zhen and Guo Yuan didn¡¯t want to be outdone either. They immediately moved the headboard and TV shelf.


    He had to admit everyone had erupted with their maximum power at this moment. They piled all the heavy furniture at the door within a mere dozen seconds. The room suddenly became very empty. Everyone panted heavily and backed against the corner of the room and waited anxiously.


    Boom¡­ The rumbling of footsteps rang through the entire hallway, as if a thousand horses and soldiers were galloping through it. Each rumble made the men¡¯s hearts tremble. The footsteps went on for a full minute, which showed how many zombies there were.


    Shen Chen stood on the inclined TV shelf, looking out through the cat eye. A mass of living zombies were pouring out of the stairwell, heading toward the other end of the hallway. The mass of zombies was like a storm of locusts. The thick smell of decay and blood permeated the entire floor.


    Shen Chen was numb from fear. He was very shocked. ¡®Where had these zombies come from? Why are there so many of them?¡¯


    Luckily, the zombies hadn¡¯t yet evolved to have a better sense of smell and hearing. Otherwise, just hiding behind a thin door would have been completely useless.


    A few minutes later, watching the zombies storm by, Shen Chen finally calmed his nerves. Zhao Ze said with a quiver, ¡°Are they gone yet?¡±


    Shen Chen was immediately alert. He wished he could stuff Zhao Ze¡¯s mouth with a sock. How dare he speak at such a time?


    As expected, a zombie suddenly turned around and stared at the room door. Soon, a white eyeball appeared in the cat eye. Shen Chen was so shocked he nearly fell off the TV shelf. A deep chill made all his hair stand on end.


    ¡®It was drawn here by Zhao Ze speaking.¡¯ Shen Chen knew that the zombie outside didn¡¯t know he was food. Once his eye left the cat eye, the slight difference would make the zombie realize. Once a single zombie realized something was off, the rest of the zombies would all gather, which meant his crew would certainly be torn to pieces by the hundreds of zombies outside.


    Shen Chen gritted his teeth and stabilized himself, not even daring to move his eyes. He didn¡¯t even dare to blink. Sweat ran down his face into his eyes, stinging them, but he stood like a statue, forcing himself to stare at the scary white eyeball.


    One second¡­ Two seconds¡­ It felt like time was frozen.


    Everyone watched Shen Chen¡¯s frozen figure. They all sensed danger. Zhao Ze was about to ask again, when he saw Shen Chen¡¯s body relax. Shen Chen turned around suddenly and grabbed Zhao Ze, threatening him through gritted teeth, ¡°From now on, shut your mouth. Don¡¯t say anything in a loud voice. If anyone shouts again, I wouldn¡¯t mind finishing him off right now!¡±


    Zhao Ze nodded in fear, not daring to say a single word.


    Zhao Zhen mouthed silently, ¡°How is it now?¡±


    Only then did Shen Chen feel the deep exhaustion that comes after extreme anxiety, yet he managed to say, ¡°They¡¯ve all left. We¡¯re safe for now!¡±


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Guo Yuan asked.


    Shen Chen said, ¡°We wait!¡± After this, he quietly opened his backpack and put a piece of jerky in everyone¡¯s hands. ¡°Eat something to restore your strength.¡±


    Li Qi silently chewed on the beef jerky. The lanky man seemed to have a strong instinct for survival, which made Shen Chen respect him more.


    Shen Chen also ate his beef jerky slowly. His saliva quickly moistened the jerky, and he swallowed it. When the bit of food entered his stomach, his body, which had been stimulated by evolution liquid, instantly converted the food into energy, sending it to every part of his body. Shen Chen knew that what he had to do now was restore his energy as quickly as possible and then lead everyone safely back to the sixteenth floor.


    Ding! Ding! Ding! Suddenly, the phone rang rapidly.


    Everyone¡¯s bodies shook at that moment. Everyone stopped chewing the food in their mouths and stared at the red phone on the wall.


    Ding! Ding! Ding! The jarring sound rang throughout the room. A great chill seeped through them from their heads to their feet. Their instinct to sense fear and danger made them numb.


    At the same time, the excited growls of zombies came from outside the room, accompanied by the sound of inexhaustible feet running toward them. The ringing led the zombies to their room.


    Everyone immediately got up. Guo Yuan ran up and picked up the phone, then put it down again, but after only two seconds, the phone rang again like death calling. Outside the door, they could already smell the stench of zombies. The jarring ring was enough for the zombies to distinguish a difference in the room they were in.


    Zhao Ze was crying like a girl. ¡°What shall we do? What shall we do?¡±


    Shen Chen gritted his teeth, then opened the window. ¡°Jump! Jump to the first floor!¡±


    Guo Yuan and Pan Di nodded. They had grown up climbing over walls. It was no big deal for them to jump down from the second floor. Zhao Zhen hastily asked, ¡°But what about you, Boss?¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap! Hurry up and jump!¡±


    By then, the zombies had already gathered outside the door, but the phone continued to ring persistently. The sound of pounding on the door was like percussion music that made people breakdown and want to kill themselves. Watching the zombies, whose skin was torn and gaping, reach their hands through the gap in the door with all their might, Shen Chen swung Black Blade, and several arms fell to the floor. He shouted angrily, ¡°What the hell are you standing around for? Jump!¡±


    Guo Yuan was the first to stand on the windowsill and jump. He was agile, rolling over to lesson the impact from the fall. Next was Pan Di. He jumped down with a limp.


    The zombies continuously widened the gap in the door. One of the zombies had already squeezed half of its body through the door. It could grab Shen Chen just by reaching out its hand.


    Zhao Zhen anxiously shouted, ¡°Boss!¡±


    Shen Chen glared at him, yelling back, ¡°What are you nagging about? Even if you want to die, I don¡¯t want to die yet. Hurry up and get down there!¡±


    Zhao Zhen gritted his teeth. His eyes reddened. Then he climbed up the windowsill and jumped down with the help of his brothers below.


    At that moment, a petite girl zombie squeezed inside, cracking open her once beautiful lips, and pounced onto Shen Chen. Shen Chen swung his knife, and the girl fell to the ground. Shen Chen took the opportunity to hold up the door again.


    Li Qi saw that Zhao Ze still hadn¡¯t dared to jump, so he gave him a push. He also jumped down. Zhao Ze¡¯s knees were weak. He cried, ¡°I can¡¯t do it. I¡¯ll die from the fall!¡±


    ¡°Bullsh*t. You can¡¯t die from jumping down two stories!¡±


    The zombies outside got stronger and stronger. Shen Chen let out a shout, but the door could no longer hold up. It started creaking from being split open.


    Seeing Zhao Ze¡¯s cowardice, Shen Chen was infuriated. But even if the guy had moral issues, he was still a living person. Shen Chen charged over and picked Zhao Ze up in his hands, then hurled him out. At the same time, he yelled, ¡°Hurry up and go into the elevator to return to the sixteenth floor!¡±


    With his words, he heard a shrill cry from below, followed by the sound of bawling.


    The zombies poured into the room and charged toward Shen Chen viciously. Shen Chen picked up the phone. ¡°Make it quick! I¡¯ll give you ten seconds!¡±


    A child¡¯s crying came from the other end of the phone. A man shouted incoherently, clearly out of his wits, ¡°Save me! I¡¯m in 518. Save me! There¡¯s a child!¡±

 Chapter 17

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡®There¡¯s a child¡­¡¯ Shen Chen¡¯s expression suddenly became animated. Watching the crowd of zombies heading toward him, he smiled faintly. ¡°Hold on! I¡¯ll get you within three hours!¡±


    Then he hung up the phone. Black Blade was like the moon. It flashed a cold glint, and a hideous, rotten zombie head flew into the air, drawing an arc of black blood. Shen Chen pushed hard. The dead zombie fell toward the other zombies. Several zombies were instantly sent flying, which temporarily obstructed their attack.


    The temporary break gave Shen Chen an opportunity to use his knife. Black Blade was like Death¡¯s scythe in his hands, taking away zombies¡¯ lives. Arcs of light endlessly flashed through the air like a black song of death.


    After killing dozens of zombies like this, Shen Chen started to run out of breath. Even though he just took the evolution fluid, he still didn¡¯t have the physique of a First Tier neo-human yet. He couldn¡¯t kill all these zombies on his own like he had in the previous life. His goal was just to buy some time for his brothers to safely enter the through elevator.


    As more and more zombies poured in, Shen Chen was backed up to the windowsill. He suddenly leaped and stood on the windowsill, the black blood on his blade dripping down in a stream, painting the air like ink with every swing. Shen Chen watched the zombies with a cold gaze. He suddenly shattered the entire glass window, then quickly jumped down before the zombies¡¯ arms could reach him. He rolled over on the ground and stood back up.


    Covered in ink-like blood, standing in the cold wind, he seemed so sharp and proud.


    The zombies¡¯ angry roars came from the broken window. Then, a zombie walked out with swaying steps. It seemed to not notice any danger and just jumped down. After one zombie jumped down, more and more zombies followed, falling hard on the ground. But after their bones became stiff, they didn¡¯t know how to lessen the impact as they fell. They all jumped down in a straight posture, and their legs all snapped. They could only crawl on the ground in a twisted and slow manner.


    Shen Chen laughed. He proudly raised Black Blade, watching the zombies that continued to follow their instincts to consume even if they had to crawl toward their prey.


    The Black Blade in his hand gave off a cold glimmer. Shen Chen narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, he moved. Like the best dancer in the world, he waltzed through the zombies crawling toward him. His knife rose and fell like thunder. The sound of zombies¡¯ heads getting cut off was like a joyous little nocturno.


    Black blood and broken limbs covered the green lawn. After a whole hour, more than eight zombies had ended their lives like this in the hotel lobby.


    Shen Chen silently opened his backpack. Inside were twenty containers that gave off a silver glint. Each zombie had some evolution fluid in their head. Just seventy zombies provided him with twenty-four full vials of evolution fluid. Looking at the last ten corpses, Shen Chen was a little reluctant to let them go to waste. He thought for a bit, then opened a bottle of water, drank the water inside, and collected nearly half a bottle of evolution fluid from the remaining ten bodies. Shen Chen examined his loot with satisfaction, then put his containers away. Although there weren¡¯t many containers, the evolution fluid he collected was more than enough to share with his brothers.


    When Shen Chen entered the hotel again, he saw that the through elevator was not on the sixteenth floor. He was very astonished. Where were Zhao Zhen, Guo Yuan, and the rest?


    Then, he saw the control room¡¯s door suddenly get pushed open. Zhao Zhen dashed out of it. ¡°Boss! Boss, you¡¯re not dead!¡±


    Then Guo Yuan shot out too. Pan Di ran over with a limp, crying and laughing at the same time. The three of them surrounded him. The young men all had red eyes.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to go up to the sixteenth floor?¡± Shen Chen asked helplessly.


    Zhao Zhen looked at his brothers, then patted Shen Chen heavily. ¡°Everyone wanted to wait for you to come down, so we didn¡¯t go up.¡±


    Shen Chen looked at Zhao Ze and Li Qi to the side, and smiled faintly. He understood his brothers¡¯ friendship, but those two had probably been forced to stay.


    ¡°I thought you turned into a zombie! We saw you kneeling down, and didn¡¯t dare to come out.¡± Guo Yuan¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°If you had really turned into a zombie, none of us would have had the heart to kill you.¡±


    Pan Di patted Shen Chen heavily, smiling while choking back his tears. ¡°Good thing you walked inside! Good thing you didn¡¯t become a zombie!¡±


    Watching how excited his brothers were, Shen Chen found a sense of long-lost familiarity. ¡®Yes, this is how it should be. Brothers for life. Profound friendship. The moment had finally come!¡¯


    Shen Chen¡¯s eyes were a little red. He patted his brothers¡¯ shoulders and was momentarily at a loss for words.


    Zhao Ze watched all this with impatience. He stared nervously at the zombies who had died outside the door, then urged, ¡°This is great. Shen Chen didn¡¯t die. Let¡¯s all return!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll all return!¡±


    But Shen Chen shook his head and said, ¡°No, we still have to go rescue people!¡±


    ¡°Rescue people? Rescue who?¡± The others were all very baffled.


    Zhao Zhen suddenly looked surprised. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re not thinking of rescuing the one who called?¡±


    ¡°No way, Boss!¡± Guo Yuan also shouted in amazement.


    ¡°He nearly killed us, and we¡¯re going to rescue him?¡±


    ¡­


    Everyone suddenly started talking at once. Li Qi and Zhao Ze¡¯s faces were as dark as ink. The two of them had wanted to return to the sixteenth floor in the first place, but they hadn¡¯t expected that Guo Yuan and Zhao Ze would make them stay behind. When they watched Shen Chen kneel down on the ground, they really thought Shen Chen had become a man-eating zombie. Then, when Shen Chen walked inside, they thought everything was over. Such a fierce zombie definitely would have eaten them all! They didn¡¯t expect that, thank heaven, Shen Chen hadn¡¯t died.


    They thought they could finally return now, but who would have thought they were going to rescue people? They put their hopes in Pan Di and Guo Yuan. They thought that they might not agree with Shen Chen, either.


    ¡°Pan Di, you don¡¯t want to go save them either, do you? They just nearly killed us earlier¡­¡±


    Shen Chen coldly watched Zhao Ze, who looked very anxious. He felt increasingly indifferent. This was the apocalypse. The ugliness of human nature would be exposed as the living environment gradually worsened. Zhao Ze was just one of them¡­


    Shen Chen smiled coolly. His voice was clear and determined. ¡°There¡¯s a child among them!¡±


    The announcement made Zhao Zhen, Guo Yuan, and Pan Di all go silent. ¡°A child¡­¡±


    ¡°Children are burdens¡­¡± Guo Yuan said with some difficulty.


    Zhao Zhen was also silent. ¡°Boss, not that I have anything against them, but that guy nearly killed us, yet now we¡¯re returning for them¡­ and besides, a child is hard to keep!¡±


    Shen Chen looked into the distance. ¡°They are burdens. And the ignorance and cries of children will kill many people, but has anyone thought about the fact that if all children are abandoned as burdens, when we grow old, who will pick up the weapons to fight against these monsters? By that time¡­ it would be the true apocalypse.¡±


    That was the predicament that humans had faced in his previous life¡­ The age gap due to not having any children had nearly led to the complete annihilation of mankind several times¡­ Only then had everyone realized how stupid they had been to abandon the children. Humans may not have died in the hands of zombies, but they had ruined themselves by not having offspring.


    Shen Chen couldn¡¯t tell the people before him about these things, but the desolation in his tone made everyone go silent. A while later, Guo Yuan cursed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go save the child!¡±


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯m going too!¡± Pan Di said.


    Zhao Zhen shook his head helplessly. ¡°Although I think we still won¡¯t be able to beat these monsters by the time we¡¯re old, you¡¯re right. We need people to provide for us when we¡¯re old and bury us when we die. Let¡¯s go save the child!¡±


    Zhao Ze and Li Qi¡¯s eyes widened. They hadn¡¯t expected Shen Chen¡¯s words to change the three brothers¡¯ minds. They couldn¡¯t understand it at all. They had barely managed to stay safe, yet they were now returning to danger. ¡®These people, do they respect our opinions at all?¡¯


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t agree!¡± Zhao Ze finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. Li Qi could endure it, but Zhao Ze had an arrogant personality. He shouted in agitation, ¡°I certainly won¡¯t go save people! Certainly not!¡±


    Woosh! A cold knife was placed on his neck. Zhao Ze instantly stopped speaking. ¡°I¡¯m not negotiating with you. I¡¯m just announcing my decision!¡± Shen Chen said extremely coldly.


    Zhao Ze took a deep breath, his face turning red from agitation. Then he said in a whisper, ¡°Alright¡­ let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s go save them!¡±


    Guo Yuan asked, ¡°Boss, where are the survivors located?¡±


    ¡°518.¡±


    Pan Di was surprised. ¡°That¡¯s simple. As long as it¡¯s not the fourth floor where those zombies ran out from, we¡¯ll just ride the elevator up to save them.¡±


    Shen Chen shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple. Otherwise, these people would have escaped already.¡±


    Zhao Zhen looked back at the control room. He said with a smile, ¡°How did we forget about the monitors in the control room? Let¡¯s take a look at the situation on the fifth floor. Then we¡¯ll think of a plan.¡±


    The monitors in the control room showed that the situation on the fifth floor was not promising. A conservative estimate of the zombies wandering the halls of the fifth floor was over a hundred. It was impossible to know where the zombies even came from.


    The camera aimed at 518. It was a room close to the fire escape, near the end of the hall. At the moment, a dozen zombies were pounding on the door. The door was slightly loosening already.


    ¡°We must make it quick!¡± said Shen Chen. ¡°If we get there any later, they might not be able to hold on!¡±


    ¡°What can we do? There are over a hundred zombies. Are we going to lead them to the second floor again and kill them by jumping out the window?¡±


    Shen Chen shook his head, his gaze falling on the elevator in the lobby. He smiled and said, ¡°I have a better plan!¡±

 Chapter 18

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The public elevator slowly stopped on the sixth floor. Four men crouched on the narrow top of the elevator¡ªPan Di, Li Qi, Zhao Ze, and Shen Chen.


    Shen Chen looked down at the deep elevator shaft and ordered, ¡°Zhao Ze, your goal is to go down to the fifth floor, pry open the elevator doors, then lead the zombies to jump down the shaft one by one. Five stories is enough for them to fall to their deaths.


    Zhao Ze¡¯s teeth were chattering uncontrollably. For the first time, he felt regret. Shen Chen was clearly using him as bait! But he couldn¡¯t disobey, because Shen Chen was powerful, because he was aggressive enough! Because if he didn¡¯t agree, Shen Chen would kill him immediately!


    He could only grit his teeth, once again checking that the rope on his body was tied tightly, then say with a stutter, ¡°Pull me up once the doors are open!¡±


    Shen Chen nodded, then added, ¡°You have to lead the zombies into the elevator shaft!¡±


    Zhao Ze yelled in tears, ¡°What if those b*stards don¡¯t go down?!¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen. You just have to shout or pee on them, and they¡¯ll jump at you immediately,¡± Shen Chen explained calmly.


    Zhao Ze wanted to cry. He could only pray that Shen Chen would keep his promise.


    ¡°All right! Let¡¯s lower him down!¡± Shen Chen ordered calmly. At the same time, Pan Di and Li Qi slowly let down the rope in their hands. When they lowered the rope to the lowest point, Zhao Ze successfully arrived before the elevator door on the fifth floor.


    Shen Chen¡¯s voice came from overhead. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Open the doors and shout, then we¡¯ll pull you up!¡±


    Zhao Ze stared at the dark elevator shaft with blank eyes. It looked like a giant horrifying mouth that wanted to swallow him whole. His fear reached a peak, and tears and snot ran down his face uncontrollably. He used the fire axe in his hand to pry the elevator doors open with extreme caution. At that moment, he really didn¡¯t know if he wanted to open the doors or not.


    After a while, Pan Di became a little impatient. He urged, ¡°Hurry up, Zhao Ze. If our hands get tired, we won¡¯t be able to pull you back up!¡±


    Hearing this, Zhao Ze immediately moved more swiftly. He frantically stuck the fire axe into the gap in the doors and forcefully pried them open. The cold doors lived up to his desire and slowly opened. More and more light poured into the elevator shaft.


    The sound of the metal doors opening alarmed the zombies on the fifth floor. When the door fully opened, the zombies in front of the elevator suddenly turned around. When they saw the living human hanging in the air, they all let out an elated growl. Then several zombies charged toward Zhao Ze.


    ¡°Ahh!!! Help! Help!¡± Zhao Ze burst out in shrill cries, screaming while flailing his limbs wildly. His cries were filled with fear and desperation. He had a complete breakdown.


    He felt a rotten wind blow toward him. Countless arms grabbed at him like giant wriggling maggots.


    ¡°Shen Chen, hurry up and pull me up! You b*stard, pull me the f*ck up! Pull. Pull me up there¡­ You f*cking b*stard. You want me to die, don¡¯t you? Listen up. My uncle¡¯s in the military. I¡¯m going to shoot you dead! I¡¯ll shoot you!¡±


    Just as the zombies were about to get hold of Zhao Ze and bite him, a command came from above. ¡°Pull!¡±


    Shen Chen looked at Zhao Ze, who looked as pale as paper. Below him, countless zombies were growling and reaching for him, but they were all pushed down the elevator shaft by zombies behind them. One, two, three¡­ just like dumplings falling into a pot.


    Zhao Ze still didn¡¯t get pulled up. He remained in mid-air, screaming and crying madly. At the same time, the zombies¡¯ hands were kept at a slight distance from him. He was just like food hanging in front of a donkey: impossible to reach, but forever tempting.


    Thirty minutes later, after no more zombies jumped down the elevator shaft, Zhao Ze finally shouted tearfully, ¡°Pull me up¡­ Pull me up!¡±


    Shen Chen was unmoved. He said, ¡°Do one last thing. Check if there are any more zombies on the fifth floor, then tell me.¡±


    Zhao Ze said with a stutter, ¡°Okay. Okay, I¡¯ll check. I¡¯ll check!¡±


    The rope was let down again. Zhao Ze grabbed the elevator door and checked left and right, then said, ¡°None. There¡¯s none.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Shen Chen knocked on the elevator, then said, ¡°Fourth. Boss. The two of you press the fifth floor button and quickly rescue those people. Then take the elevator to the first floor, and we¡¯ll ride the through elevator back to the sixteenth floor.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Zhao Zhen and Guo Yuan nodded inside the elevator.


    This time, Zhao Ze was finally pulled up. He crouched on the elevator and panted like an old dog. He was completely limp.


    Everyone stared at the numbers flashing on the elevator. An evil smile flashed across Zhao Ze¡¯s downturned lips.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Shen Chen warned. Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen nodded.


    The elevator slowly descended. After reaching the fifth floor, the elevator lightened. Shen Chen clearly saw the two walk out alertly and cautiously.


    Less than two minutes later, the sound of hurried footsteps and a child¡¯s cry came.


    Shen Chen¡¯s expression changed. ¡®Not good! Something¡¯s happening!¡¯


    Then, the elevator dropped slightly. Three men and one child escaped into the elevator in fear. Guo Yuan pressed on the buttons frantically. ¡°Close! Hurry up and close!¡±


    Shen Chen was frantic. The elevator door hadn¡¯t closed yet when a zombie¡¯s arm reached inside.


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Zhao Zhen¡¯s eyes instantly widened. Guo Yuan chopped at the zombie¡¯s arm with his fire axe, but the obstruction made the elevator doors open. At the door, three or four zombies growled excitedly. The moment they saw the door open, they jumped toward the people inside.


    Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen watched the approaching zombies in despair. Guo Yuan suddenly yelled angrily, ¡°Zhao Ze, even if I get eaten by zombies, I won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    On top of the elevator, Pan Di grabbed Zhao Ze¡¯s collar. ¡°You f*cking dared to put my brothers in danger!¡±


    Zhao Ze yelled in terror. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault¡­ I didn¡¯t see any zombies!¡±


    Before he finished his sentence, the spot next to him became empty. Shen Chen had lifted the ceiling of the elevator and had jumped down onto the zombie before Pan Di and Zhao Ze¡¯s astonished stares. The first zombie that entered didn¡¯t get a chance to grab anyone before it was stepped on by Shen Chen. With a splat, its head shattered beneath Shen Chen¡¯s feet like a watermelon.


    Before anyone could even get a clear look, a knife flashed, and they heard two crisp noises. The zombies in front of them only had half a head remaining, and fell to the ground slowly. The whole process was over in a mere ten seconds. It was a total blur. Not only Guo Yuan and the others, but even the rescued man and the child in his arms, had stopped crying and stared at Shen Chen in disbelief. Was he even human? Was this a movie?


    Shen Chen quietly kicked out the zombie under his feet. He looked at the people in the elevator and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m fine!¡± It was the man, who had an incredulous expression, who answered. His eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s you. You¡¯re the one who picked up the phone!¡±


    Shen Chen flashed a faint smile. ¡°Of course I¡¯d do what I promised you.¡± Then he pressed the button to go down to the first floor. He turned around and said to the people inside the elevator, ¡°Now we¡¯re going to experience the pleasure of crushing zombies!¡±


    There were still zombies who hadn¡¯t fallen to their deaths that were standing on top of the mountain of corpses and screaming in the elevator shaft. But the elevator was like a mountain, crushing down on them mercilessly. Their brains and blood streamed out endlessly like smashed watermelons. Li Qi and Zhao Ze finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and began violently vomiting on the elevator.


    More and more zombies appeared below. The elevator lowered to the space between the second and first floor and could no longer go down.


    Shen Chen opened the elevator door from inside and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Everyone hastily crawled out from the opening on the first floor. Pan Di, Li Qi, and Zhao Ze also hastily jumped down from the elevator, then followed Shen Chen to the through elevator.


    Seeing the elevator rise closer and closer to the sixteenth floor, they finally fell limp to the floor after all they had experienced.


    When they entered the room, all the girls inside immediately gathered around them. They saw that all the men looked very shabby, and immediately understood what horrors they had experienced, especially Shen Chen. He was drenched in zombie blood.


    Seeing Ye Xiaoyu run over anxiously, Shen Chen got a warm feeling in his heart. He quickly stepped to the side. ¡°Don¡¯t come over here. There¡¯s zombie blood all over my body.¡± Then he ordered hastily, ¡°These two are survivors we rescued. Everyone go get cleaned, and we¡¯ll gather again later.¡±


    Half an hour later, the aroma of food filled the room. The man, who had been holding the child the whole time, looked at the neat room, which appeared so ordinary, and finally started crying uncontrollably. The little boy in his arms, who was only two or three, got a frantic expression on his face and started crying as well.


    A long while later, Zhao Zhen passed him a cigarette. The man holding the child took it with trembling fingers, lit it, and put it to his mouth. But looking down at the child in his arms, he hesitated, then slowly put the cigarette down. His calm voice was filled with great sorrow. ¡°His mother didn¡¯t let me smoke in front of him¡­¡±


    His words were filled with immense sorrow. It struck everyone¡¯s hearts. Suddenly, everyone¡¯s eyes reddened.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working away from home. My wife took care of the house. She was always working in and out of the home, taking care of the child, taking care of our parents, and all those trivial social matters, she did all of them. I knew she was exhausted, but I was busy working and never fulfilled my promises to her. This year I thought, I must compensate her. The three of us will come out for the holiday, for Valentine¡¯s Day¡­ but I didn¡¯t expect¡­ When she turned into a monster in the end, I was the one who killed her¡­ She was holding our child. I was afraid she would harm him¡­ but she didn¡¯t. She must have still remembered that was our child. Her mouth paused in mid-air and didn¡¯t bite down. But I still killed her¡­ I ought to die¡­¡±


    The man was immersed in great sorrow. His gaze was blank, staring straight ahead. He was like a piece of wood, seeming to not want to accept the tragedy that had occurred. The more he acted like that, the more pity everyone felt for him. The girls¡¯ eyes all dimmed watching the heartbroken man and the ignorant child in his arms.


    ¡®This was once a happy family, but during the apocalypse, countless families were destroyed like this¡­¡¯ Shen Chen quietly sighed, then said to the man, ¡°Dead people can¡¯t come back to life. The most important thing is for you to live on¡ªfor her sake too¡ªwith your child.¡±

 Chapter 19

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Shen Chen didn¡¯t get a chance to speak further. Zhao Ze tsked and said in a sarcastic tone, ¡°Did you know your phone call nearly killed us? And now you want to blow us off with a ¡®thank you?¡¯ Hm?¡±


    Guo Yuan, Zhao Zhen, and Pan Di recalled the horrifying experience they had just had, and their faces fell, too. Although the man and child were pitiful, in the end, the man¡¯s selfish actions had nearly made them lose their lives.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I really had no choice! Those zombies were right outside the door. Whenever my child cried, they pounded on the door endlessly¡­ It¡¯s fine for me to die, but my child¡­¡± Zhang Hongtao shook his head bitterly. ¡°He¡¯s only three! He should have a better life. He should be enjoying a happy childhood, not becoming zombie food¡­¡±


    ¡°God f*cking d*mn it. Your child shouldn¡¯t be zombie food, yet we should? Did you know I had to hang on a rope and act as zombie bait just to save you?!¡± Zhao Ze said viciously, every detail of the situation vivid in his memory. He hated the man to the point of insanity. He wanted to release all his fear and hatred. He didn¡¯t dare do it to Shen Chen, so he could only do it toward the man.


    ¡°Alright, are you done? You¡¯re so caught up in scolding him, yet what about yourself? Who was the one who said there were no more zombies on the fifth floor? The moment we walked out, several zombies gathered around us. If boss hadn¡¯t been so quick to react and jump down the elevator to save us, we would be dead by now! Why don¡¯t you scold yourself?¡± Guo Yuan couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He slammed the table and stood up, glaring at Zhao Ze.


    Zhao Ze became more and more arrogant. He yelled rudely, ¡°I have bad vision. I couldn¡¯t see clearly. Besides, all of you had weapons. What¡¯s a handful of zombies to you?!¡±


    ¡°You must have said there were no zombies on purpose! You wanted to kill us, didn¡¯t you?¡± Zhao Zhen stood up too.


    The situation instantly grew tense. The girls didn¡¯t know this had happened. They couldn¡¯t console the men, even if they wanted to. They could only watch the three men glare at each other in concern.


    ¡°What proof do you have? What proof do you have?¡± Zhao Ze humphed from his nose.


    ¡°You want f*cking proof?¡± Pan Di slammed the table. ¡°When I let you down to bait the zombies, I shouldn¡¯t have pulled you back up!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Shen Chen reprimanded loudly. Everyone immediately shut up, but they were all red in the face and unwilling to yield.


    Shen Chen¡¯s gaze stayed on Zhao Ze for a long time, until Zhao Ze couldn¡¯t help but get goosebumps. Only then did he turn around coolly and say slowly, ¡°Alright, what happened today will end here. Everyone go eat and rest.¡±


    Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen looked at each other. They didn¡¯t speak. They sat down in silence. Zhang Xiaoya hastily got both of them some rice, but they ate discontentedly. Pan Di sighed and was about to say something, but Lin Qianqian tugged him, so he stayed silent, too. Only the sound of chopsticks hitting bowls came from the dining table.


    Zhao Ze was a little anxious. He couldn¡¯t help speculating what Shen Chen¡¯s stare from earlier meant. ¡®Could this b*stard Shen Chen know something¡­ No, if he knew I did purposely try to kill those two brats, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be so calm. He would certainly jump up and kill me¡­ right, so he must not know¡­ He must not know.¡¯


    At this thought, Zhao Ze¡¯s trembling hands gradually settled down. He was just about to reach for his rice when Shen Chen suddenly said, ¡°Zhao Ze!¡±


    The chopsticks in Zhao Ze¡¯s hands fell to the floor with a clack. He didn¡¯t know when he had started becoming afraid of Shen Chen, but it was without doubt because Shen Chen was not easy to handle. Zhao Ze composed himself, then managed to squeeze out a smile. ¡°Boss, what¡¯s¡­ what¡¯s up?¡±


    Everyone had their hearts in their mouths, unsure what Shen Chen meant to do. Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen¡¯s faces were radiant. Boss was about to avenge them!


    ¡°You did well as a bait today!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    These words made Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen¡¯s faces immediately turn pale. They blinked blankly, not willing to believe what they heard. ¡®How could this be? Why would Boss praise this guy? Zhao Ze was clearly trying to kill us. Why would Boss believe in this a**hole?¡¯


    A smile bloomed on Zhao Ze¡¯s face. He returned to his usual arrogance, shooting a mocking glance at Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen. He said with a sneer, ¡°Hmph, now you know. Where were you when I was hanging on a rope acting as bait? And you wanted to fight me?¡±


    Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen had unyielding expressions on their faces. Although Zhao Ze had done what a bait was supposed to do, that was only because Shen Chen had forced him. They didn¡¯t believe that Zhao Ze would have had the courage to do it himself without a malicious motive.


    Zhao Ze calmly reached for the biggest piece of chicken on the table. He contently watched the boys stare at him with faces red from anger, then quickly placed the food into his own bowl. ¡°Sigh, it can¡¯t be helped. Those who are more able need to eat more. People like you, who get chased around by zombies, should just stay at home and cook with the girls!¡±


    Before he could finish, Shen Chen rubbed his palms and said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s right. Although you did a bad job scouting the enemies today, I have to admit, you were born to be bait. From now on, you will take on the job of baiting!¡±


    Clank. The bowl full of food dropped from Zhao Ze¡¯s hands. He stared at Zhao Ze, who looked very calm, and suddenly felt an emotion like fear. His heart was in his mouth, and he said with a stutter, ¡°The job¡­ of¡­ baiting?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What? You have an objection?¡±


    Zhao Ze gulped. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous¡­¡± His face instantly became white as a sheet of paper. His features were all out of place. He felt like he had been dropped into a hole of ice. He was cold from head to toe. At that moment, he seriously wanted to yell, ¡°Who the hell wants to be a bait? Being a bait means risking my life!¡±


    But he felt that something was slightly off. He raised his head and looked at Shen Chen with horror. Shen Chen¡¯s face was as cold as frost. He stared at Zhao Ze and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you bad at spotting and detecting zombies? I can¡¯t see any value in you besides being bait.¡±


    Thump. Zhao Ze fell to the floor onto his butt. He was astonished and went limp, as if his spine were broken.


    ¡®He knows. He must know something. He¡¯s not exposing me, because he wants to torture me to death.¡¯ The more he thought about it, the more he became afraid, and the more twisted his emotions became.


    Everyone watched Zhao Ze with an expression of disdain. Ye Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help bursting into laughter, her gaze full of approval for Shen Chen.


    Watching Zhao Ze¡¯s face turn from ecstasy and arrogance to a pallor, Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen felt like they had just drunk a cold soda in the middle of summer. They were elated. Boss wasn¡¯t trying to praise Zhao Ze. He was purposely setting a trap! ¡®Boss is indeed a boss. He didn¡¯t directly reprimand Zhao Ze, but punished him even more harshly.¡¯


    Zhao Ze hugged himself. Tiny goosebumps rose on his arms. He shook his head in terror, yelling loudly, ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t want to be bait¡­ Shen Chen, you can¡¯t f*cking treat me this way!¡±


    Shen Chen watched Zhao Ze, who was trembling on the ground, with indifference. Then he slowly crouched down and said, ¡°Next time, don¡¯t let me find out you have bad vision and can¡¯t see zombies clearly. Also, don¡¯t waste this bowl of food that fell on the ground. Eat it up!¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s expression was tranquil and ordinary, as if he were saying something extremely mundane, but his words made everyone sense his authority, especially Zhao Ze. He suddenly realized Shen Chen was definitely not the brat he had assumed him to be. Rather, he was a powerful figure.


    The Shen Chen of the previous life would have just cut a villain like this without giving him any chances. However, Guo Yuan and Pan Di had just joined and had no concept of the cruelty of Doomsday. If he killed now, they would definitely detest it. If that happened, then he would fail in his goal of leading the brothers in this life. Thus, he had to endure it for now.


    Shen Chen raised his head, saying to Zhang Xiaoya, ¡°There was too much food eaten today. In the future, it will be enough to guarantee basic nutritional needs. These are chaotic times. Resources are in shortage. We must be conservative with our resources. Ye Xiaoyu, who studied medicine, will be responsible for balancing our diet.¡±


    Everyone immediately nodded, convinced. The three brothers from the dorm gazed at Shen Chen¡¯s powerful and authoritative face, thinking to themselves, ¡®Shen Chen is completely different from before. Is it possible that you can only see who the real leaders are in an apocalypse?¡¯


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes were sparkling. A man like this, with such aura and such wit! That was the kind of man she fell for!


    Everyone finished their food and returned to their rooms. Zhang Xiaoya and Ye Xiaoyu lived in the same room. The two of them were about to go back when Zhao Zhen suddenly grabbed Zhang Xiaoya¡¯s hand. ¡°Xiaoya, can I talk to you for a bit?¡±


    Zhang Xiaoya gazed at Zhao Zhen with a blush, then looked at Ye Xiaoyu. ¡°Xiaoyu¡­¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu smiled, then pushed the two of them into the room, faking an angry tone. ¡°I¡¯ll only give you an hour¡­ yeah¡­ Two hours! I¡¯m going to knock when the time¡¯s up!¡±


    Zhao Zhen immediately broke out into a smile, bowing to Ye Xiaoyu. ¡°Thank you. Thank you, Xiaoyu.¡±


    On the other side, Pan Di saw this and was stirred. He sighed and said to Lin Qianqian, ¡°How about we do that too?¡±


    Lin Qianqian pushed Pan Di in annoyance. ¡°I¡¯m on my period!¡± Then she went back to her room with Li Jing.


    Guo Yuan walked up and patted Pan Di¡¯s shoulder. He spoke in a grave but sincere tone. ¡°Di, that girl Lin Qianqian doesn¡¯t suit you very well.¡±


    Pan Di smiled bitterly, then scratched his head. ¡°Fourth, I know she looks down on me, but I can¡¯t help liking her!¡±


    Guo Yuan gazed at Pan Di speechlessly, then shook his head.


    Shen Chen sat on his bed alone, staring at the twenty-four vials of evolution fluid. The twenty-four vials of evolution fluid had all finished settling. They gave off a cold aura. Based on the directions for consumption in his past life, each time someone drank a vial of evolution fluid, they had to wait twenty-four to thirty-six hours before they could drink another vial. Otherwise, if too much evolution fluid built up in their body, there was the possibility of cadaverization.


    Shen Chen looked at his watch. More than thirty-six hours had passed since he had last drunk one. That meant it was safe for him to drink a second vial.

 Chapter 20

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The vial of evolution liquid entered Shen Chen¡¯s stomach. As he breathed deeply and entered absorption mode, a faint current of energy flowed through his body. Shen Chen greedily sucked up the fluid like a sponge. The potent effects of the medicine swept through his body with a crushing force, making his body emit light snapping sounds. His muscles and bones strengthened. He felt a cold feeling.


    Finally, he opened his eyes. His eyes were radiating. He suddenly walked out of his room onto the balcony. Looking at the strong steel rails on the balcony, he lightly rested his hand on them, then squeezed. As Shen Chen exerted force, five fingerprints appeared on the steel railing. Shen Chen kept a straight face, continuing to exert pressure on the railing. The prints on the steel gradually deepened. In the end, it caved in by a whole finger¡¯s depth.


    Content, Shen Chen let go. It seemed like he had finished another fifteen percent of the first level of strengthening and had reached thirty percent. The speed somewhat surprised him. If he continued progressing at this speed, he would only need to consume six or seven more vials of evolution fluid before he could reach First Tier. By that time, he would truly have the power to protect himself in the apocalypse. He could also start practicing some martial arts techniques that had leaked from the military during his previous life.


    Shen Chen looked at the remaining vials in his room in consideration. ¡®It seems like I should let my brothers drink the fluids soon, too.¡¯


    ¡­


    Zhang Xiaoya charmingly lay in Zhao Zhen¡¯s arms, a faint blush still on her cheeks. Gazing at the man next to her, who seemed to have aged a lot, for the first time Zhang Xiaoya thought she had made the right decision in choosing him in spite all her friends¡¯ dissuasion. At least she was still alive.


    Perhaps her gaze was too scorching, because Zhao Zhen turned around slightly. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m thinking about Shen Chen.¡±


    Hearing her mention Shen Chen, Zhao Zhen immediately became severe. ¡°What? Do you also hold objections against boss like that idiot Lin Qianqian?¡±


    Zhang Xiaoya quickly waved her hands. ¡°Why would I? I was just thinking, if it weren¡¯t for him, we¡¯d probably be dead by now.¡±


    Only then did Zhao Zhen let out a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s right. Boss saved our lives. Don¡¯t be like Lin Qianqian. Don¡¯t hang out with her, either. She treats Boss with such animosity. In my opinion, that woman either has a screw loose, or she has something to count on.¡±


    Zhang Xiaoya nodded. ¡°I heard her family is very powerful. She¡¯s some official¡¯s daughter. She¡¯s out of Pan Di¡¯s reach. No wonder she¡¯s so arrogant.¡±


    Zhao Zhen scoffed. ¡°So what if they¡¯re officials? It¡¯s Doomsday now. There are zombies everywhere. To me, this is the true age of justice. Whoever has true strength can live on!¡±


    Zhang Xiaoya nodded in agreement. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something. She said, ¡°Oh, right. Boss ordered Ye Xiaoyu to manage the food today?¡±


    Zhao Zhen furrowed his brows. ¡°What? You have something against that?¡± He patted Zhang Xiaoya¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°That girl is very strong. She¡¯s no weaker than us men. Shen Chen seems to treat her differently, too. You guys live in the same room. You must get along with her. Don¡¯t fight over trivial things!¡± Then Zhao Zhen stared into Zhang Xiaoya¡¯s eyes intently. ¡°Both of our parents aren¡¯t in S City. No one knows what happened to them. Xiaoya, we are each other¡¯s family in this world. I don¡¯t want you to die. I don¡¯t want to see you turn into a zombie! I¡¯m serious!¡±


    Zhang Xiaoya was a little stupefied. She didn¡¯t expect to have such a high standing in Zhao Zhen¡¯s heart. His words moved her greatly. She nodded with tears in her eyes.


    Knocking came from the door. ¡°Zhen, Boss is calling us!¡±


    Zhao Zhen immediately got out of bed and kissed Zhang Xiaoya¡¯s forehead. He smiled, then put on his clothes and left the room. Under Zhang Xiaoya¡¯s longing glance, he followed Pan Di and Guo Yuan into Shen Chen¡¯s room.


    Three tubes of evolution fluid were placed in front of Zhao Zhen, Guo Yuan, and Pan Di. The three of them stared at Shen Chen in surprise.


    Shen Chen smiled coolly. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know how I suddenly became so strong?¡±


    Their eyes lit up. Zhao Zhen asked in surprise, ¡°Boss, do you mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know once you drink it,¡± Shen Chen said with a smile, pointing to the evolution fluid.


    The three of them exchanged a look, an uncontrollable delight on their faces. They picked up the evolution fluid without a thought and finished it in one gulp.


    Instantly, the three of them felt a sensation that was impossible to put into words, as if a volcano had exploded in the depths of their bodies and lava had poured out. The energy that surged out put them in excruciating pain. Guo Yuan¡¯s knees went weak, and he fell to the floor.


    ¡°Boss¡­¡± Zhao Zhen said shakily. His face was red, as if he had just drunk wine. He hurt like he was being torn apart.


    Pan Di gritted his teeth. The veins on his neck stood out.


    If not for the fact that they trusted Shen Chen, they probably would have thought that he had just fed them poison. The sensation was like being flayed from the inside out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Close your eyes and sit down with your legs crossed. Carefully perceive this power,¡± Shen Chen shouted suddenly. His words soothed the three brothers, and they felt reassured. They nodded, anxiety disappearing from their faces. They sat down with their legs crossed and perceived everything as Shen Chen ordered.


    Shen Chen stared at his watch, watching beads of sweat seep out from their foreheads, each frowning, enduring all the painful torture. He couldn¡¯t blame them for feeling anxious. The first time a human drinks the fluid, it did bring great discomfort. Shen Chen had felt the same way in his previous life. Although he didn¡¯t have that feeling in this life, it didn¡¯t mean that Zhao Zhen and the rest wouldn¡¯t feel pain. They could only endure it all through sheer force of will.


    Three hours ticked by. Zhao Zhen was the first to open his eyes. He waved his fists in surprise, an excited look on his face. Zhao Zhen scratched his head and said, ¡°Boss, why do I feel a mysterious power? I feel so much stronger, like I have endless energy. This medicine is amazing!¡±


    However, Shen Chen frowned. After three hours of absorption, judging from the speed at which Zhao Zhen swung his fists, he may have only absorbed thirty percent. This meant that Zhao Zhen had barely reached the standard of a neo-human. The low ratio might make it very difficult for him to survive in the future, but he didn¡¯t say this to Zhao Zhen.


    Great confidence radiated from Shen Chen¡¯s eyes. So what if he only absorbed thirty percent? He was already one step ahead. He was certain that with his experiences from the previous life, it won¡¯t be impossible for Zhao Zhen to reach the level he was at in his previous life with his help.


    Shen Chen¡¯s brows relaxed, then he said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Third and Fourth.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Approximately two more hours later, Pan Di and Guo Yuan woke up one after another. The moment they opened their eyes, a brilliant light flashed out of their pupils. Shen Chen took a sharp breath. In his previous life, Third and Fourth only had a ratio of around forty percent. They had just been ordinary neo-humans. But in this life, they were able to obtain the radiance that only people who reached sixty percent had. They were above average among neo-humans.


    ¡®Is this evolution fluid more effective the earlier you drink it?¡¯ Shen Chen carefully recalled those King Tier and Saint Tier masters from his previous life and felt more certain about his speculation. If this were the case, then he must pick up his pace in collecting and drinking the evolution fluid.


    ¡°Boss, it¡¯s so effective.¡±


    ¡°Boss, it¡¯s awesome.¡±


    Pan Di and Guo Yuan could barely believe it. They started running around in the spacious room. Their speeds were much faster.


    Suddenly, Pan Di shouted and punched the wall. A bowl-sized hollow cavity appeared in the wall. Pan Di held his hand and jumped, crying in pain, yet he had an uncontrollable joy on his face.


    Seeing this, Guo Yuan punched the wall too. He also made a cavity. This was completely unimaginable before. Seeing this, Zhao Ze also itched for a try.


    Watching the three of them, Shen Chen held his forehead and said helplessly, ¡°Go back to your own rooms if you want to test out your fists. Don¡¯t tear my room down!¡±


    The three of them all burst out into laughter. This was the happiest day they had had since the apocalypse started. With the evolution fluid, and with this kind of power, they would definitely survive through the apocalypse.


    Suddenly, Zhao Zhen, Pan Di, and Guo Yuan exchanged a look, then they all snickered. They stared at Shen Chen naughtily, all looking very eager.


    Shen Chen went blank for a second, then chuckled. ¡°Why are you guys rubbing your fists?¡±


    ¡°Boss, how about we fight?¡± Pan Di said with a grin.


    Guo Yuan joined in, too. ¡°Boss, we won¡¯t tear down your room, but you¡¯ve got to let us release this awesome power!¡±


    Shen Chen laughed. ¡°You¡¯re really impatient. Fine, you just drank the evolution fluid, and you¡¯re full of power. Let¡¯s fight, then.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Pan Di was confident in his combat capacity. He chuckled and said, ¡°Watch out, boss!¡± After he said that, he ran up and punched his heavy fist toward Shen Chen with a whipping wind.


    The punch was completely different from his punches of the past. A normal person¡¯s punch theoretically had about thirty kilograms of force. Wrestlers¡¯ punches could reach about one hundred and fifty kilograms. But after Pan Di drank the evolution fluid, his punch was at least two hundred kilograms in power.


    Shen Chen kept a straight face. When the fist was only an inch away from his face, he twisted and pushed the punch away. Then he pushed forcefully. Pan Di felt a strong power from where his fist had reached, and took a few steps back from the impact.


    An expression of disbelief flashed in Pan Di¡¯s eyes. He was used to fighting. He knew that his punch from earlier, with the help of the evolution fluid, was enough to punch through a dozen bricks, but Shen Chen didn¡¯t move an inch against such a force. He even managed to corner him with a single push. How strong was he?


    Shen Chen shook his head. ¡°You three, all at once! Let me test the strength in your bodies!¡±

 Chapter 21

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The three of them gasped, and Guo Yuan blinked. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding, boss!¡±


    ¡°I meant it. C¡¯mere together, all three of you!¡±


    Shen Chen narrowed his eyes and raised his arms in a ¡°ready to strike¡± battle pose. His aura changed in an instant. There was something dangerous about him.


    Their hair stood on end. The Shen Chen they were facing right now was like a ferocious beast eyeing its prey. It was only then that they realized Shen Chen wasn¡¯t joking about taking on the three of them at the same time.


    This did not deter them; instead, it roused their fighting spirit. After making eye contact with one another, they mustered as much strength as they could, each focusing on different parts of Shen Chen¡¯s body.


    ¡°Boom boom boom.¡± There were three loud noises!


    Before Guo Yuan and the rest could even touch Shen Chen, they were all thrown backward into the air, and started aching all over. He opened his eyes to see Shen Chen standing in the same position and pose, whereas Pan Di and Zhao Zhen were lying on the ground, moaning and having difficulty getting up.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Pan Di couldn¡¯t help letting out an expletive as he groaned.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re human, boss?¡± Guo Yuan grimaced as he got up from the ground.


    The three of them were incredulous. It was three on one, yet Shen Chen had taken them out in mere seconds! And only with a single move!


    D*mn it. They didn¡¯t even manage to see how he did it! How lame were they!?


    ¡°Good strength! Especially Pan Di. He¡¯s the strongest amongst the three of you. But what good is strength if you guys don¡¯t know how to use it to your advantage?¡±


    Shaking his head, Shen Chen said, ¡°From now on, whether we¡¯re training or killing zombies, don¡¯t expend too much energy at the start. Learn to conserve your energy. Otherwise, you¡¯ll tire too soon. Watch.¡±


    The three of them watched attentively. Shen Chen walked to the front of the TV console. Holding out his fist, his stance was seemingly weak, but as his fist got closer to the TV console, there was a sudden burst of power, just like a Meteor Blitz. There was a loud ¡°poof¡± as the TV console crumbled into dust.


    The three of them were dumbfounded at the sight. What¡­ what was this? They had seen TV consoles being destroyed, but making it crumble with a single blow? How much force did that require?


    ¡°Focus on a specific point, and let the energy spread all over you. When you throw out your fist, you need to gather and focus your strength. Only then will you be able to defeat your enemy!¡± said Shen Chen as he blew away the dust on his fingertips. ¡°Make sure you remember that in two days¡¯ time when we go out to kill the zombies.¡±


    Having faith in what Shen Chen had told them, the three of them nodded. It was only now that they realized the gap between them and Shen Chen. In a way, Shen Chen was kind of like their ¡°shifu.¡±


    For the next three days, they didn¡¯t head out to kill zombies. Instead, they underwent physical training under Shen Chen¡¯s guidance. Executing one thousand push-ups used to be impossible, but they improved by leaps and bounds after ingesting a vial of Evolution Fluid every twenty-four hours.


    Punches, kicks, squats¡ªthey did it all. The training was rigorous. Initially, Li Qi, Zhao Ze, and Zhang Hongtao were still able to keep up, but by the second and third day, only Zhang Hongtao bothered with a watered-down version of the training while he played with his son, Duoduo.


    Everyone got along better, though, after those three days. Li Jing, Zhang Xiaoya, and Ye Xiaoyu were especially fond of the three-year-old, Duoduo, and would read stories to him.


    On the third night, after the training ended, Shen Chen finally nodded. ¡°Rest well tonight. Tomorrow we take out those zombies!¡±


    The three men roared, ¡°Let¡¯s take out those suckers!¡±


    ¡°What? We still have to go kill those zombies? Aren¡¯t we safe right now?¡± Zhao Ze was alarmed when he heard their plans for tomorrow.


    ¡°We need to find out where the zombies on the fourth flour came from! Why there¡¯s so many of them! By right, there shouldn¡¯t be so many people in the hotel. Even if there are that many of them, they should all be locked in the rooms,¡± Shen Chen explained simply. What he didn¡¯t tell everyone was that these zombies were capable of evolving. After a month, the strongest of the zombies would start mutating. If they failed to destroy all the zombies in the hotel, the zombies would soon arrive on the sixteenth floor.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Zhao Ze seemed to want to argue some more but was interrupted by Pan Di, who said impatiently, ¡°Enough with your bullsh*t. Whatever the boss says goes.¡±


    Li Qianwian glared at him. ¡°Why are you so fierce?¡±


    Pan Di suppressed his annoyance. ¡°Lin Qianqian, it¡¯s a guy¡¯s thing. Don¡¯t get involved. This scum would have been kicked out of the team a long time ago had it not been for Li Jing.¡±


    Zhao Ze blanched. For the past two days, Pan Di hadn¡¯t bothered to hide what he felt or thought from him. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he pounced on Zhao Ze. ¡®This b*stard. To think I was planning to promote him after things went back to normal.¡¯


    There was a hint of resentment in Zhao Ze¡¯s eyes. He had already forgotten how, when Pan Di was protecting him, he had pushed him toward the zombies.


    Shen Chen got up slowly. His aura was so intimidating that both Zhao Ze and Pan Di immediately shut their mouths.


    He then said plainly, ¡°What I want is a refuge that is absolutely safe. Do you guys have any idea what that means?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s expressions became solemn. Shen Chen glanced at their faces, then said seriously, ¡°Never leave things up to chance! A moment of laxity could very well end in death for you! This isn¡¯t child¡¯s play! If there is anyone trying to wait things out over here¡­¡± With a cold and serious expression, he continued, ¡°I don¡¯t need such people in my team! But the zombies outside would welcome people like that!¡±


    As he scanned the crowd with his eyes, everyone¡¯s heart trembled uncontrollably. God! How could they have forgotten that what waited for them outside was an apocalypse! At that instant, everyone nodded gravely.


    Zhao Ze lowered his head. ¡°Since all of you agree with what he¡¯s just said, may I make a trip to the restroom first?¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± Pan Di couldn¡¯t hide the annoyance in his voice.


    Shen Chen¡¯s brows furrowed. Zhao Ze was being ostracized within the team, and that wasn¡¯t a good thing.


    After a while, Zhao Ze finally returned. He had a weird expression on his face: a mixture of fear and hope.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s here. Let¡¯s go,¡± Shen Chen didn¡¯t even bother taking a look at him as he picked up Black Blade and led the way out of the room.


    As the elevator descended slowly, Guo Yuan, Zhao Zhen, and Pan Di were brimming with confidence and were eager to test their new moves. Shen Chen reminded them in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate them! Let¡¯s go to the control room to check out the situation for the first to fourth floors before we do anything else.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡±


    Sure enough, when they reached the first floor, there were a few zombies, probably from upstairs, waiting for them in the lobby. As soon as they saw the door of the elevator open, they started stumbling over with their rotting arms raised.


    Shen Chen smiled and said to the three of them, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you guys!¡±

 Chapter 22

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    The three of them felt especially confident after all that strength training. As soon as they saw the zombies, they leapt up from the ground with an explosive burst of energy and raised their fire axes with both hands. They were practically pouncing on the zombies.


    The zombies who didn¡¯t manage to evade their blows in time slumped to the ground with a loud ¡°poof,¡± viscous dark red blood and cerebral fluid oozing out of them.


    Zhao Ze and Li Qi could hardly believe their eyes. How did these average Joes become so powerful overnight?


    But these guys got better and better at what they were doing. It only took them a few minutes to wipe out the seven or eight zombies in the lobby. Shen Chen didn¡¯t even have the chance to help.


    ¡°Boss! Boss! Boss!¡± the three of them shouted in unison as they stood in front of Shen Chen like middle schoolers waiting for their teacher to finish grading their papers.


    ¡°Not bad¡­¡± Shen Chen nodded with a smile. ¡°Although Zhao Zhen had the least strength, he was very precise in application. Guo Yuan, you were more of an all-rounder. And as for Pan Di, you had the most strength, but you were also the least accurate. Look at the last zombie. It took you three blows to kill it, so you need to work harder!¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± the three of them roared. Shen Chen gave them a brief smile.


    In the control room, on the CCTV footage, they could see that a dozen zombies were scattered on the second and third floors. At least they were all spread out and not coming in waves. The hotel was huge, so there were many passageways. Just the evacuation routes alone amounted to six.


    What was weird, though, was that there were only two passageways leading to the fourth floor, and the CCTV only had the view of a long, long hallway, so the situation was unclear. What was even more bizarre was that no traces of the zombies could be seen from the CCTV. Had they managed to lure out all the zombies from the fourth floor two days ago?


    Seeing that there weren¡¯t many zombies, Zhao Zhen said, ¡°Boss, there aren¡¯t that many zombies. I think having all six of us move around in such a small area at the same time would slow down our operation.¡±


    ¡°Bro, are you suggesting that we split up?¡± Guo Yuan asked.


    From the CCTV footage, it did appear that there wasn¡¯t any imminent danger, so after pondering for a while, Shen Chen said, ¡°Let¡¯s split into two teams. Guo Yuan, Pan Di, Li Qi, the three of you go up via the east passageway. Me, Zhao Zhen, and Zhao Ze will head up from the west.¡±


    He was still a little worried, so he reminded them again, ¡°Remember, let¡¯s meet at the third floor. You¡¯re not to go up to the fourth floor on your own!¡±


    ¡°Got it, boss!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss!¡±


    Shen Chen nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Under Shen Chen¡¯s command, the six of them immediately split into teams and went upstairs separately. Shen Chen led his team to the west side. Zhao Zhen was last, and the panicky Zhao Ze was in the middle.


    There weren¡¯t many zombies on the second floor; those wandering around on their own posed no threat to Shen Chen. They didn¡¯t even have the opportunity to attack, as Shen Chen took them out with no difficulty. This made Zhao Ze even more fearful.


    An hour later, the six of them reunited on the second floor. The second floor was now clear of zombies!


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue on to the third floor. Be alert!¡± Shen Chen then said solemnly, ¡°Remember not to get caught by the zombies.¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s words did not fall on deaf ears. ¡°Yes, boss. We¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    There were more zombies on the third floor. Zombies lunged at them the moment they walked up the stairs, prompting a loud scream from Zhao Ze. P*ssed off at Zhao Ze, Zhao Zhen muffled his screams by putting his hand over his mouth. Shen Chen moved swiftly with Black Blade, killing all three zombies instantly.


    ¡°We already went through so many zombies yesterday. There were only three just now. Why did you have to make a big fuss?¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s brows furrowed as he glanced at Zhao Ze¡¯s fearful expression. Zhao Ze¡¯s fear appeared to be genuine. He didn¡¯t appear to be faking it. He said coldly to him, ¡°Shut your mouth!¡±


    Zhao Ze immediately shut up and didn¡¯t dare make a single sound.


    There were a lot more zombies on the third floor than there were on the second. As the three of them walked down the hallway, zombies would lunge at them every now and then! Although Zhao Ze wasn¡¯t of much use, Shen Chen and Zhao Zhen managed between the two of them. After about two hours, the zombies on the third floor were eradicated.


    ¡°Boss, there aren¡¯t any left on the third floor. What should we do now?¡± After slaying so many zombies, Zhao Zhen was feeling really pumped. His clothes and face were covered with blood stains, and he wiped away the blood coolly as he asked Shen Chen what to do next.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡±


    ¡°We might as well go up to the fourth floor to have a look,¡± Zhao Zhen responded. ¡°Third and Fourth are too slow. They haven¡¯t caught up with us yet. There shouldn¡¯t be that many zombies on the fourth floor anyway, since a dozen of them already died a few days ago. It shouldn¡¯t be too dangerous up there.¡±


    Although that might well be true, Shen Chen felt wary for some reason. After contemplating for a while, he finally said cautiously, ¡°You guys wait here. I¡¯ll go up and have a look on my own.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go up together, boss,¡± said Zhao Zhen. ¡°We could look out for each other in case it gets really dangerous up there.¡±


    Looking at Zhao Zhen¡¯s enthusiastic expression, Shen Chen had no choice but to agree. However, being his usual cautious self, he minced up some zombie flesh and smeared it on the three of them.


    Zhao Zhen asked in mild bewilderment, ¡°What are you doing, boss?¡±


    ¡°The zombie blood ensures that the other zombies won¡¯t pick up on our odor. But stay quiet. Otherwise, we¡¯ll blow our cover really soon.¡±


    Watching Shen Chen¡¯s every move, Zhao Ze did the same, only faster. He covered all the exposed parts of his body with the zombie blood. Zhao Zhen glanced at him in surprise.


    ¡°All right!¡± Shen Chen stood up. At that moment, both his face and body were covered in filthy blood, but his eyes glittered. ¡°C¡¯mon. Let¡¯s go see what it¡¯s like.¡±


    Zhao Ze shuffled after the two of them, a strange expression on his face. The three of them tiptoed up the stairs. The unassuming fire door was like the bloody jaws of a scary monster, and there appeared to be nothing but darkness beyond the door. After they passed through the fire door, there was an extremely long hallway. The eerie music they heard from a distance made the entire hallway even creepier. After a few moments, a couple of zombies appeared within sight, probably having heard their footsteps. The zombies¡¯ eyes were staring fixedly in their direction.


    Zhao Zhen¡¯s heart leapt into his throat. He walked forward gingerly, worried that the three zombies would pounce on him. He stared at the three zombies staggering toward them, but these zombies soon turned around and walked in the opposite direction. Realizing that the zombies hadn¡¯t paid them any attention, Zhao Ze finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    Zhao Zhen then gestured, asking, ¡°Shall we kill them?¡±

 Chapter 23

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Shen Chen shook his head and motioned to Zhao Zhen not to be rash. He then slowly raised his weapon; there were three crisp sounds before the three zombies collapsed to the ground. Black Blade was used to stab the back of the zombies¡¯ heads, destroying their brain tissue upon impact. If he were to chop their heads off, the movement could alert the other zombies. That was why Shen Chen chose to do what he did instead. He slowly dragged the zombies to one side, then beckoned the rest to carefully move forward.


    Zhao Ze¡¯s eyes kept darting nervously as he stuck close to Shen Chen like a timid mouse. The three of them walked down the long hallway cautiously. After they passed through a security door, they were greeted with the sight of a wide glass door that was open. In that instant, everyone¡¯s eyes widened, and their scalps tingled.


    This was a Chinese restaurant that could accommodate a thousand guests. It was supposed to have been a happy setting. In fact, the wedding march could still be heard! However, the restaurant had already become a scene of carnage and bloodshed. But that wasn¡¯t the only reason their scalps were tingling! There were four to five hundred zombies here!


    Zhao Ze let out a bloodcurdling scream as he ran out of the restaurant. The zombies inside immediately turned to look in their direction! A few hundred pairs of eyes were now staring at the intruders!


    ¡®Zhao Ze, that idiot!!!¡¯ Shen Chen¡¯s head was about to explode! Had it not been for his screams, there was no way the zombies would have discovered the three of them! His screams had gotten them into trouble!


    The zombies started moving! They spread themselves out and started moving toward Shen Chen, their arms raised. It was a grotesque sight. Their faces were in a terrible state of decay. Drool was dripping out of their mouths, and their jaws opened and closed noisily.


    Zhao Zhen blanked out for a moment. He felt as if he had been transported to another dimension; his brain could no longer command his body to move. He wanted to escape, but he couldn¡¯t get his body to move.


    ¡°Quick!¡± Shen Chen¡¯s face had never looked so grim. He wasted no time in pulling Zhao Zhen along as he ran out of the restaurant.


    Three to four hundred zombies! That was enough to kill the two of them! At this moment, his priority was to ensure Zhao Zhen¡¯s survival! He could deal with Zhao Ze later.


    The long hallway did not feel quite as long as when they had first gotten there, but it now seemed to take them forever to reach the fire door! The hallway stood between them and their survival!


    About a dozen seconds later, the fire door finally appeared within sight. Shen Chen was about to relax for a second, but he suddenly had a bad premonition. Zhao Ze was nowhere to be seen. What they did see, though, were layers of metal chains wrapped around the door handle. Zhao Zhen and Shen Chen¡¯s faces blanched! ¡®Zhao Ze! That bast*rd! How dare he lock the door!!!¡¯


    But the noises behind them reminded them that the zombies were about to catch up with them very soon. ¡°F*ck! It must have been that b*stard Zhao Ze!¡± said Zhao Zhen as he hacked away at the chains with the fire axe. He was so anxious that he was virtually on the edge of tears. His hands were trembling so much that the hacking had no effect whatsoever on the metal chains.


    Shen Chen promptly whipped out Black Blade and aimed it at the metal chains. The chains immediately fell apart, and he opened the door without hesitation. ¡°Go.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Zhao Zhen asked worriedly.


    Shen Chen could already see the zombies¡¯ arms from around the corner. He urged Zhao Zhen, ¡°I can¡¯t leave. If these zombies were to get out, both Third and Fourth would die!¡±


    Zhao Zhen¡¯s heart lurched. ¡°Then what should we do?¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s eyes fell on the zombies lying on the ground. Taking a deep breath, he then said with a solemn expression, ¡°I have an idea!¡±


    ¡­


    The zombies were marching toward them like an army. However, their footsteps started to slow down as they approached the fire door.


    The fire door was tightly closed. Two ¡°zombies¡± were standing against the wall, and one of them started pacing in front of the fire door. The ¡°zombie¡± who had been pacing around with his arm dangling suddenly turned toward the swamp of zombies. A scary growl emerged from him.


    At this instant, Zhao Zhen was peeking through the crevice of the fire door. He could see Shen Chen inserting Black Blade into the zombie¡¯s body. Shen Chen was looking really uneasy and was making growling sounds similar to that of a zombie¡¯s.


    The swamp of zombies slowed down as they stared at this strange ¡°zombie¡± in bewilderment. They felt compelled to obey its command. Besides, there was no longer a trace of the humans¡¯ scent in the air. The zombies slowly turned around and froze for a while before finally dispersing.


    At this moment, the wedding march could still be heard echoing throughout the hallway. Their keen sense of hearing having picked up the strains of the melody, the zombies started moving in the direction of the music.


    About half an hour later, the Black Blade and the fire axe were removed from the zombie¡¯s body. The zombie that had been standing in front of the door previously immediately collapsed to the ground in a mush.


    Behind the door, Zhao Zhen crumbled to the ground, drenched in sweat. He hadn¡¯t expected Shen Chen to fool the zombies by controlling one¡¯s movements with a weapon inserted in its body, at the same time making weird noises with his mouth. And these zombies actually fell for it! Just a while ago, he had accepted that this endeavor would be a matter of life or death, but they were now safe and sound thanks to boss! Otherwise, he would have met his demise today!


    ¡°Are you able to move?¡± Shen Chen also fell to the floor, his muscles uncontrollably spasming from the sheer pressure that he had just faced.


    Zhao Zhen smiled wryly. ¡°I¡¯m having leg cramps.¡±


    ¡°Hang in there. We need to get out of here.¡± Shen Chen supported his weight as they made their way down the stairs. He found a room on the third floor so that Zhao Zhen could rest for a bit.


    ¡°Boss, there are still hundreds of zombies up there! What shall we do?¡± Zhao Zhen asked anxiously.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be a wedding¡­¡± Shen Chen lowered his gaze, saying coldly, ¡°That has to be resolved. We need to figure something out when we get back¡­ but the most pressing matter at hand is to find Zhao Ze!¡±


    Zhao Ze! How dare he lock the fire door! He was trying to get them killed! Zhao Zhen nodded somberly, saying, ¡°We can¡¯t keep him in the team anymore, boss!¡±


    Shen Chen snorted as anger suddenly flared in his eyes. Suddenly, they heard rapid footsteps coming toward them from outside the door. Shen Chen peeked outside discreetly, only to see Guo Yuan running over with a worried expression on his face. He quickly opened the door for him. ¡°Third!¡±


    Guo Yuan was pleasantly surprised to see Shen Chen, but his expression suddenly changed to one of worry. ¡°Are you guys all right, boss?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re fine!¡± said Shen Chen as he glanced behind Guo Yuan. It was just him alone. Shen Chen¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°How come the other two aren¡¯t with you?¡±


    Guo Yuan¡¯s expression suddenly changed as he broke into a tirade. ¡°Boss! This b*stard, Zhao Ze. He¡­¡±

 Chapter 24

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    **Twenty minutes ago**


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Pan Di swore as he raised the fire axe and chopped off the zombie¡¯s head. As the zombie¡¯s head fell off, its arms started flailing about in response.


    ¡°Not bad, Fourth!¡± Guo Yuan patted Pan Di on his shoulder.


    Pan Di was all smiles. ¡°Bro, this is my tenth kill! How about you?¡±


    Guo Yuan was not to be outdone. ¡°Nine, but I did it in less time!¡±


    ¡°Both of you are doing well. I think it won¡¯t be long before we wipe out all the zombies in the hotel,¡± Li Qi said cheerily. With the two of them around, there was no need for him to lift a single finger. All he had to do was watch out for the zombies. He felt absolutely safe.


    To survive the apocalypse, one had to stick with people like this, unlike that stupid Zhao Ze, who resisted for the sake of resisting. He hadn¡¯t realized that money and power meant jack sh*t if one couldn¡¯t survive.


    It had to be said, however, that Li Qi was indeed a smart person. He knew how to say all the right words, and those words worked really well on Pan Di.


    Pan Di also said cheerily, ¡°Bro, don¡¯t worry. Stick with our boss, and everything will be all right!¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye! I¡¯ll count on you then, bro!¡± Li Qi responded.


    The cheerful atmosphere was interrupted by the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. Guo Yuan immediately said to everyone, ¡°Hide!¡±


    The three of them quickly hid in a corner. After a few seconds, they saw Zhao Ze running toward them like a madman.


    ¡°Zhao Ze!¡±


    Guo Yuan was surprised to see him alone, and promptly went up to him, asking, ¡°Why are you alone? Where¡¯s boss?¡±


    ¡°Fourth floor! Fourth floor!¡± Zhao Ze appeared to be really jumpy, as if there were fleas on him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the fourth floor?¡±


    ¡°There were so many zombies on the fourth floor! Boss got stuck!¡± He wrung his hands and paced about, as if he were walking on hot coals. ¡°I managed to get out, but they¡¯re still up there!¡±


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Pan Di spat. Worried, he said anxiously, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Guo Yuan!¡±


    Guo Yuan asked somewhat tentatively, ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°To save boss!¡± Pan Di dragged Guo Yuan along. ¡°Let¡¯s move it!¡±


    Guo Yuan was indeed hesitant. His gut told him that something wasn¡¯t quite right. ¡°Don¡¯t be rash. Boss said to rendezvous on the third floor.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by this, Guo Yuan? Are you suggesting that I¡¯m lying to you?¡± Zhao Ze said indignantly. ¡°Boss is in imminent danger. What are you trying to do?¡±


    Guo Yuan suppressed his anger and held on to Pan Di. ¡°Fourth, boss can take on three of us at once. If he can¡¯t handle those zombies, no one else can. We¡¯ll just be putting ourselves in mortal danger. Even if boss can¡¯t handle all of them on his own, he¡¯ll still be able to run away from them. So we shouldn¡¯t go up.¡±


    At his words, Pan Di also started wavering. There was a sinister glint in Zhao Ze¡¯s eyes as he snatched Li Qi¡¯s fire axe. ¡°D*mn it. Why do you keep trying to stop us, Guo Yuan? Are you trying to replace Boss?¡±


    ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± Guo Yuan was infuriated by his suggestion.


    ¡°Guo Yuan and Pan Di, Boss thought too highly of you guys,¡± sneered Zhao Ze. ¡°If you guys won¡¯t go, I will!¡±


    He then rushed toward the fire exit on the east side. Upon seeing this, Pan Di said angrily, ¡°Guo Yuan, Boss was wrong about you! Coward! Let¡¯s go, Li Qi!¡±


    He then pulled Li Qi along and ran after Zhao Ze. The three of them walked down the meandering hallway and soon disappeared out of sight.


    Guo Yuan heaved a deep sigh. Why wouldn¡¯t he be worried about Boss? But to rush up without first finding out the current situation would be risky; they¡¯d be walking into certain death.


    He gritted his teeth and was about to run after them, but a terrible thought suddenly occurred to him. Something was fishy. Zhao Ze had come in from the left, the west, but he led the others toward the right. Unless the hotel¡¯s structure was circular (it wasn¡¯t), the route that Zhao Ze took was obviously wrong! Had this wicked guy deliberately lead Pan Di in the wrong direction so as to delay the rescue time?


    The more Guo Yuan thought about it, the more worried he got. Looking in the direction Zhao Ze had come in from, he sprinted toward it, shouting, ¡°Boss! Hang in there!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Bang!¡± Shen Chen leapt up from the ground in a fit of fury. ¡°Zhao Ze! This b*stard!¡±


    Guo Yuan, however, heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Boss, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re safe¡­ I knew¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Shen Chen suddenly said angrily, ¡°Pan Di is in danger!¡±


    ¡± What?¡± Their jaws dropped open, and their eyes widened.


    ¡°I suspect that Zhao Ze is deliberately leading them to their death!¡± Shen Chen¡¯s eyes burned with hatred. ¡°This guy is sly! Just now, he locked the fire door so that me and Zhao Zhen would be locked in. He must have planned to bring Pan Di and Li Qi to the fourth floor, where there are hundreds of zombies, so that he could use the same ruse¡­¡±


    Zhao Zhen¡¯s hair stood on end. ¡°Pan Di¡¯s in danger!¡±


    Guo Yuan recalled what a close shave it had been. If Pan Di really had gone up with Zhao Ze, he¡¯d be dead for sure!


    Zhao Zhen was on the verge of a mental breakdown. ¡°F*ck. What do we do now, boss!¡±


    Shen Chen hurriedly opened the door and ordered, ¡°You and Guo Yuan, try stopping them! Remember not to go up to the fourth level. Just look for them on the third level!¡±


    Guo Yuan then asked, ¡°How about you, boss?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go up to the fourth level through the fire door!¡±


    Zhao Zhen gasped in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous, boss!¡±


    ¡°I can take care of myself. Your priority is to stop them from going further if you manage to find them.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    They parted ways. Shen Chen traced the route that Zhao Ze had taken with Pan Di. Despite his incredible speed, he didn¡¯t manage to find any of them. Shen Chen was both angry and anxious. As the fire exit at the end of the hallway came into sight, his heart sank. Had Pan Di really been brought up there?


    Fury flared in his eyes. He swore that if Zhao Ze had brought Pan Di to the fourth level, he would throw him into the swamp of zombies!


    The Black Blade in his hand glistened in the darkness. Wielding the Black Blade, he strode purposefully toward the staircase. As he walked through the same fire door and faced the eerily quiet hallway, his steps became increasingly cautious

 Chapter 25

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    There were no windows along the hallway, and it was really dark, so visibility was low. The evacuation lights installed on the walls were glowing an eerie green, as if it weren¡¯t already spooky enough in the stairwell.


    Shen Chen walked ahead cautiously. Suddenly, a large door appeared in front of him. He narrowed his eyes and leaned against the heavy fire door, then slowly pushed it open with his hand.


    A foul stench assaulted his nose, and countless arms stretched toward him like the tentacles of an octopus. Within a split second, the Black Blade was unsheathed and used to behead two zombies, and those zombies died in the blink of an eye.


    Now that it had come to this, Shen Chen no longer suppressed his powers. A roar erupted from the depths of his throat, and the Black Blade emitted a murderous aura. If the zombies had any human instincts remaining, they would have scrambled away at the sight of this dangerous man.


    With every slash of his blade, the badly decayed head of a zombie would fly through the air, leaving a trail of foul-smelling blood.


    Shen Chen rose from the pile of bodies. Thanks to his formidable abilities, he had managed to kill more than a dozen zombies within minutes. These zombies had already died once when their mortal lives ended, but they had been given new lives as zombies. Alas, their new lives were also short-lived, as they were prematurely cut short by Shen Chen and his blade.


    At this moment, the hallway was filled with the pungent odor of blood and decay. Shen Chen moved forward carefully. The second fire door closed behind him slowly, just like the jaws of a giant beast swallowing him whole.


    At the blood-spattered wedding venue, on the collapsed stage, there was a bloodied wedding dress. But what remained of the bride was just scraps of flesh left behind by the zombies who had devoured her.


    The previously pristine marble floor was also covered with blood, bits of flesh, and food. There was a mix of various dishes, rice, and a wedding cake.


    What was even more terrifying was the baby zombies stuck in the baby chairs and the empty bloodstained baby chairs.


    Shen Chen¡¯s heart lurched. Thinking of how those infants had been eaten, he let out a deep sigh before starting to look around the wedding venue.


    The four hundred plus zombies were attracted to the strains of the wedding march. Many of them had gathered underneath the speaker system, and over a hundred of them had their twig-like arms raised as they gyrated and howled in tandem with the music.


    There were no traces of humans! And no sight of a zombified Pan Di or Li Qi! Shen Chen relaxed slightly. He was wrong about Zhao Ze, it seemed.


    Just as he was about to turn around and leave, there was a faint smell of blood in the air. Shen Chen¡¯s heart constricted again. All the zombies suddenly turned around at the same time, as if they had just sensed his presence.


    Hundreds of pairs of eyes were fixated on the same spot. The very next moment, the swamp of zombies started making their way toward Shen Chen.


    ¡®Sh*t!¡¯ Shen Chen¡¯s scalp tingled. His stress levels had reached their maximum! Adjusting his speed, he got out of there and ran toward the fire door. He was no match for three to four hundred zombies!


    Shen Chen could hear the loud footsteps of the zombies approaching him. They came in waves and followed closely behind him.


    Perspiration formed on his forehead, palms, and the tip of his nose. He let out a roar as his speed and power leveled-up.


    He was nearing the end of the hallway, and the last fire door had finally appeared. However, when he reached out to push it open, he realized that the door wouldn¡¯t budge. The door was, once again, locked. And there weren¡¯t any crevices in this door. It was the kind of blast-proof door that only opened in one direction. Once the door was shut, there was no way of opening it from the inside.


    There was a bloodstained sanitary pad on the floor! Shen Chen took a deep breath. He still hadn¡¯t managed to figure out what exactly was going on. It would appear that his years of training for the apocalypse had gone to waste and could not be put to good use.


    Shen Chen¡¯s eyes started glowing with anger and hatred, and a murderous aura emanated from him. ¡®Well done, Zhao Ze!¡¯ He had underestimated this sly fox!


    The corners of his mouth drooped, but not for long. With a sudden burst of energy, he stomped toward the fire door with renewed vigor and purpose.


    Hotels like this usually wouldn¡¯t use the most durable material for their blast-proof doors. One could leave a mark in the door by pushing a blade into it, but hacking open the door would take more than a few stabs.


    Just as Shen Chen raised the Black Blade and prepared to stab at the door for the second time, he suddenly stopped. Once the blast-proof door was destroyed, the zombies would rush downstairs, and Zhao Zhen and Guo Yuan¡¯s lives would be at risk!


    He lowered his blade¡­ In that moment, Shen Chen truly felt a sense of despair! Ahead of him, there was no way out, and behind him, there were hordes of zombies.


    The smell of decay intensified. He could make out the arms of the zombies from around the corner¡­ Shen Chen inhaled deeply. There was a glint in his eyes! ¡®In my previous life, I managed to kill my way out of the zombie swamp. In this life, even if I am no longer as strong, I still have my powerful combat skills and survival instincts! Let¡¯s see what I can achieve in my current life!¡¯


    Shen Chen slowly took off whatever could possibly hinder his movements. He then leaned against the fire door and raised the Black Blade with both arms. He stood with his feet apart and raised the Black Blade, his eyes gazing ahead. The vast numbers of zombies were like troops of ants relentlessly chasing after him, and the march of hundreds of zombies made the ground tremble!


    One! Two! Ten! Twenty! The zombies were getting closer. The fresh blood on the sanitary pad was making them rabid.


    Shen Chen took a deep breath, his muscles all tense! There was now a powerful aura emanating from him, and his eyes shone with determination! His fighting spirit was on fire! He was feeling more macho than ever! He was going to f*cking kill these ugly zombies!


    ¡®F*ck!¡¯ Shen Chen stood there like a seasoned warrior, calm and composed. He was not at all deterred by the grotesque faces of the zombies or their stretched arms and gaping jaws.


    The Black Blade might look inconspicuous and unassuming, but it shouldn¡¯t be judged according to its physical appearance! The sharpness of the blade was unparalleled. All it took was a flash of the blade for a few arms to be severed. In the face of the all-powerful Black Blade and Shen Chen¡¯s mastery of it, the zombies appeared to be weak and brittle!


    Armless zombies were considerably easier to deal with; they didn¡¯t take long to collapse. The severed limbs of the zombies flew through the air in some semblance of a dance. Every now and then, a single slash would cut off both the head and arms of the zombie, and the blood would start dripping from the blade like rain.


    Energized by his indomitable fighting spirit, Shen Chen killed the zombies at the speed of lightning with his sharp blade!


    Blood was splattered everywhere! Limbs were thrown about! The blade started moving faster and faster, and more dead zombies started piling up! Shen Chen¡¯s expression remained cold and resolute from start to finish. The blood dyed him a bright shade of red!


    This was a fight-to-the-death battle between human and zombies! If ever there was a prototype for the most tenacious human, Shen Chen would be it. One man could indeed hold out against ten thousand!

 Chapter 26

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    An hour later, Shen Chen was surrounded by the corpses of zombies. The corpses were like natural bunkers, blocking the attack of approaching zombies.


    Although the corridor was covered with blood and flesh pulp, the zombies still came up like an ant army. It was like a seemingly endless tide.


    Numerous hands, their skin separated from their flesh, swooped at Shen Chen! They were going to tear him to pieces! The long corridor was full of shaking figures, and a large number of zombies were coming like people rushing into a train station at the Spring Festival.


    It had been an hour of non-stop attacks! Shen Chen gradually felt desperate. An hour of intense fighting had made him feel really powerless. He was very unsteady, and suddenly staggered around when he got up. He almost fell to the ground on his knees.


    Several zombies jumped up at him with their big mouths wide open. By instinct, Shen Chen leaned to the side in an unconscious attempt to avoid a zombie¡¯s sweeping hands. He fell to the left and kicked the zombie at its knee with his right leg. With a dull sound, Shen Chen felt like his calf had struck a pillar. The sharp pain made him let out a low roar.


    Sweat on his forehead dripped down into his eyes. The salty sweat made him feel achy and itchy. His muscles couldn¡¯t support him after such a heavy fight. They began to shake involuntarily.


    ¡®Will I die here today? I can¡¯t really hold out any longer.¡¯ Shen Chen shook with fear. ¡®No. It¡¯s not easy to be reborn. How can I end up dying here at this time?¡±


    Bang!


    Shen Chen kicked away a zombie hard. Breathing heavily, he caught the handle of the machete in the back of the zombie with both hands, then pulled the machete out. Regardless of the blood splashing over on his body, he took up the machete and cut down. The zombie¡¯s ugly head and body separated from each other after the machete fell. Its head rolled a few meters away on the ground.


    Shen Chen had reached the edge of collapse. A super fierce fight and the attack of hundreds of zombies were going to tear him up. This was the only thing that he could do now! Shen Chen reluctantly wiped the sweat on his face, but his trembling hands told him that the next moment he might be unable to even hold a knife.


    ¡°What should I do? What should I do?¡± Shen Chen asked himself repeatedly.


    All of a sudden, the zombie in front of him jumped up like a grasshopper and came at Shen Shen with its large fierce-looking mouth. Suddenly, Shen Chen was knocked down by the zombie. A stench mixed with the smell of blood rushed into his nose, then more and more zombies came up!


    ¡°This is not good.¡± Shen Shen suddenly gave a crazy roar. He simply threw away the black blade and swung a fist at the zombie. His great strength made the whole body of the zombie fly backward, making a gap for him among the approaching zombies.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Shen Shen quickly turned over and stood up. His face and body were all covered with blood; he was like a drowned mouse.


    He lost his weapon, and he couldn¡¯t hold his fists tightly anymore. ¡°Is today the day where they bury my bones?¡±


    Suddenly, he looked at the Evolution Fluid in the bottle of mineral water in his backpack. ¡°This is what I got last time. I didn¡¯t take the others with me in my backpack, only this bottle.¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s eyes sank into their sockets. In the previous life, some people had tried taking the Evolution Fluid in less than twenty-four hours, and all of them turned into zombies in the end. However, it was said that there was once a person who drank two bottles in a row, but he was safe in the end, and even got amazing explosive fighting strength because of it.


    ¡°Drink it or not?¡± If he drank it, he could possibly become an ugly zombie in twenty-four hours, but if he didn¡¯t drink it, he believed that he couldn¡¯t hold on for more than a few minutes. Then, the end of the story would be him being torn to pieces by the ugly zombies! There would be no single bit of him left!


    Shen Chen bit his teeth, and his eyes dimmed in despair. Suddenly, Shen Chen quickly kicked the sanitary napkin on the ground to the zombies!


    The strong smell of blood made the zombies cry out. They immediately changed the object of their attack. They all went after the sanitary napkin. The sanitary napkin was squabbled over and became the zombies¡¯ new target!


    The sanitary napkin was like a boat, going up and down in the tide of zombies. The zombies looked like hungry ghosts crawling out of hell, lying on the ground and licking the blood on the sanitary napkin with their tongues.


    Shen Chen suddenly unscrewed the cap of the mineral water bottle in his backpack. His eyes showed that he hesitated a little, then he made up his mind and raised his chin to take a drink.


    He had half a bottle of Evolution Fluid. It was enough for ten people, and should be taken after twenty-four hours, but Shen Chen couldn¡¯t wait any longer. All of a sudden, his whole body felt like it were being cut by tens of millions of blades. Then, he felt like he was being bitten by tens of thousands of ants. It was not only painful, but also extremely itchy.


    However, this was just the beginning. With the Evolution Fluid taking effect, the pain increased. The channels in his body, through which vital energy circulated, were damaged by the powerful effect of the Evolution Fluid. The pain was so acute that the blood vessels burst in his eyes.


    The Evolution Fluid circulated in Shen Chen¡¯s veins. It danced in a crazy way, just like a flood that had burst through a dam. The fluid was wildly rolling and running in his body like a hurricane. Nothing could stop it. His blood vessels were tumbling. It felt like his whole body was burning.


    Shen Chen didn¡¯t know that his eyes had turned a bloody red. He looked thirsty for blood.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Shen Chen made a long cry. In a moment, a powerful energy radiated from him, as if a demon had come into him.


    With his long roar, all the zombies around him suddenly felt an unprecedented danger. They even gave up the sanitary napkin, which was fatally attractive to them. One by one, they turned their heads and looked at the ferocious looking man. He looked like a trapped bloodthirsty beast.


    ***


    At this time, on the third floor, Zhao Zhen and Guo Yuan had no idea what was happening to Shen Chen upstairs. They searched several times on the third floor and couldn¡¯t find the others.


    ¡°Did Zhao Ze really take them to the fourth floor? Or is it possible that they¡¯ve gone back?¡± Guo Yuan asked anxiously.


    ¡°Are you kidding? No, wait a minute. Be quiet. I think I hear something upstairs.¡± Zhao Zhen suddenly frowned and looked around in confusion. Suddenly, he turned to a door!


    Bang! Zhao Zhen kicked the door open. He saw Pan Di standing in the room with a look of horror on his face. In front of him was Li Qi, who was lying in blood on the floor. His back had been split by a fire ax. He was nearly dying,


    ¡°Li Qi! What happened to you, Li Qi?¡±


    But Li Qi was unable to speak. He opened his eyes hopelessly, as if he didn¡¯t believe that he was going to die. He spat blood on the ground, coughing constantly, then raised both hands to point at Pan Di.

 Chapter 27

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Third, you did it?¡± Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen couldn¡¯t believe their eyes! Li Qi was almost dead, and the man who had made him like this was Third.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just lost consciousness. When I woke up, he was like this!¡± Pan Di said, stuttering and pale.


    ¡°What do you mean? You were unconscious?¡± Zhao Zhen asked in a hurry.


    ¡°When we were going up the stairs, he hit me hard on my back, and I fainted. As soon as I woke up, I found him like this, and then you came in. I swear I didn¡¯t do it!¡± Pan Di cried out in a hurry.


    Guo Yuan didn¡¯t know what to say. He hurriedly bandaged Li Qi with a bedsheet and tried to stop his bleeding, but this didn¡¯t work at all.


    Zhao Zhen glanced around the room, then hurriedly asked, ¡°What about Zhao Ze?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Pan Di said shamefacedly. He told them that he saw Li Qi lying in the blood as soon as he woke up. He didn¡¯t even know that Zhao Ze was gone.


    Guo Yuan¡¯s eyes narrowed to a thin line. Suddenly, a chill surged from the bottom of his heart. He said, ¡°It¡¯s been an hour since we separated from our boss, but you haven¡¯t been taken to the fourth floor by Zhao Ze. Boss has gone up to the fourth floor to look for you, and he hasn¡¯t come down yet. That means¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Did boss go up to the fourth floor to look for us?¡± Pan Di was still confused.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good! Boss is in danger!¡± Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen realized at the same time.


    Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen stared at each other. A sense of fear arose. ¡°It¡¯s too late to explain! Go! The fourth floor! Our boss is in danger!¡± Zhao Zhen quickly opened the door and picked up his weapon. He added quickly, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The three rushed out of the door and ran up the stairs at their fastest speed. When they came to the fire door on the fourth floor, they saw that the fire door was closed. They couldn¡¯t push it open.


    ¡°D*mn! The fire door is locked!¡± Pan Di said in horror.


    ¡°Chop it! Split it open! Whatever! The boss must be in there!¡± Zhao Zhen was frantic. ¡°Zhao Ze. It must be Zhao Ze!¡±


    The three people were so angry that their eyes seemed ready to pop out! They threw the fire axe at the fire door. After several times, they finally cut a hole through the door with the axe.


    The three men hurried in, and what they saw was so surprising to them that their fire axes fell to the ground with a loud bang. They stared with their mouths wide open. Their eyes were filled with shock, and they stood there like dull petrified wood.


    The long corridor was full of bodies everywhere. The blood almost painted the whole corridor. The corridor was filled with thick blood mist and muddy blood plasma underfoot.


    Everything in front of them happened in slow-motion, like in a movie. The heads of zombies were flying around in the air. The skewered, crushed, and blown-off heads of the zombies were like brilliant fireworks, constantly dancing in front of the three people.


    They saw a familiar figure among the zombies. His back was like a vigorous ape¡¯s. They saw him single-handedly penetrate into the army of zombies, like a starving wolf into a flock of sheep.


    He had no weapons, just a pair of fists. His every blow threw a zombie into the air, then burst the zombie¡¯s brain! His fist was like a meteorite tearing the sky. It sharply hit the head of each zombie.


    Bang! There was a sound of an explosion. The strong air pressure spread Shen Chen¡¯s anger everywhere. His momentum was like the Yangtze River, running out millions of meters away. His huge fists, tearing the air, went straight at the head of each zombie.


    Everyone felt that Shen Chen had divided into dozens of Shen Chens in front of them! Each Shen Chen punched down a zombie. The head of each zombie was smashed like a watermelon. The zombies looked incredibly vulnerable under his fist.


    ¡®Is he even human?¡¯ This was exactly what Zhao Zhen, Guo Yuan, and Pan Di were thinking about.


    No wonder their leader had asked the three of them to do it together yesterday. Their boss was far beyond what they were able to fight against. In that moment, the three of them felt so weak and small. The zombies were just like fragile straws. When Shen Chen slightly waved his arm, he easily ended their lives.


    It was so bloody! It was so violent! White brains and red blood pervaded the corridor as a fog. Shen Chen¡¯s every critical hit brought a splash of blood into the air. The walls on both sides and the ground were covered by dark carrion, red blood, and white brains. The corridor was like purgatory.


    Twenty minutes later, the last zombie was slammed against the wall, and it was deeply embedded into it.


    Guo Yuan and the other two¡¯s expressions had changed from a look of shock at the beginning to numbness.


    Countless corpses and flattened heads around them were centered around Shen Chen, forming a horrible circle of heads.


    ¡®How many zombies have been killed by him?¡¯ the three wondered.


    Shen Chen slowly turned around, and, suddenly, the three people felt their blood freeze in that moment. They also felt a great pressure coming from the sky, with which came an unstoppable shivering of their bodies and the impulse to escape to the fire door.


    Shen Chen¡¯s eyes were still an amazing blood red. He looked at the three people, who were stunned by his amazing performance in the fight. He began to walk to them slowly. One step¡­ Two steps¡­


    Their hands couldn¡¯t help but shake. They found that their bodies were so stiff that even taking a step back was a difficult thing for them.


    They looked at Shen Chen¡¯s approaching steps. An immense force was coming close to them.


    ¡°Bo¡­ boss!¡± Zhao Zhen, trembling, opened his mouth!


    ¡°Boss! It¡¯s us! How are you, boss?¡± The other two asked with horror.


    Shen Chen¡¯s eyes suddenly looked very cold. He rushed to them like a ghost. At the same time, his fist was raised high. The three of them let out a miserable howl.


    There was a loud bang. After that, the three people only felt a bloody wind sweep by them. When they opened their eyes, in horror they saw a man lying on the ground.


    ¡°Let go of me! Let go of me, you devil!¡± A man was pressed on the ground, frantically twisting his body! The blood of the zombie covered his whole body, and he cried like a sow that was about to be slaughtered!


    ¡°Zhao Ze? Why is he here?¡± The three of them looked at each other in confusion. They didn¡¯t know what to say for a while.


    Shen Chen stepped on Zhao Ze, who was struggling. Shen Chen¡¯s blood-red eyes looked coldly at Guo Yuan, and he said, ¡°He was following you. None of you three noticed him. Each of you are to do a thousand push-ups as my punishment for you!¡±


    Although Shen Chen¡¯s eyes looked frightening, his voice became the same as before. His intimidating, intense look and deep voice gradually disappeared. Only then did the three people feel that the boulder in their hearts had been lifted. ¡°Boss¡­ Boss, what was wrong with you just now?¡±


    ¡°Boss, your eyes?¡±


    ¡°Boss, you killed all of these zombies?¡±


    They all questioned Shen Chen at the same time. Shen Shen felt dizzy. He waved his hand slightly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back first. By the way, where¡¯s Li Qi?¡±


    Pan Di could not help but shiver a little. He began to stutter. ¡°Li Qi, he¡­ he¡¯s dying¡­¡±


    ¡°Dying?¡± A trace of sadness flashed in Shen Chen¡¯s eyes. ¡°Take him back with us.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the other three said.


    When they started this journey, there were six of them, and when they went back, one of them would be dead.

 Chapter 28

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    On the way back, Pan Di was quite nervous. If it really was he who caused Li Qi¡¯s death when he was unconscious, he really didn¡¯t know how he could make it up.


    The people in the room opened the door. Everyone had a look inside and couldn¡¯t help but stare at Li Qi, who was carried in by Pan Di on his back. All of a sudden, the girls in the room burst into screams.


    ¡°Li Qi? What happened to Li Qi?¡± Li Jing asked in a shrill voice.


    No one answered, because, at the moment, no one knew what was going on. They looked at Li Qi¡¯s vacant eyes.


    Ye Xiaoyu hurriedly went up to check Li Qi, then shook her head slightly and said sadly, ¡°He has had too much blood loss. I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t finish, the others all knew what Ye Xiaoyu meant. In the absence of medical equipment, all they could do was watch him die.


    Although they had known that it would be a dangerous adventure before they started, everyone still felt bad. Li Qi, after all, had been with them for such a long time. Seeing a life disappear in front of them, everyone¡¯s heart sank.


    Li Qi had a slight smile at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes were full of sorrow. Only when he saw Zhao Ze did a spark appear in his eyes. He tried to lift his hands, but his fingers were shaking. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t lift his hands. After a while, he smiled in despair, then he seemed to have reached the point of death.


    Shen Chen stopped the others who attempted to come forward to encircle Li Qi. He said softly, ¡°Let him be. It is said that at the point of death, the person is the closest to heaven. There is no pain. Let him feel¡­¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s gentle words seemed to be a message from heaven to Li Qi. Li Qi¡¯s expression slowly became peaceful, as if it was really like what Shen Chen just said, that he felt no pain.


    Everyone couldn¡¯t help but shed tears. Girls embraced each other, crying. On the verge of tears, Ye Xiao Yu turned her attention to Shen Chen. Suddenly, she noticed that Shen Chen looked quite strange. She came to Shen Chen¡¯s side quickly and asked, ¡°Shen, what¡¯s wrong with your eyes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. In ten minutes, we¡¯ll have a meeting.¡± Shen Chen waved his arms. His voice was deep and serious. Then he said to Ye Xiaoyu, ¡°Tie him up.¡±


    They then noticed that Zhao Ze¡¯s mouth was bleeding. He had been beaten black and blue, and his hands were held by Shen Chen from behind. Shen Chen gave him a gentle push, and Zhao Ze immediately fell to the ground. Obviously, he had been knocked out cold.


    ¡°Tie him up!¡± Pan Di Cried.


    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Lin Qianqian hurriedly stood up and stopped him. ¡°What did Zhao Ze do? Why are you doing this to him?¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s bloody red eyes stared at Lin Qianqian coldly. Lin Qianqian suddenly shivered and couldn¡¯t speak for a moment.


    ¡®So Horrible! It¡¯s like¡­ like the devil!¡¯ Lin Qianqian thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m not discussing this with you, so don¡¯t make me say the same thing for the second time!¡± Shen Chen¡¯s cold tone made people feel like they were being cut by sharp blades and swords.


    Zhao Zhen tipped Zhang Xiaoya with a wink. Zhang Xiaoya immediately went to find a rope. Ye Xiaoyu rushed forward to help tie Zhao Ze up with the rope.


    Zhang Hongtao held the kid in his arms and silently watched Shen Chen, whose body was covered with dried blood.


    Shen Chen looked around at the other people and said calmly, ¡°In ten minutes, we will have a meeting.¡±


    Then, the four men left the living room. The living room suddenly turned quiet. Lin Qianqian took a deep breath and said angrily, ¡°Li Qi is dying. Zhao Ze is beaten so badly. What are they doing out there? Do they want to get rid of us? If they carry on like this, our girls are doomed. Do you think they treat us as human beings?¡±


    Zhang Xiaoya thought of Zhao Zhen¡¯s words, swallowed, and said, ¡°We¡¯ll know what¡¯s going on in ten minutes in the meeting. Calm down first!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? It¡¯s obvious that Li Qi was used as a decoy, so he died. Zhao Ze must have been beaten by Shen Chen!¡± said Lin Qianqian angrily.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not like that,¡± Zhang Xiaoya said. It was normally hard for her to have an opinion.


    ¡°Think about it. If what I said is true, what shall we do? Who will be the new decoy tomorrow? Her? Or her? Or the kid? You¡¯ve all seen Zhao Ze¡¯s bloody nose and swollen face. It¡¯s just because Shen Chen doesn¡¯t like him,¡± Lin Qianqian growled in a low voice.


    ¡°But what if it¡¯s not like what you say? What if everything is just a misunderstanding. Last time you blamed Shen Chen, but it wasn¡¯t his fault at all,¡± Zhang Xiaoya said timidly. Considering her soft character, it was a great breakthrough for her to be able to say such a thing to Lin Qianqian.


    ¡°Misunderstanding? You tell me it¡¯s a misunderstanding?¡± Lin Qianqian threw her head back and laughed out loud, then she pointed at Zhang Xiaoya and said, ¡°Of course you¡¯re not bothered. Of course you¡¯re not afraid. Your boyfriend is Zhao Zhen, Shen Chen¡¯s loyal dog. You two lick Shen Chen¡¯s shoes!¡±


    Bang! There was a sharp sound in the room! Everyone froze in an instant!


    Lin Qianqian looked at Ye Xiaoyu in great shock and said with a trembling voice, ¡°You hit me. Do you know who I am?¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu looked at Lin Qianqian with disdain. She came in front of Lin Qianqian and said with a sneer, ¡°What got you so excited? What are you howling about? Zhao Zhen¡¯s girlfriend is speaking now. Show some respect.¡±


    Lin Qianqian repeated in shock, ¡°How dare you hit me! You hit me!¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu said fiercely, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with hitting you? So what? You talk bullsh*t all day long. If I were Shen Chen, I wouldn¡¯t even save you. By the way, you must see it clearly. The reason why you¡¯re here is because of your boyfriend Pan Di, not Zhao Ze!¡±


    Li Jing looked at the three people arguing with each other. She sighed. She shook her head and walked to Zhang Hongtao, the only man in the living room. She cautiously looked at the three girls and made sure that they didn¡¯t notice her. Then, she lowered her voice and said, ¡°Zhang, we are the only outsiders in this room. What do you think?¡±


    Zhang Hongtao looked at the smart girl in front of him and sighed, then patted his son¡¯s head gently and said, ¡°Duoduo, go back to the room and play.¡±


    They watched the little boy leave, then Zhang Hongtao breathed a sigh of relief. His face suddenly changed. He looked at Li Jing and asked without emotion, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Li Jing suddenly felt that she was very familiar with the man in front of her. His look was like that of a very ambitious adventurer. She couldn¡¯t help but look at Zhang Hongtao a few times, then she clenched her fist and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s necessary for us to listen to Shen Chen about what happened today. Then, we can make our plan. If Li Qi¡¯s death and Zhao Ze¡¯s injury today really happened for a reason, it¡¯s acceptable, but if it¡¯s really like what Lin Qianqian said¡­¡±


    Zhang Hongtao nodded solemnly. He looked at the smart girl in front of him and said, ¡°In ten minutes, we will decide if we stay or not. But¡­¡± Zhang Hongtao¡¯s eyes showed that he was firmly convinced. ¡°I don¡¯t think he is a bad man.¡±


    Li Jing smiled thoughtfully and added, ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Then, she held out her hand to him and said, ¡°We can form a temporary alliance. After all, we are the only two outsiders!¡±


    Zhang Hongtao hesitated for a moment, then extended his hand.

 Chapter 29

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ten minutes later, the four men cleaned themselves up and returned to the living room. At this time, Li Qi could only exhale but couldn¡¯t inhale.


    Ye Xiaoyu was so keen that she noticed that Shen Chen¡¯s eyes were no longer bloodshot. She felt a little relieved then. However, she noticed another problem with the four men. They were about to face a very difficult situation. Ye Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t figure out Li Qi¡¯s death and Zhao Ze¡¯s injuries.


    What was going on? Everyone was confused. Just at this time, Zhao Ze woke up. When he saw Shen Chen, his eyes flashed with shock. He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re awake. That¡¯s good. You saved me from splashing cold water on your face!¡±


    Zhao Ze was filled with great fear, and he stared at the man in front of him. He couldn¡¯t believe that Shen Chen was safely intact. ¡®How could he¡­ how is he still alive?¡¯ Zhao Ze asked himself.


    Huge fear swallowed his whole body. Zhao Ze¡¯s strong desire to live made him think fast. He suddenly shouted to the others, ¡°Come on! Untie me! These four people are bad guys. They lied to Li Qi and cut him down with a fire ax. Then, they just let him bleed as a bait to cheat the zombies. I didn¡¯t want to do it, so they beat me. They are animals! They are scum!¡±


    When Zhao Ze finished, everyone¡¯s expressions changed. Li Jing and Lin Qianqian stood up at once. Although Zhang Hongtao didn¡¯t move, his eyebrows were deeply wrinkled. His legs were set apart, which was obviously a defensive pose.


    ¡°Go f*ck yourself!¡± Pan Di was so angry that he wanted to give Zhao Ze a hard kick.


    Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen quickly stopped him. ¡°Calm down, calm down!¡±


    ¡°Pan Di, you killed Li Qi. You watched him bleed to death. I dare you to deny it. In front of all these people, I dare you to deny that you watched Li Qi dying in front of you,¡± Zhao Ze cried madly.


    There was no doubt that what Zhao Ze said was really provocative. Pan Di suddenly got tongue-tied. When Li Qi was injured, he was the only one there watching Li Qi bleed, but he really didn¡¯t know how Li Qi was hurt.


    His hesitation made Ye Xiaoyu become suspicious.


    Zhang Hongtao stood up immediately and asked, ¡°Shen Chen, what about these things he just said? I hope you can give me an explanation.¡±


    ¡°Explanation?¡± Shen Chen smiled, then continued to say, ¡°Of course I will give you my answer because¡­¡± Shen Chen¡¯s smile showed extreme indifference. ¡°I also need some time to deal with it!¡±


    His indifference was felt by everyone because of his expressionless face. Suddenly, everyone felt their heart shiver, and they suddenly caught their breath. The anger hidden in the bottom of Shen Chen¡¯s heart spread to everyone. But they didn¡¯t quite understand what Shen Chen was talking about. Only the other three men showed the same angry look as Shen Chen.


    ¡°Answer! Do you need an answer? You are the murderer! Let go of me! Otherwise, you are challenging all of us!¡± Zhao Ze continued to yell at Shen Chen. His body shivered because of fear, but he still cried frantically. He knew that if he didn¡¯t act like this, his end would only be death.


    Shen Chen slowly clapped his hands and looked at Zhao Ze, who was gasping heavily like an old dog on the ground. Shen Chen exclaimed, ¡°What a genius! I begin to admire you now. What a clever plan!¡±


    Zhao Ze suddenly gave a shiver, shaking like a pendulum. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t understand? It doesn¡¯t matter. We have time to talk about it carefully.¡± Shen Chen moved the chair in front of Zhao Ze and looked at Zhao Ze. ¡°In fact, if you confess now, I can make you die peacefully. But if you really insist this way, you know what you¡¯ll end up like!¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s fingers creaked as he cracked his knuckles, and the cruel smile on his face made Zhao Ze clearly realize how miserable his end would be!


    ¡°You see, he¡¯s still threatening me! You must let me go. Let¡¯s leave here. We can build our own team!¡± Zhao Ze was so scared that his mind was somewhat unhinged. He knew that if his plan failed, he would die. But he wasn¡¯t willing to lose to Shen Chen! He had one last opportunity. As long as Li Jing, Lin Qianqian and Zhang Hongtao believed him and helped him against Shen Chen, he could survive.


    ¡°Listen to me. Let¡¯s leave them together. Zhang Hongtao will be the new boss! We can rely on our own! They are not human beings. If we follow them, we will die like Li Qi sooner or later!¡± Shen Chen shouted.


    Everyone thought about what he said. Li Jing¡¯s eyes suddenly turned to Zhang Hongtao, whose eyes showed doubt and indecision.


    Zhang Xiaoya looked at Zhao Zhen anxiously, while Lin Qianqian gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and looked at Zhang Hongtao expectantly.


    Ye Xiaoyu blinked. The tension on her face subsided slowly.


    Zhao Ze cried for help for a long time alone. However, all the other people dared not make a move, which was totally different from what he had thought before. He suddenly realized that he seemed to have made a mistake.


    ¡®Li Jing, Lin Qianqian, and that Zhang. Why are they hesitating? Why are they refusing to leave the team after listening to what I said?¡¯


    Unfortunately, Zhao Ze had made a mistake. Sometimes, fear makes people quit. The more he said about Shen Chen¡¯s cruelty, the more these people were afraid to leave. And Zhang Hongtao, in the temporary alliance, was not a simple person like Lin Qianqian.


    After a long time, the room was as still and silent as death, and only the sound of Zhao Ze¡¯s breathing could be heard. Gradually, it turned into a cry of despair.


    Shen Chen stretched out his hands and smiled at Zhao Ze with regret. ¡°Nobody believes you. What a pity!¡±


    His look was filled with regret, and he looked at the others with a sigh. Li Jing felt so strange that she suddenly had an idea. It seemed that Shen Chen really wanted them to leave the team. This might be her own opinion, but such a feeling of being rejected by the team leader was really upsetting.


    At this time, Lin Qianqian turned to look at Zhang Hongtao with an unkind look. In her opinion, as long as Zhang Hongtao said yes to her, she would slap Shen Chen and Ye Xiaoyu right away, then leave without looking back. As for Pan Di, she just wanted him to get out of here at once.


    But Zhang Hongtao didn¡¯t move, and she didn¡¯t dare speak. Even Li Jing didn¡¯t speak. All Lin Qianqian could do now was suppress her anger. She stared at Shen Chen.


    Shen Chen seemed to have made up his mind. After no one mentioned leaving the team, he sighed regretfully. Then he turned to the people and said, ¡°I know that you must have many questions at this time. I can explain it to you one by one later. But before that, I have a question to ask. This question concerns everyone¡¯s safety.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the question?¡± the other people asked.


    They suddenly felt quite nervous. None of them knew what Shen Chen was going to ask and why it would affect everyone.


    Shen Chen looked around, and his eyes stopped when they fell on Lin Qianqian. He looked at Lin Qianqian carefully and asked, ¡°Lin Qianqian, are you on your period?¡±

 Chapter 30

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The expression on everyone¡¯s face instantly froze! Each person¡¯s expression was very interesting. It was like they had sh*t in their mouth that they couldn¡¯t swallow or spit out.


    ¡°Are you on your period?¡±


    No one had expected that this question would be a matter of life and death for all the people present. Everyone blushed, and a great sense of loss made everyone feel that the question was really ridiculous.


    ¡°Stop behaving like a hoodlum! How can you ask a lady this kind of question in front of so many people?¡± Lin Qianqian roared at Shen Chen, and her face blushed. ¡°You are mentally ill!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m seriously asking you this!¡± Shen Chen said slowly, a serious look on his face.


    His serious look even made all the people wonder if Lin Qianqian¡¯s period was really related to everyone¡¯s safety. But then the people who came up with this thought laughed at themselves. ¡®No way. What does it matter if Lin Qianqian is on her period? Does Shen Chen really think we are fools?¡¯


    Lin Qianqian was already scarlet with rage. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m gonna tell you that?¡±


    Pan Di yelled at Lin Qianqian from the side, ¡°Do you want to see me die? Tell him. Are you on your period?¡±


    Pan Di had never yelled at Lin Qianqian like that before. Lin Qianqian suddenly burst into tears. ¡°Yes, yes, I am. Are you satisfied?¡±


    ¡°Well, what brand of sanitary napkin are you using?¡± Shen Chen asked again.


    ¡°Sophie, Sophie from the hotel. Night use,¡± Lin Qianqian said angrily.


    ¡°Take it out and let me have a look,¡± Shen Chen asked again with no emotion on his face. Of course, this made Lin Qianqian feel quite embarrassed. She felt that everyone was looking at her in a strange way, as if she had done something wrong.


    Lin Qianqian took out a bag of sanitary napkins from the room and threw it on the ground angrily. Shen Chen picked up a piece from the bag, opened it carefully, and stared at it for a long time.


    ¡°Perv! Psycho!¡± With tears in her eyes, Lin Qianqian burst into convulsive sobs.


    Zhang Hongtao¡¯s face clouded a little. He couldn¡¯t stand seeing people bully a woman like this. If Shen Chen couldn¡¯t give a reasonable explanation, he would definitely leave the team.


    When everyone fell into a strange silence, Shen Chen took a deep sigh. ¡°Zhao Ze, what else do you want to say?¡±


    ¡°Sh*t. You took a bag of sanitary napkins and asked me what else I have to say? Yes, I do. You are scum. You killed Li Qi¡­¡± Zhao Ze kept swearing at Shen Chen loudly.


    Shen Chen frowned and said, ¡°Well, since you asked for it, let¡¯s talk about what happened today.¡±


    Shen Chen slowly stood up and said, ¡°When we went out in the morning, we went two ways to deal with the zombies. At that time, you, Zhao Zhen, and I went to the fourth floor. The fourth floor is a Chinese restaurant, and there are more than three hundred zombies trapped in it. Do you remember?¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s words caused a few gasps. ¡®More than three hundred zombies? This time, it¡¯s more than three hundred zombies! How did they survive? If that¡¯s really the case, no wonder Li Qi was so severely wounded.¡¯


    What Shen Chen said was an irrefutable fact. Zhao Ze couldn¡¯t deny it, so he had to nod at him. Then, he asked, ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°At that time, on the fourth floor, you alerted the zombies, and you were the first to escape. When you fled from the fire door on the fourth floor, you locked Zhao Zhen and me in it, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes suddenly turned to Zhao Ze. Why had Zhao Ze done this? His intention was to kill Shen Chen and Zhao Zhen.


    Zhang Xiaoya was breathing quickly and tried to calm herself. During these days, Zhao Zhen had been her umbrella that protected her from danger. She couldn¡¯t imagine what future days would bring if Zhao Zhen died.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Zhao Ze bit his teeth and refused to admit that he had tried to kill Shen Chen and Zhao Zhen. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to admit it? It doesn¡¯t matter. I will help you remember.¡± Shen Chen didn¡¯t care about Zhao Ze¡¯s little tricks. Instead, he came to sit in front of Zhao Ze. Everyone noticed Shen Chen¡¯s threatening look at Zhao Ze!


    Shen Chen gave a sneer and said, ¡°After that, Zhao Zhen and I killed the zombies and fled from the fourth floor, only to find Guo Yuan looking for us alone on the third floor. Guo Yuan told us that you ran away to the third floor and met them. You told Guo Yuan that we were trapped on the fourth floor, but you took them to look for us at another fire stairs, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I had to find someone to help you because you were trapped on the fourth floor. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± Zhao Ze shouted, and tried to put on an innocent look.


    Shen Chen sneered. ¡°You knew we weren¡¯t trapped in the fire stairs at the east side, but you still took them to those stairs. How do you explain this?¡± Seeing that Zhao Ze was going to find excuses for himself, Shen Chen continued, ¡°In fact, you never wanted to save us. And you didn¡¯t take Pan Di to the fourth floor, because you knew there were too many zombies on the fourth floor. Even if you took both of them to the fourth floor, and even if they were eaten by the zombies, you might not be able to leave there safely in time.¡±


    All of sudden, the others finally figured out what had happened. But if Zhao Ze didn¡¯t take them to the fourth floor, where did they go? What made Li Qi die?


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were filled with curiosity and puzzlement, watching Shen Chen suddenly stand up. His feet were getting close to Zhao Ze.


    ¡°So you took them to different stairs. And when the others were looking for me, you knocked out Pan Di and cut Li Qi down. Then, you left them in the nearest room to you.¡±


    ¡°Bullsh*t! You are lying!¡± Zhao Ze was trembling. He knew that Shen Chen knew all that had happened. He was on the verge of collapse!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Listen to me.¡± Shen Chen walked slowly to Zhao Ze and said calmly, ¡°Then you hid in the nearby room, where you heard Guo Zhen find us. And you found out that we were not locked in the fourth floor as you thought. This scared you because according to your plan, we should have been dead.¡±


    Shen Chen said, ¡°But what Guo Zhen said to us made you come up with a new plan! At that time, I really thought that you took them to the fourth floor. I thought you were going to kill them, so I wanted to save them. And this gave you a chance to carry out your new plot!¡±


    Zhao Ze¡¯s mouth was twitching in an uncontrollable way. The muscles on his face were twitching violently, which looked extremely frightening.


    By this time, everyone believed what Shen Chen said. After all, they didn¡¯t believe that Shen Chen could make up such a flawless lie! Their eyes, looking at Zhao Ze, turned cold, especially Zhang Hongtao¡¯s.


    Shen Chen said slowly, recalling the horrible scene in the corridor, ¡°Although I tried my best, I failed to catch up with you. When I got to the fourth floor, I found that Pan Di and Li Qi were not among the more than three hundred zombies. I even thought that you were mistaken at that time. You didn¡¯t bring them up there. But when I was about to leave, the fire door was locked again. I was locked in the Chinese restaurant once again with more than three hundred zombies in it. This time, I couldn¡¯t open the fire door!¡±

 Chapter 31

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Everyone couldn¡¯t believe their ears. Three hundred zombies! A locked fire door! It was literally a dead end! If all he just said were true, then how had this man survived?


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s heart lurched. Her hands balled into fists, and her eyes filled with worry.


    Shen Chen continued. ¡°At that moment, I heard the zombies coming after me. They had discovered my presence, which was weird, considering that I had already smeared zombie blood on myself. They attacked me in a frenzy¡­ Guess what I found on the ground?¡±


    Shen Chen smiled.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be? A sanitary pad?¡± Ye Xiaoyu covered her mouth as she gasped in shock.


    ¡°A sanitary pad filled with fresh blood!¡± Shen Chen¡¯s smile became cold. ¡°What¡¯s blood to a zombie? It was practically a stimulant! More than three hundred zombies! A locked fire door! A Sofy overnight pad soaked in menstrual blood! That¡¯s what I was up against!¡±


    As Shen Chen¡¯s voice rose abruptly, so did everyone¡¯s heartbeat. In that moment, they could almost feel his desperation. It was if they had gone through it themselves.


    Fear! Stress! Despair!


    Everyone couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡­ what if it had been them? Could they have survived such a predicament? The answer¡­ obviously¡­ not!


    They subconsciously bit their lips as they visualized it happening to them; their heartbeats accelerated, tears started welling up, and even their muscles were on the verge of convulsing because of Shen Chen. But more than anything else, they were full of admiration for him!


    Shen Chen gradually straightened his body. His lanky silhouette stretched underneath the evening sun, and his voice permeated the entire room as he said, ¡°Over three hundred zombies and just little ol¡¯ me. Haha. Zhao Ze, I gotta admit I underestimated you. You almost succeeded! But¡­¡±


    His voice thickened, and for a moment, it was the most powerful voice in the world! ¡°IN THE END, I SURVIVED!¡±


    Boom! Like a bolt from the blue, everyone¡¯s hearts constricted as his words imprinted themselves on their subconsciouses. Shen Chen¡¯s lofty sentiments infected everyone present! Rapid heartbeats, heavy breathing, increased blood circulation¡ªeveryone couldn¡¯t help but tear up. How did this proud man standing in front of them survive three hundred plus zombies!?


    Three hundred plus zombies! Who else in this world could proudly say, ¡°I SURVIVED!¡±


    In that instant, everyone¡¯s blood reached its boiling point, and their hearts beat like drums! They could almost visualize Shen Chen¡¯s bloody battle scenes, how he fought the zombies with strength and valor!


    Zhao Ze¡¯s heart sank. Shen Chen was right. What he said really hit the nail on the head. There was no way he could deny it. However, he still tried to argue his way out of it, saying, ¡°But¡­ but this doesn¡¯t mean that I did it!¡±


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you, then why did you stealthily follow Pan Di and Guo Yuan when they came up to look for me?¡± Shen Chen snorted.


    ¡°About that¡­¡± Zhao Ze was at a loss for words, but he still made a last-ditch effort, saying, ¡°These are all conjectures. What f*cking proof do you have? Do you have any proof that I was the one who did it?¡±


    Shen Chen glared at Zhao Ze. ¡°Before we set off this morning, you went to the restroom, and when Lin Qianqian was with Pan Di last night, she mentioned that her period came, so I have reason to believe that you stole Lin Qianqian¡¯s used sanitary pad from the restroom!¡±


    Lin Qianqian¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. She suddenly recalled that when she went to change her sanitary pad in the morning, there was indeed one missing from the wastebasket¡­


    A myriad of expressions flashed across her face. She finally nodded. ¡°Yes¡­ there was indeed one missing¡­¡±


    ¡°D*mn you! You bast*rd! You wanted to get boss killed! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Pan Di couldn¡¯t hold back his fury and was ready to punch Zhao Ze!


    Zhao Ze weakly protested, ¡°No! That¡¯s not what happened! This is just conjecture! Do you have any proof?¡±


    ¡°Look in the pocket of your shirt. If I¡¯m not wrong, there must be stains from the period blood!¡±


    Zhao Ze promptly looked at his pocket but didn¡¯t discover anything. He looked up again and sneered, ¡°Nothing! Hahaha! There¡¯s nothing there¡­¡±


    Everyone was silent. They all looked at him as if he were a dead man. Zhao Ze has just proven it through his actions. Everything that Shen Chen said was true!


    ¡°How about Pan Di? Li Qi was killed by him!¡± By this point, Zhao Ze was already acting like a madman. If not for the fact that he had been restrained, he would have pounced on Shen Chen and bit him. Zhao Ze was consumed by his fear of death and no longer held back the most ruthless and fiercest side of him. If he had to die, he would make sure that he had Pan Di as company! There was no way he would let him go!


    ¡°Killed by Pan Di? Ha! You¡¯ve still not given up, huh?¡± Shen Chen snorted. Carrying over Li Qi¡¯s body, he said, ¡°Li Qi will tell you exactly who killed him!¡±


    Upon seeing Li Qi¡¯s stiff body, everyone realized that Li Qi had passed away. His eyes seemed to stare hollowly at Zhao Ze. Zhao Ze felt a chill run down his spine!


    Pointing at the wound on Li Qi¡¯s back, he said, ¡°Look at the mark left by the axe. It wasn¡¯t a fatal blow, yet he bled to death from it. You must have intended for Li Qi to die from excessive bleeding. By placing Li Qi and the unconscious Pan Di in the same place, you were hoping that the blood would attract the zombies. If the zombies did come down from the fourth floor, the room door definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to hold them back. Pan Di and Li Qi would have become meals for the zombies, and all the evidence would have disappeared. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ not like that¡­¡± Zhao Ze hadn¡¯t expected Shen Chen to see through not only his ploy, but his inner thoughts.


    Everyone¡¯s expression became solemn. No wonder Shen Chen had said that the sanitary pad had played a pivotal role in determining everyone¡¯s survival. Li Qi had died entirely because of Zhao Ze! How could he be so devoid of conscience? Bleeding to death! How could someone be so heartless!? This man is too wicked!


    Looking at everyone¡¯s shocked and disdainful faces, Zhao Ze¡¯s last trace of hope completely crumbled. He was now as white as a ghost, but that didn¡¯t stop him from saying spitefully, ¡°F*ck you! I wanted to teach you a lesson! Who do you think you are? How dare you slap me? How dare you make me the bait! You explained it well, I admit! I did lock the door on purpose, and the sanitary pad was indeed put there by me. If you had died on the first floor the first time around, my plans would have succeeded, and I would have been able to take over everything! F*ck! I should have taken out the sanitary pad from the start and gotten you killed!¡±

 Chapter 32

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Ze starting ranting hysterically, so much so that the veins in his neck popped out. His eyes were filled with hatred and anger. He wasn¡¯t thinking straight. In his frenzy, the only thing he could focus on was his desire for revenge, for bloodthirsty revenge. He wanted to kill Shen Chen! To kill everyone!


    Lin Qianqian, Li Jing, and the rest of the girls stared at Zhao Ze incredulously. How could he be so vicious, wanting to kill everyone because of something trivial? How could he be so bigoted? So twisted? This perverse?


    Shen Chen stared coldly at Zhao Ze, a despicable scumbag who was seemingly trying to mess things up for everyone because he couldn¡¯t amount to anything himself.


    The previously hostile atmosphere suddenly quieted down. Everyone was waiting for the final verdict!


    Zhao Zhen took a step forward and asked Shen Chen, ¡°Boss, how shall we deal with him?¡±


    ¡°Deal with him?¡±


    Everyone was looking at him expectantly, as if saying, ¡°Yes, such a demented person ought to be dealt with!¡±


    ¡°You guys! What do you all want with me?¡± Zhao Ze screamed in fear.


    Shen Chen smiled and took a little step forward, stopping in front of Zhao Ze. ¡°Do you remember what I told you before? If you had come clean about everything, I would have made it easier for you. Too bad¡­¡±


    He shook his head, and a loud ¡°crack¡± was then heard. Zhao Ze let out a loud cry, the kind that pigs make when they¡¯re about to be slaughtered.


    His left wrist was broken from Shen Chen¡¯s trampling. Zhao Ze was lying on the ground like a pile of mush. Everyone¡¯s eyelids twitched in response to the violent act.


    ¡°This is for Zhao Zhen. He almost died on the fourth floor behind the fire door you locked!¡±


    Shen Chen took another step.


    Crack!


    His other wrist was broken.


    ¡°This is for Pan Di. He almost died at the hands of zombies you attracted with the blood.¡±


    Crack, crack!


    Both ankles were broken at the same time!


    ¡°That¡¯s for Guo Yuan! He would have died next had your plan succeeded!¡±


    Everyone gasped when they witnessed how Shen Chen ruthlessly broke Zhao Ze¡¯s wrists and ankles. Their hearts trembled with trepidation! This man was no softie! He was certainly a force to be reckoned with!


    Much to everyone¡¯s shock, Shen Chen then proceeded to place his foot on Zhao Ze¡¯s face. Had he applied just a little force, Zhao Ze¡¯s face would have ended up looking like a smashed watermelon.


    Zhao Ze spasmed on the ground, as if he had just been struck by a thunderbolt. He let out a huge wail and started producing copious amounts of tears and snot. ¡°No! Don¡¯t kill me! My family is very influential and well-off! Don¡¯t kill me¡­ I know I¡¯ve done wrong¡­ I know it¡¯s my fault!¡±


    Unfortunately, no one gave a d*mn. Everyone¡¯s expression reflected disgust. Even Lin Qianqian, who had been protective of him all this time, looked away.


    ¡°Help me please, Qianqian! Please help me! Li Jing¡­ Li Jing, you¡¯re my girlfriend. Please help me! I was wrong. I really shouldn¡¯t have done it¡­¡±


    Shen Chen stared coldly at this wretched man. He wasn¡¯t bad-looking. He must have seen better days. He might have even been a hot commodity among women. However, the apocalypse had made him show his true colors¡ªthat of a twisted, perverse coward¡­


    No one said anything. No one was willing to help a scumbag like him. But it was hard not to feel a tinge of sympathy for someone who had had all four of his limbs maimed.


    Shen Chen looked around, a smile hanging on his face. ¡°Today is our first official team meeting. What do you guys think about this?¡±


    It was apparent from his tone that he wasn¡¯t actually asking for their opinion; rather, his tone dripped with judgement.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Zhang Xiaoya looked as if she had been put on the spot.


    ¡°How about¡­ we give him another chance?¡± Lin Qianqian asked respectfully.


    ¡°Did you have a thing with him, Lin Qianqian?¡± Ye Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°This man got Li Qi killed. Had it not been for Shen Chen, Zhao Zhen and Pan Di would have died as well! You still wanna let him off the hook? Are you in love with him, or what?¡±


    Lin Qianqian¡¯s face was as red as a beetroot. She had more to say but decided to keep it to herself after seeing the displeasure in Pan Di¡¯s eyes. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s kill him, then¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes! Kill him!¡± Pan Di said through gritted teeth. Next to him, Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen nodded.


    ¡°Killing seems a bit too cruel¡­ We could¡­ let him go?¡± Li Jing suggested. After all, Zhao Ze was her boyfriend.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me¡­ Please let me go! I guarantee I¡¯ll never do it again!¡± Zhao Ze whined as his bravado crumpled.


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    The person who spoke was Zhang Hongtao. He looked calmly at Shen Chen and said, ¡°Boss, it¡¯s dangerous to keep someone like this in the team. To let him go is to breed calamity in the future. What if he survives? He¡¯ll become a threat to us.¡±


    Shen Chen raised an eyebrow as he looked between the two of them. The corners of his mouth lifted as he mused to himself, ¡®Hadn¡¯t Zhang Hongtao and Li Jing reached a truce?¡¯


    He set down his foot and slowly sat back down in the chair. ¡°Well, if you say so, carry out the punishment, then!¡±


    Zhang Hongtao¡¯s body quivered as he fixed his eyes on Shen Chen. The others probably weren¡¯t aware why Shen Chen had asked him to kill Zhao Ze, but Zhang Hongtao understood right away. It was in that moment that he realized how scary Shen Chen truly was.


    If he dared lay a finger on Zhao Ze, it would mean breaking the truce between him and Li Jing and consequently being ostracized by the ladies. He and his child would end up having to rely on Shen Chen instead. However, if he didn¡¯t do it, then Shen Chen would never truly accept him and Duoduo! Shen Chen wanted him to kill Zhao Ze as proof of his allegiance! It was all dependent on the choice he made!


    After three seconds, the middle-aged man smiled wryly and said, ¡°All right, let me do it, then¡­¡±


    Zhang Hongtao was well aware that what he had just said indicated whose side he was on. Li Jing stared at him in disbelief, and what had originally been a look of amicability morphed into one of enmity.


    Zhang Hongtao laughed somewhat bitterly. ¡®This boy¡ªno, this man¡­ is he really only twenty years old? When did he realize that Li Jing and I had an alliance?


    He knew the entire team way better than he had expected. If that were really the case, Shen Chen, someone who was younger than him by more than a dozen years, was definitely someone worth relying on.


    A smart person would choose to focus on survival! And there was no doubt that sticking to Shen Chen would be the best decision!


    Zhang Hongtao finally made up his mind. He picked up the fire axe that Zhao Zhen had passed over, the weight making him stumble. As he looked at the frail mess in front of him that was Zhao Zhen, he blinked in bewilderment, but there was no time for him to ponder. He slowly raised the fire axe.


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t kill me! Don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    Zhao Ze screamed like a madman. A foul stench emanated from the lower half of his body as urine and feces soaked through his pants. In his fear, he had p*ssed himself and lost bodily control, as if he were a madman locked up in an asylum.


    Why was he remorseful only now? Why did he have to vie for the role of leader? Why didn¡¯t he realize his mistakes? Why¡­


    His regret and remorse no longer mattered at this juncture. No amount of remorse would bring Li Qi back or justify the loss of an innocent life.


    Just as Zhang Hongtao¡¯s axe was about to fall, something else attracted their attention, something that made everyone scream!

 Chapter 33

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Li Qi appeared out of nowhere and suddenly launched himself at Zhao Ze. His face was covered in green-purple blotches, and his facial muscles were already in a state of rapid decay. Little wonder, then, that the smell coming off Li Qi was rancid. One of his eyeballs fell out of its socket and promptly rolled into Zhao Ze¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Even the men were nauseated by the stomach-churning sight.


    Undeterred by the loss of his eye, Li Qi proceeded to open his bloody jaws. He chomped down hard on Zhao Ze¡¯s neck. There was a loud ¡°pshhh¡± as the blood gushed out from Zhao Ze¡¯s neck like a fountain.


    The ladies were scared out of their wits and started screaming hysterically. Unsurprisingly, Li Qi was oblivious to it all; he merely continued to bite huge chunks out of Zhao Ze amidst the bloodcurdling screams.


    With his wrists and ankles broken, Zhao Ze was rendered completely immobile. He could only stare helplessly at the man he had gotten killed as he ate him alive!


    Li Qi had cadaverized within five minutes of his death! In an instant, the living room was filled with piercing screams and cries! This was terrifying! Way too terrifying!


    Guo Yuan and some of the men raised their axes immediately, while observing Li Qi and Zhao Ze cautiously.


    After calmly watching the scene unfold before him, Shen Chen said to the terrified Zhang Hongtao, ¡°There is no need to feel guilty! Zhao Ze was bitten to death by a zombie. Go ahead, kill them both. Remember to aim for the brain!¡±


    But how could Zhang Hongtao bring himself to do so!? Li Qi was devouring Zhao Ze¡¯s flesh with a fervor, as if Zhao Ze were one of the most delicious things he had ever eaten. His hands dug into Zhao Ze¡¯s abdominal cavity and pulled out his organs!


    Zhang Hongtao had already lost his wits at the gory sight, but Shen Chen had a smile on his face as he stood up. Everyone was momentarily silenced by his powerful aura; they watched with bated breath as he walked over to Li Qi and Zhao Ze. Shen Chen then slowly unsheathed the Black Blade!


    ¡°Whoosh!¡±


    ¡°Whoosh!¡±


    Following the loud sounds, Li Qi and Zhao Ze¡¯s heads hit the ceiling, then landed on the ground with a bounce, accompanied by a spray of foul-smelling blood that not only splattered on the white ceiling, but on everyone¡¯s faces!


    Zhao Ze and Li Qi¡¯s headless corpses continued spasming for a few seconds before finally collapsing to the ground like a pile of mush.


    There was a deadly silence in the room. Nobody said anything! Truth be told, the overwhelming fear had paralyzed their brains and limbs.


    Zhao Ze¡¯s head made a spin around the living room before finally coming to a stop. He would never have expected to die in such a manner¡ªbeing bitten by a revived Li Qi and eventually getting decapitated¡­


    Shen Chen glanced at the people, who were paralyzed in fear, then steadily picked up the Black Blade and walked back into the room.


    Everyone was staring blankly at the two headless corpses before them, which were now seemingly stuck to each other in an eternal embrace. They were at a loss as to what to do next¡­


    Perhaps what goes around does come around? That was how Li Qi got his revenge on Zhao Ze for causing him to lose his life!


    Staring at Shen Chen¡¯s retreating figure, everyone had mixed feelings. Zhao Ze¡¯s death left too much of an impact on everyone. They were well aware that, from the moment Li Qi was rescued, to the moment he cadaverized and killed Zhao Ze, Shen Chen had made sure that both Zhao Ze¡¯s body and soul would be ravaged. Everything had been meticulously planned by Shen Chen. He had intended for Li Qi to avenge his own death!


    This man was indeed awe-inspiring¡ªscarily so. His intellect and abilities seemed to know no bounds!


    ¡­


    Before the men threw the body down the stairs, Shen Chen retrieved Li Qi¡¯s wallet. Ye Xiaoyu asked curiously, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Shen Chen removed Li Qi¡¯s ID card before throwing away the wallet, replying, ¡°Holding on to his ID card so that we can pass it on to his family members if we come across them.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu was moved by Shen Chen¡¯s thoughtfulness and suddenly had an urge to smooth his brows. She raised her hand but stopped herself from going any further. Her hand froze in the air for a second before landing on her head awkwardly. ¡°Mm¡­ you¡¯re right.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu then looked away as she said, ¡°Hold on to Zhao Ze¡¯s ID as well. He was bitten by Li Qi¡­ I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Everyone nodded, but Zhang Hongtao couldn¡¯t help but peek at Shen Chen. Everything had obviously been planned by Shen Chen in advance¡ªletting Li Qi attack Zhao Ze so that there wouldn¡¯t be any issues, even if Zhao Ze¡¯s family asked about his death. This man was indeed meticulous!


    Li Jing pushed everyone out of the way as she went up to Zhao Ze. After searching his body, she found his wallet and a red ring box.


    She was somewhat taken aback at the sight of the ring box but soon regained her composure as she passed the ID card to Shen Chen nonchalantly. As for the ring box, she prepared to put it back into Zhao Ze¡¯s pocket.


    ¡°Hey! Wait a minute. That¡¯s the latest design from Tiffany! It¡¯s worth tens of thousands! Don¡¯t put it back just like that!¡± Lin Qianqian exclaimed when she realized that Li Jing was about to put the ring box back on Zhao Ze¡¯s body.


    ¡°How would you know, Qianqian?¡± asked Zhang Xiaoya in surprise.


    Li Qianqian stuttered. ¡°Erm¡­ I¡­¡±


    Pan Di¡¯s brows also furrowed. Li Jing got up slowly and stroked the ring box as she sighed, ¡°Zhao Ze told me a few days ago that he had met a young lass. That young lass was you? And you went with him to get this ring?¡±


    ¡°Qianqian? You were already acquainted with Zhao Ze before all this?¡± Pan Di¡¯s eyes widened. It sounded fishy to him.


    Lin Qianqian was at a loss for words and bit on her lower lip nervously. ¡®Sh*t. I should have kept my mouth shut¡­¡¯


    Li Jing smirked. She had already suspected that there was something between the two of them, especially when Lin Qianqian had appeared to be protective of Zhao Ze¡­


    A tinge of envy flashed across Li Jing¡¯s face. This girl was really lucky. Meeting a rich man like Zhao Ze in peaceful times and having the tough Pan Di as her boyfriend during the apocalypse. She had nothing to worry about!


    Rolling her eyes, Li Jing tossed the ring box to Lin Qianqian, saying, ¡°You may have it since you like it so much.¡± She then turned around and headed back into her room.


    Lin Qianqian didn¡¯t know what to do. She simply stared at the ring box uneasily.


    As for Pan Di, there was a shift in his expression as he threw Zhao Ze¡¯s body harshly onto the ground. He then left in a fit of anger.


    Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen looked at him worriedly. This Zhao Ze managed to stir sh*t even when dead! He was indeed a troublemaker, like Zhang Hongtao said!


    Having dealt with the bodies, the day was finally over. Today had been a wake-up call for everyone, especially for girls like Lin Qianqian and Zhang Xiaoya. After what happened, they finally realized how dangerous the situation was, as well as recognized the fact that anyone who died would become a terrifying zombie.


    At mealtime, the absence of the two men was glaringly obvious. Everyone was solemn as they ate. This included Shen Chen, who was in no mood to care about how everyone else felt. After finishing his meal hastily, he immediately retreated into his own room where, in the shower, he let the water wash over him repeatedly. There was an extremely serious expression on his face, one of unprecedented fear and anxiety!

 Chapter 34

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    If someone had been beside him, they would have let out a scream, because craters had formed on the surface of Shen Chen¡¯s skin. They were extremely uneven, having sunken in in certain spots, and bones were jutting out in others. There were also huge lumps.


    If one looked closely at his skin, they would see a black-red liquid meandering under the surface of Shen Chen¡¯s skin, resembling a little snake. It left in its trail sunken pits or pulsing lumps, much like magma bubbling to the surface of the earth.


    An expression of agony formed on Shen Chen¡¯s face as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. The heart-wrenching pain tore through his entire body, as if there were ten thousand ants chewing on his bones and organs. His body shivered uncontrollably, like a fallen leaf in the autumn breeze.


    Ever since he had drunk the fluid, he had undergone inhumane torture like this, allowing the evolution fluid to wreak havoc in his body at whim. The fluid had allowed him to achieve a miraculous breakthrough while on the fourth floor. At the peak of his powers, he had been able to kill many zombies with a single blow! However, there were also apparent side effects. Coming down from a high, his powers were in a state of rest, but traces of the fluid still remained in his body! His body couldn¡¯t cope with the copious amounts of evolution fluid in his bloodstream; as a result, his body was on the verge of a breakdown. Shen Chen knew that if his body did break down, he would become a terrifying mutated form of a zombie!


    If that happened, he would undoubtedly become a threat to the people outside the room¡ªno, to all of mankind! In the absence of weapons of mass destruction, he would become mankind¡¯s greatest nemesis! Having gone through rebirth, there was no way he would let something like that happen!


    Shen Chen took a deep breath and sat cross-legged on the cold tiles, occupied with his thoughts. In his past life, how had that person survived the same situation¡­


    Shen Chen kept thinking back to that mysterious man, but he couldn¡¯t remember. His brows furrowed, and his eyes glinted.


    That man in his previous life was someone who was obsessed with health. He supposedly spent huge amounts of money shipping bird¡¯s nest from Southeast Asia and ginseng from the zombie-ridden Northeast. This had gone on until Shen Chen¡¯s rebirth. There were a few others like this man, and it was rumored that these people had a couple of disputes over the tonics.


    Could it be¡­ related to the evolution fluid?


    Ginseng, bird¡¯s nest, deer antler, tiger bone¡ªthey were all very nourishing¡­ Maybe they would be good for a deteriorating body!


    Shen Chen closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, there was a flash of determination in his eyes.


    He had to give them a try, regardless of their efficacy. Tomorrow, he would go to the drugstore to acquire supplies.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Shen Chen told Pan Di and Guo Yuan, ¡°I¡¯m going out. You guys should stay and rest.¡±


    Pan Di, who, together with Guo Yuan, was raring to go out and kill some zombies, widened his eyes and said with a huge grin, ¡°Bring me too, boss! Bring me!¡±


    Shen Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile at his enthusiasm. ¡°It isn¡¯t as interesting outside as you think.¡±


    Zhao Zhen tried to persuade him, saying, ¡°Boss, bring at least one of ¡¯em with you to put everyone¡¯s mind at ease.¡±


    After contemplating for a second, Shen Chen nodded. ¡°You stay home with Pan Di. Guo Yuan will go with me.¡±


    Guo Yuan couldn¡¯t hide his sh*t-eating grin, whereas Zhao Zhen shook his head in resignation. ¡°All right. Don¡¯t be too smug. Otherwise, Pan Di¡¯s going to wipe that smirk off your face.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu, who was cleaning utensils, looked down shyly as she asked, ¡°Shen Chen, could you bring me along as well?


    ¡°What¡¯s a little girl like you gonna do?¡± Pan Di said dismissively with a wave of his hand.


    Ye Xiaoyu responded with a pout. ¡°How dare you underestimate women! I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯ve killed zombies before!¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Guo Yuan laughed as well. How did a dainty little girl like her kill a zombie? The fact that she hadn¡¯t p*ssed herself like Lin Qianqian had was itself incredible.


    Seeing that no one believed her, Ye Xiaoyu threw the dishcloth on the table. ¡°Shen Chen, tell them whether or not I¡¯ve killed a zombie.¡±


    Shen Chen rubbed his forehead and said with a shake of his head, ¡°Guys, she really did kill one¡­¡±


    ¡°Really? That can¡¯t be right¡­¡± The three guys looked at each other.


    Ye Xiaoyu stood next to Shen Chen, gleefully saying, ¡°I¡¯ve braved through the zombie swamp together with Shen Chen, so don¡¯t underestimate me!¡±


    Guo Yuan and Pan Di reluctantly took back what they had said about Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s abilities, but Shen Chen said flatly, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re allowed to come along with me and Guo Yuan. You might become a hindrance to us.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu responded calmly. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. On the contrary, I believe I¡¯ll be of assistance. Firstly, I¡¯m a medical student. We need lots of medicinal supplies in an apocalyptic situation like this, and I¡¯m the only one who knows how to use them appropriately. Besides, I¡¯m familiar with the area, and I know where the drugstores are located. Since we¡¯re venturing outside for once, we should bring back with us as many supplies as possible. Whaddya say, boss?¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s gaze fell on Ye Xiaoyu, who was looking extremely confident. She had a point. If she really did know where the drugstores were located, that would be particularly convenient.


    ¡°All right. Get changed, then. Pass your fire axe to her, Pan Di. Pack up. We¡¯ll be leaving in ten minutes!¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. After responding with an ¡°aye,¡± she ran back to her bedroom to get ready.


    Once back in her room, she heaved a sigh of relief. She then looked up with shiny eyes. As a woman, if she didn¡¯t become an integral part of the team, who knew what fate would befall her! She had to work hard at proving her worth¡­ She couldn¡¯t be like those ignorant women who only knew how to depend on men!


    ¡­


    By the time the three of them set out, it was already sunrise. The skies were still as blue as ever, but the terrain was barely recognizable. It was literally a living hell, a huge contrast with the morning serenity. The entire city was enveloped in a deadly silence. There were no car horns being honked, no hustle and bustle on the streets. Even the bloodcurdling screams had stopped. It was virtually a ghost town, with the exception of roaming zombies¡­


    Guo Yuan drew in a deep breath before saying, ¡°Boss! Up until now, I didn¡¯t believe that the world as we knew it was truly gone¡­¡±

 Chapter 35

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Looking into the distance, Shen Chen said slowly, ¡°Don¡¯t despair. Our ability to bounce back from devastation is more powerful than you realize. It¡¯s just that, in a fight to the death, only the victors survive, and the losers are destined to die. What we need to do is become the party that triumphs¡­¡±


    Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu nodded, but it wasn¡¯t clear whether they had truly understood his speech. Shen Chen didn¡¯t say anything else, merely smiling in response.


    The three of them got into the car, and they were soon cruising the streets. ¡°Where shall we go first?¡± Guo Yuan asked from the backseat.


    ¡°Drugstore. Ye Xiaoyu, lead the way!¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu nodded. ¡°The nearest store is in the residential area on the ground floor. It has both Chinese and Western medicine and carries certain food items as well.¡±


    ¡°Do they have ginseng?¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Mm, yes¡­ They also have tonics like tiger bone wine¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Let¡¯s go to that one, then!¡± Shen Chen nodded and floored the gas pedal. The car shot off like an arrow from a bow.


    About ten minutes later, they finally arrived at the residential area. Dozens of roaming zombies started surrounding the vehicle, including two extremely tall zombies dressed like security guards.


    Ye Xiaoyu held onto the fire axe anxiously, only to hear a command from Shen Chen, saying, ¡°Kill!¡±


    A few minutes later, the zombies fell around Shen Chen and Guo Yuan. It barely took them any effort. In fact, they relished it so much that it was as if killing the zombies had been a game to them. Ye Xiaoyu, on the other hand, realized that she hadn¡¯t been of much use. She bit her lower lip nervously. The guys were getting better! However, she quickly regained her composure and beckoned them to come over. ¡°Over here!¡±


    As the residential area was fairly new, many of the lots were still in the process of securing tenants. The first three floors of the area marked for commercial use were locked and vacant.


    Ye Xiaoyu quickly led them to the drugstore, but it, too, was locked. She hit herself on her head, saying, ¡°Sh*t. I forgot that most shops close at eight. What should we do since it¡¯s locked?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right!¡±


    Shen Chen smiled and kicked at the lock with minimal force. There was a ¡°boom¡± as a dent formed on the metal grille. He then moved forward and broke the metal grille in half with his bare hands, revealing the glass door.


    Ye Xiaoyu stared in astonishment as he broke the glass door of the drugstore effortlessly. He went into the store first, followed by Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan.


    The drugstore itself was intact and undamaged, despite the apocalypse that had descended on Valentine¡¯s Day. As it had already been a week, a light layer of dust had gathered on the shelves full of medicinal items.


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of the shelves. She scampered over happily, saying, ¡°Ah, we need the Yunnan Baiyao. Also the vitamins. We should get a few more bottles.¡±


    Guo Yuan scratched his head in puzzlement. ¡°What do we need those for?¡±


    ¡°Idiot, humans are more susceptible to health complications, such as septicaemia, if they lack vitamins. We are now in the end-times and won¡¯t be getting a supply of fresh fruits and vegetables from farmers, so vitamin supplements are lifesavers!¡± replied Ye Xiaoyu. She was a totally different person when it came to her area of expertise. Her eyes were practically sparkling.


    Shen Chen nodded quietly. In his past life, many people had died from septicaemia. Ye Xiaoyu was indeed a professional and an invaluable addition to the team.


    He scanned the surroundings before running toward a counter filled with ginseng. His eyes suddenly burned with desire. It was as if his body were being consumed by strong hunger pangs!


    Shen Chen was pleased at his body¡¯s response to the ginseng. His body was telling him that it craved these tonics, and, more importantly, it also proved that his suspicions were correct¡ª these tonics would aid in his recovery.


    He swiftly broke the glass display case and poured a box of ginseng into his mouth, swallowing them hastily after a few chews.


    Warmth spread in the pit of his stomach and miraculously soothed the pain in his body! The dark surge under his skin slowly receded and was instead replaced by a combination of evolution fluid and ginseng¡­


    ¡®It worked!¡¯ Shen Chen was ecstatic. He couldn¡¯t wait to shove all the ginseng down his throat.


    One box! Two boxes! Those clearly didn¡¯t suffice, though. As soon as he stopped gobbling them down, the pain increased again.


    In the span of a few minutes, Shen Chen consumed ten boxes of expensive ginseng. At the same time, he also had his sights set on the cordyceps.


    Both Ye Xiaoyu and Guoyu were appalled by his crazy behavior. These tonics weren¡¯t meant to be consumed in such large quantities!


    Ye Xiaoyu quickly ran over and attempted to stop him. ¡°Shen Chen, you shouldn¡¯t consume so much!¡±


    However, Shen Chen was no longer able to suppress his hunger. Ignoring Ye Xiaoyu, he continued eating all the ginseng and cordyceps he could find. After consuming all the tonics, Shen Chen started eyeing the barrels of medicinal wine at the back of the store.


    Pangs of hunger started reverberating through his body again. The hunger didn¡¯t originate from his stomach. It actually stemmed from an innate desire for power and strength!


    ¡°Gobble gobble gobble¡­¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan watched in stunned silence as Shen Chen guzzled five to six barrels¡¯ worth of medicinal wine.


    Drinking at this speed was akin to guzzling 70% proof alcohol at the speed one would use while drinking water. To be more precise, no one would be able to drink at this speed, even if they were actually drinking water!


    Ye Xiaoyu watched anxiously as Shen Chen¡¯s face grew flushed from drinking the wine. As Shen Chen started trembling uncontrollably, she couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Shen Chen? Are you all right? Don¡¯t scare me!¡±


    By now, both Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan had realized that there was something wrong with Shen Chen. They suddenly recalled how Shen Chen¡¯s eyes had turned an unusual shade of crimson the day before!


    Unknown to them, however, Shen Chen was feeling better than ever! The medicinal wine alleviated the pain that his battered body had been suffering under. However, his eyes had glazed over, and he was starting to show signs of intoxication.


    Shen Chen said apologetically to Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu, ¡°Sorry. I need some time to adjust. I¡¯m going to have to trouble you guys.¡± He then stumbled and fell to the ground.


    Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan quickly went up to Shen Chen to help him up, but Shen Chen had fallen asleep the moment his eyes closed¡­


    He¡¯s¡­ drunk?

 Chapter 36

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Dumbstruck, Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan stared at Shen Chen as he remained asleep on the floor. Ye Xiaoyu didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. She gave him a gentle nudge, asking, ¡°Shen Chen? Are you really drunk?¡± Only Shen Chen¡¯s snores greeted her in response.


    Guo Yuan scratched his head with a wry smile. Recalling Shen Chen¡¯s peculiar behavior from yesterday, as well as his bloodshot eyes, everything now seemed to make sense. ¡°Boss must have a reason for acting like this. Let¡¯s leave him to get some rest.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu nodded agreeably. The two of them helped turn Shen Chen over so that he could lie comfortably, and then Ye Xiaoyu continued sifting through the medical supplies.


    Guo Yuan sighed a breath of relief. Had Ye Xiaoyu persisted with her questions, he wouldn¡¯t have known how to handle them, because he wasn¡¯t sure what was going on with boss, either. What he was certain about, though, was that boss must have suffered some damage from the day before, given how urgently he needed the medical supplies. What he could do for boss now was ensure his safety as he slept!


    Guo Yuan took a deep breath as he got ready to guard the entrance with his fire axe. Meanwhile, Shen Chen was stuck in some kind of internal deadlock. The medicinal wine and tonics had generated a large amount of heat that swiftly wrapped around the evolution fluid, melting it as it flooded his bloodstream.


    The pain was accompanied by the kind of high that one usually gets from an adrenaline rush. It was a strange sensation¡ªa mixture of pleasure and pain circulating through all the meridians of his body. Thanks to the new bout of energy, the parts of his skin that were previously sunken or swollen were now smoothed out. As the evolution fluid coursed effortlessly through his veins, warmth spread all over his limbs and bones. The warmth felt really good, so much so that the sheer comfort made him feel as if he were floating among the clouds.


    Shen Chen started breathing evenly, a relaxed smile forming on his face. As Ye Xiaoyu passed by his sleeping form, she saw how his brows had smoothed and how his lips had formed a crescent. It not only reminded her of how strong, proud, and stubborn he was, but also how soft he could be, as elusive as that might be.


    She shook herself out of her stupor by lightly slapping her face, and walked away hastily with a blush on her face.


    After half an hour, Shen Chen had yet to awaken. Ye Xiaoyu carried all the medical supplies to the entrance of the store and struck a casual conversation with Guo Yuan, who was standing guard by the door.


    They looked out onto the empty streets, which used to be full of hustle and bustle but were now full of blood stains and strewn bodies, casting an eerie gloom over the winter day. Suddenly, they heard bloodcurdling screams from a distance, followed by noisy footsteps and the sound of flesh being torn apart.


    Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan tensed up, their expressions betraying their uneasiness! They looked at each other nervously before quickly picking up their fire axes and hiding cautiously in a corner while keeping their eyes fixed in the direction of the noises.


    What greeted them was the sight of three to four men scurrying over in a frenzy while screaming desperately. A dozen zombies were on their trail, gaping at them with bloody mouths and howling incoherently!


    One of the men stumbled and tripped. It didn¡¯t take long for the zombies to pounce on him; he was soon buried in a swamp of zombies. Bits of blood and flesh flew into the air and landed on the pavement, staining it a shade of bright red¡­


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s body shivered uncontrollably at the horrifying sight! She prayed that the men wouldn¡¯t see them, because they might well lead the zombies over to them!


    Unfortunately, that was exactly what happened. One of the men noticed them, his eyes lighting up with hope! His survival instincts prompted him to turn around and run toward the drugstore with all he had!


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s heart sank. How had he discovered their presence!? To make matters worse, the two other men had followed after him, bringing along with them the zombies who were currently hot on their trail!


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Guo Yuan let out an expletive. ¡®What a b*stard! Why did he have to run over here? Did he think I could handle so many zombies on my own?¡¯


    Scared out of her wits, Ye Xiaoyu frantically asked, ¡°What should we do? The zombies are coming here, too!¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, the three men had already rushed into the store. Realizing there was a woman inside, they shouted, ¡°Quick, shut the door! Shut it quickly!¡±


    ¡°How the f*ck am I supposed to do that? The door¡¯s already damaged. Why did you have to drag us into this?¡± Guo Yuan was bursting with fury, but it was too late for that now. It wouldn¡¯t do them any good. The metal grille had long been damaged by Shen Chen, and the glass door had also been shattered. More than a dozen zombies were headed their way, including those who had been feeding on the human corpses.


    When the guys saw the state that the metal grille was in, they almost fainted in shock. ¡°We¡¯re done for! Really done for!¡±


    It was a good thing that Ye Xiaoyu managed to think on her feet. She shouted at them, ¡°Quick! Push the shelves over and pile them up!¡±


    The guys moved with a sudden burst of strength and managed to barricade the entrance with a stack of shelves.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! The zombies hammered furiously at the white shelves, eager to rush in! As the shelves wobbled from the impact, medical supplies started falling onto their heads and faces. It wasn¡¯t long before multiple arms reached for the humans through the gaps between the shelves. The twig-like arms of the zombies scratched and grabbed at anything they could get ahold of.


    ¡°Chop off their arms! Chop them off!¡± Ye Xiaoyu shrieked. ¡°Don¡¯t let them scratch you!¡±


    Guo Yuan immediately hacked them off with his fire axe. As he did so, severed arms fell to the ground, one by one. After hacking off about a dozen arms, black blood from the zombies splattered on everyone¡¯s clothes. Despite the stains, everyone felt a momentary sense of relief. However, the zombies began retaliating with even more force. The shelves started clattering and were about to fall from the impact!


    ¡°Hold them! Stop them from falling!¡± Guo Yan exerted all his weight and strength against the shelves, keeping them steady.


    It was a tug of war between life and death. Sometimes the shelves would fall toward their side, and sometimes they would go the other way. But everyone tried their best to defend themselves. No one was sloppy in the fight against the zombies!


    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to hold up against them for too long!¡± said one of the men, who was weeping out of fear.


    ¡°You better stop f*cking crying. Conserve your energy for them!¡± Guo Yuan roared.


    Tens of zombies on the other side of the shelves howled in response. After a stalemate of more than ten minutes, one of the men, the skinny one, was about to collapse from sheer exhaustion. The five of them watched helplessly as the shelves started inching toward them¡­

 Chapter 37

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°C¡¯mon, push! Do something to stop them, or we¡¯re all going to die!¡± Guo Yuan shouted at them anxiously.


    The skinny man let out a roar as he pushed the shelves with all his might, but the shelves continued moving in their direction!


    Suddenly, an ugly white face appeared through one of the gaps between the empty shelves and took a bite of the skinny man¡¯s chest. The skinny man let out a loud scream and couldn¡¯t help falling backwards.


    Boom! The collapsing shelves landed on him, and the zombies took the opportunity to climb into the store. Even the zombies who had lost their arms were surprisingly agile as they leapt inside the store like grasshoppers.


    Ye Xiaoyu screamed as she hacked at them with her fire axe! As for Guo Yuan, his aim was amazingly accurate. Every time his axe fell, it took a zombie¡¯s life. But he wasn¡¯t Shen Chen¡ªa dozen zombies were too much for him to handle! He was soon forced to retreat and was backed into a corner. Guo Yuan didn¡¯t seem like he could hold on much longer.


    Ye Xiaoyu was smart enough to hide behind a shelf in the center of the store. She even managed to kill a zombie by herself! However, before she could congratulate herself, there was a loud boom. A stack of shelves fell on Ye Xiaoyu, pinning her underneath. A zombie pounced on her, a foul stench wafting out of its decaying mouth!


    Ye Xiaoyu screamed and struggled. She mustered enough strength to wield her fire axe at the zombie, only to have the zombie chomp down on it. The foul-smelling drool from the zombie¡¯s mouth even started dripping on Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s clothes!


    Ye Xiaoyu could barely hold the axe any longer, as her arm had started to tremble. She watched helplessly as the zombie¡¯s ugly face came closer and closer. They were almost nose-to-nose with each other!


    Ye Xiaoyu continued screaming frantically, but no one could come to her assistance! The three men were out of sight, and Guo Yuan was surrounded by three to five zombies himself.


    Just as she was about to lose her grip on the axe, two more zombies came in Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s direction! By then, Ye Xiaoyu had lost all hope! She looked over her shoulder in despair, her eyes landing on the sleeping Shen Chen¡­


    ¡®Farewell, the man I like!¡¯ Ye Xiaoyu slowly closed her eyes, a stream of tears rolling down her cheeks.


    All of a sudden, the weight was lifted off her body. She opened her eyes to see a dead zombie lying next to her with its eyes and jaws wide open.


    Undeterred by the sight, she looked past the zombie to see a god-like presence leaping into the air, his Black Blade gleaming in the light! With every flash of his blade, a zombie¡¯s head rolled onto the floor!


    Swift! Sharp!


    Set against the glaring sunlight, his silhouette was like that of a movie character! He was like a nimble predator who spared no mercy in killing his prey!


    Ye Xiaoyu was busy gawking at his back and forgot that she was still stuck in a dangerous predicament.


    ¡°Boss!¡± Guo Yan shouted with tears in his eyes. He had been utterly exhausted, but seeing Shen Chen in action re-energized his battered body.


    Shen Chen looked at him out of the corner of his eye and said to him, ¡°Kill!¡±


    ¡°Kill!¡± Guo Yuan let out a loud roar, his fire axe rapidly hacking at the zombies before him! Poof! Blood splattered everywhere in the store!


    Five minutes later, the battle was over.


    Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu limped toward Shen Chen, a look of relief on their faces. Ye Xiaoyu pursed her lips and suppressed the urge to run into Shen Chen¡¯s arms.


    Shen Chen nodded at the two of them and smiled approvingly. ¡°Not bad! You guys have done well!¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan were so overwhelmed with emotions that they were on the verge on crying, but they didn¡¯t want to embarrass themselves in the presence of outsiders.


    Shen Chen glanced coldly at the three men who had brought over the zombies, his brows furrowing. Two of them were squatting on the floor, seemingly unscathed, and the remaining one, around thirty to forty years of age, was standing with a mop in his hand. The three of them were staring at Shen Chen in a daze. Shen Chen¡¯s actions were simply too shocking! Before this, they hadn¡¯t realized that someone like Shen Chen existed! Someone who was able to annihilate zombies with such strength and power! Had they not experienced it for themselves, they would have wondered whether they had actually stumbled upon the filming of some reality TV program!


    ¡°Mas¡­ Master! Hi..!¡± the man holding the mop stuttered.


    Shen Chen frowned. These men had almost gotten Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu killed. If not for the fact that they hadn¡¯t done it on purpose, they would have died from the Black Blade!


    ¡°Go!¡± Shen Chen commanded without a second glance at them.


    Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan glared at the three men and were about to leave with their loot when one of the men interrupted them.


    ¡°Wait!¡± said the leader of the group, who looked like an extremely honest and trustworthy man. He walked up to them and grabbed Shen Chen¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Master! Please wait, Master!¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Shen Chen asked impatiently.


    ¡°Sir, you guys have taken all the supplies in this store, I¡­¡±


    Shen Chen snorted. ¡°You have a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°No no no¡­ we wouldn¡¯t dare! We¡¯re not thugs,¡± Ye Tianlong quickly added. ¡°We¡¯re residents of this area. My name is Ye Tianlong, and this is Wu Fan and Zhou Xiaobo.¡±


    ¡®Ye Tianlong?¡¯


    Shen Chen took a close long at Ye Tianlong. He had an honest face and a muscular build and looked like a Mr. Nice Guy.


    Although his grip on the Black Blade remained tight, and his face remained grim, Shen Chen suppressed his emotions and tried to lighten up for a bit.


    ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± he asked almost mockingly.


    Seeing that Shen Chen was young but mature for his age, Ye Tianlong said cautiously, ¡°There are still a few of us back at my home. One of them has a fever, so we came here to look for some medicine. We didn¡¯t expect¡­¡±


    The one who looked like he was in his thirties smiled wryly before continuing, ¡°We didn¡¯t expect to run into a dozen zombies. And Fatty Li is now dead¡­ I don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll tell his younger sister¡­¡±


    Wu Fan and Zhou Xiaobo¡¯s eyes reddened. Zhou Xiaobo was the frail and skinny guy. Wiping away his tears, he said, ¡°Boss Ye, it¡¯s not your fault. Nobody knew there would be so many zombies outside. Fatty was unfit and couldn¡¯t run fast enough, yet he still insisted on coming with us¡­¡± He choked on sobs before he could finish speaking.


    ¡°You¡¯re here for fever medication?¡± Shen Chen asked flatly.


    ¡°Yes, the fever has reached 40 degrees Celsius. Without the medication, the person might suffer brain damage from the fever. In the current situation¡­¡± sighed Ye Tianlong.


    Shen Chen¡¯s expression was indecipherable. But after a while, he finally said, ¡°Where¡¯s the rest? I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±

 Chapter 38

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Guo Yuan stared at Shen Chen in bewilderment. He couldn¡¯t understand why Shen Chen had decided to leave with people they barely knew.


    Ye Xiaoyu, on the other hand, was somewhat puzzled. Standing behind Shen Chen, it seemed to her as if he were trying to suppress something. She could see his hand quiver as he wielded the blade. Ye Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Shen Chen was still feeling some kind of bodily discomfort.


    As for Ye Tianlong, he had a joyous expression on his face! He quickly nodded in response, saying, ¡°Wonderful! It¡¯s great that Master is coming along with us. I own a mini-mart, so I still have a lot of food supplies. You¡¯re welcome to join us¡­¡± He was so happy that he was babbling incoherently. Coupled with his honest-looking face, one couldn¡¯t help but take a shine to him.


    Shen Chen¡¯s response was a stark contrast. He simply said flatly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Thanks to Shen Chen, the way back to their place was pretty uneventful. Ye Tianlong mentioned having assembled a team; in actual fact, he had already gathered forty to fifty people. Despite the fact that he owned a mini-mart, it still came as a surprise to Shen Chen that he was feeding that many people.


    They resided in a six-story building. The first floor was full of abandoned furniture that was arranged to serve as a barricade. The second and third floors were divided into male and female dormitories, and the fourth, five, and sixth floors were secured with a metal fence, since they had no use for it at the moment.


    When the forty-odd people saw that Ye Tianlong had returned, they all swarmed up to him happily. ¡°Boss Ye, you¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°Did you guys manage to get the medicine?¡±


    ¡°You guys have worked hard!¡±


    It was noisy, but pleasantly so, just the way a family would be. There were no traces of tension in the air. The only exception was a young lady running toward them, asking, ¡°Boss, why isn¡¯t my brother back yet?¡±


    Ye Tianlong, Wu Fan, and Zhou Xiaobo¡¯s faces crumpled. Nobody said anything. Realizing that something was wrong, tears welled up in the girl¡¯s beautiful eyes. She covered her face and ran away.


    Ye Tianlong said apologetically with a tinge of sadness, ¡°Fatty¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, someone promptly consoled him, saying, ¡°Boss Ye, don¡¯t be too sad¡­¡±


    ¡°Given how things are, it¡¯s hard to tell when someone will die¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I was in the first batch of survivors. People have been dying everyday for the past ten days. This is the apocalypse, boss. Everything is up to fate. Don¡¯t be too upset!¡±


    Ye Tianlong smiled wryly as he shook his head. He mustered as much cheer as he could and beckoned Shen Chen and the rest to come over. ¡°By the way, let me introduce you guys. These are the people I met today!¡±


    Everyone cheered, ¡°Ooh, there are new additions!¡±


    ¡°Boss Sun has been pining for new members. To think we got three in one fell swoop. Our family is becoming bigger and stronger!¡±


    Ye Tianlong gestured, ¡°Guys, don¡¯t talk nonsense. This guy is an expert. Had it not been for this Master, the three of us wouldn¡¯t have made it back. Oh, yeah, even the fever medicine was a gift from him!¡±


    The crowd looked curiously at Shen Chen and the other two. They had thought that these three people, who looked like college kids, were from the first batch of survivors just like themselves, people who had been rescued by Boss Ye. To their surprise, these people were his saviors instead? How could that be possible?


    They looked at each other in dismay, but seeing that Ye Tianlong had introduced them with so much respect, they quickly greeted them with enthusiasm. ¡°Hi, Master!¡±


    ¡°How old are you, Sir? This blade looks so sharp!¡±


    Shen Chen observed these friendly people. They seemed genuine, and instead of an expression of fear on their faces, they appeared to have one of hope and optimism. With huge smiles, they welcomed the three of them with food and water. Someone even drew a bath for them.


    Their actions warmed Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan¡¯s hearts, especially Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s. Her memory of rescuing Zhao Zhen remained fresh in her mind. The survivors from the cardroom owned by the fatty were definitely not as optimistic as the ones under Ye Tianlong. This Ye Tianlong must be a good man!


    The jovial atmosphere was contagious. Before long, Ye Xiaoyu starting chatting merrily with a few girls, who told her things like ¡°You¡¯re so brave!¡± and ¡°It¡¯s so scary out there! How do you do it?!¡±


    Even Guo Yuan, who was usually reserved around strangers, was smiling sheepishly at the uncles patting his shoulder.


    Only Shen Chen remained silent, deep in contemplation. How many years had it been since he had seen a group of survivors like this? If his memory served him well, such a harmonious sight had never appeared during the apocalypse in his past life.


    Shen Chen gazed at Ye Tianlong with an unfathomable expression on his face. Ye Tianlong got someone to pass the medication to the sick person, then comforted the girl, Xiao Li, who had just lost her brother.


    The look in Shen Chen¡¯s eyes was indescribable. Ye Tianlong could sense someone watching him, but when he looked up, all he saw was everyone crowding around Shen Chen, asking him questions. There were even grandmas asking him whether he was seeing anyone. Ye Tianlong smiled and shook his head, figuring that maybe he was being too sensitive. He lowered his head just as Shen Chen looked over, so he didn¡¯t pick up on it. Shen Chen had a murderous look in his eyes!


    Ye Xiaoyu saw it, but the look quickly softened as soon as they made eye contact. Shen Chen smiled at Ye Xiaoyu and joined the rest in conversation, but Ye Xiaoyu looked at Shen Chen doubtfully, then at Ye Tianlong.


    Shen Chen seemed to distrust Ye Tianlong. Had something happened between the two of them? Ye Xiaoyu furrowed her brows. She suddenly came to the realization that Shen Chen might have an ulterior motive for coming back with Ye Tianlong.


    Night had fallen, and everyone was having hotpot. Ye Tianlong even opened a few cans of beer. The first glass of beer was poured onto the floor in remembrance of Fatty Li. Xiao Li¡¯s eyes reddened at the mention of her deceased brother.


    The atmosphere soon livened up, and everyone ate and drank with abandon. Someone even made a dirty joke or two, causing the girls to giggle.


    Shen Chen furrowed his brows. How long would a group like this survive? They had no sense of danger; even if there were security doors installed, such rowdiness and merry-making would surely attract the zombies.


    Ye Xiaoyu came over with a beer and sat next to Shen Chen. With her face red from the alcohol and a white sweater on her, she looked somewhat like a bunny.


    As she sat down slowly, there was a whiff of fragrance in the air. Shen Chen couldn¡¯t help but take a second glance at her. He then put some distance between them and picked up a can of beer nonchalantly.


    There was a blush on Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s cheeks. Clearing her throat, she said to him, ¡°This¡­ feels pretty good.¡±


    Shen Chen mumbled in response, ¡°You like it here?¡±

 Chapter 39

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ye Xiaoyu shook her head, saying, ¡°It¡¯s kinda weird but, despite their optimism, I still feel uneasy for some reason. I would go so far as to say that even the fatty at the cardroom had managed his team better than this.¡±


    Shen Chen smiled and looked Ye Xiaoyu in the eye. ¡°A herd of blindly optimistic sheep with no idea how cruel the outside world is. What do you think would happen as soon as they stepped outside? What would be their fate?¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°Death¡­ I guess.¡±


    ¡°No. A mental breakdown!¡± Shen Chen took another swig of his beer. ¡°They would start questioning everything they see in this world and would end up trying to escape from reality, choosing instead to indulge in their delusions. Eventually, they would suffer a mental breakdown and go crazy.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu shuddered at Shen Chen¡¯s harsh words. Initially feeling a little drowsy from the alcohol, she suddenly sobered up upon hearing what he said. ¡°That¡­ that can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    ¡®Can¡¯t be? How many people have gone mad because of the apocalypse and have run toward the zombies to get shredded into pieces by them?¡¯


    Shen Chen smirked and was about to say something else, but he saw Xiao Li running out of the room and Ye Tianlong following stealthily behind her!


    Shen Chen¡¯s heart leapt into his throat. He stood up quickly with the Black Blade in his hand and said quietly, ¡°You go get some rest. I¡¯m going out for a walk.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu stared at his retreating figure in bewilderment as he weaved through the crowd to chase after Ye Tianlong. In his haste, Shen Chen didn¡¯t bother being discreet. He stood outside the door, near the staircase, where he discovered a man and a woman running down the stairs. He quickly chased after them.


    Not long after, a woman¡¯s voice was heard crying, ¡°Let go of me! Bast*rd!¡± followed by a man growling. There was then the sound of fabric being torn.


    The fury in Shen Chen was ignited. As expected, Ye Tianlong was a scumbag just like he had been in his past life! Even if the apocalypse in this life had just begun, it was apparent that Ye Tianlong was a scumbag through and through!


    No one knew what Shen Chen was feeling at that moment! From the moment he first saw him, there was a sense of familiarity! Ye Tianlong! He was a Seventh Tier master who was known for being savage and cruel! He loved eating human flesh and killing humans!


    In the previous life, a Fourth Tier neo-human was pursued by Ye Tianlong and had taken shelter in a village home. The following morning, when that man was back from hunting for food, he realized that all six to seven members of that family had been slain and hung out to dry like flags on a pole.


    Yes, their flesh and skin had been separated, and their skins, still attached to their heads, had been made into flags! And their bodies had been ruthlessly thrown to the ground, feasted upon by dozens of vultures. His methods had been extremely cruel! Ruthless!


    Ye Tianlong became notorious after this matter came to light. Many Seventh Tier masters tried to eradicate him but no one managed to defeat him! Instead, all of them were tortured to death and made into human totem poles, left to dry till only the skeletons remained. They were then put up as a symbol of his ¡°glorious achievements¡± in the territories he owned. One of them was his best friend! Ye Tianlong, who looked honest and trustworthy, was actually a sick b*stard!


    Shen Chen¡¯s breathing became uneven as the painful memories flooded his head. The Black Blade flashed in his hand, as if sensing the pain of its owner. He raised the Black Blade and his movements accelerated!


    Many things had become different in the current life; Ye Tianlong hadn¡¯t done anything heinous and could even be described as a good man!


    If not for the fact that Shen Chen had suppressed his urges when he met Ye Tianlong in the drugstore, his Black Blade would have slaughtered this seemingly honest and trustworthy man before him! And now the chance had presented itself! He caught this scumbag trying to rape the poor girl! Sure enough, it was just an act! A facade! A front! This man had to be killed!


    The look in Shen Chen¡¯s eyes was cold and dangerous. He had gotten very close to them and was just around the corner, so he treaded lightly so as not to alert them of his presence.


    The girl was struggling in Ye Tianlong¡¯s embrace and was crying out loud, ¡°Let go of me! Let me go!¡±


    ¡®What a bast*rd!¡¯


    Shen Chen narrowed his eyes as the Black Blade gleamed dangerously. With a flash of the blade, Ye Tianlong was about to be decapitated!


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± A piercing scream shattered the silence. The girl was facing Shen Chen, so when she saw the blade coming their way, she pushed away Ye Tianlong and said to him, ¡°Run, Brother Ye!¡±


    Her screams, as well as the look of resolve in her eyes, succeeded in making Shen Chen falter. At the same time, Ye Tianlong also shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t kill her!¡±


    Amidst the bloodcurdling screams, the shimmering Black Blade landed on the wall with a loud boom, and the surface of the cement wall cracked like a tortoise shell upon impact. It soon collapsed to the ground with a ¡°whoosh.¡±


    The two of them slumped to the ground in shock. Their eyes widened and their jaws dropped. They were trembling like leaves in the wind.


    Shen Chen¡¯s hand quivered. At the very last second, he had managed to shift the blade away from them and diverted it to the wall instead. Otherwise, there was no doubt that both of them would have died!


    Doing so, however, had caused excessive damage to his body and had undermined his recent recovery. Shen Chen felt his chest constrict as the pain radiated throughout his body. He felt as if he were losing control of his muscles again. Shen Chen inhaled deeply, looking the worse for wear.


    The two of them stared at Shen Chen as if he were a dangerous thug. Ye Tianlong had turned as white as a sheet of paper, and his scalp was tingling. Looking at Shen Chen, who was still shrouded in the shadows, Ye Tianlong mustered as much courage as he could and asked with chattering teeth, ¡°Mas¡­ Master¡­ don¡¯t! Don¡¯t kill us!¡±


    Shen Chen cold-heartedly raised his blade again. ¡°What are you doing here! Answer!¡±


    ¡°Just kill us if you want. Why are you asking so many questions!¡± sobbed the girl. She then turned to Ye Tianlong and said, ¡°You¡¯re too nice for your own good, bringing just about anyone to your mini-mart! See, you¡¯ve brought someone nasty with you this time around!¡±


    Ye Tianlong smiled wryly, then looked up, his eyes full of resignation and righteousness. ¡°Master! We have a lot of food here. You can be the leader as long as you promise not to hurt anyone!¡±


    Shen Chen laughed coldly. Had he not known better, he would have bought Ye Tianlong¡¯s act of righteousness! Suddenly, his blade vibrated, and the sharp edge was pressed against Ye Tianlong¡¯s neck.

 Chapter 40

    The girl suddenly let out a piercing scream!


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Shen Chen said angrily!


    She immediately covered her mouth and kept it shut. Shen Chen looked coldly at her and asked, ¡°What was he doing to you just now?¡±


    The girl was incredibly stubborn. With a nudge of his blade, blood started trickling from Ye Tianlong¡¯s neck. Upon seeing that, the girl starting sobbing again. ¡°Don¡¯t kill him. Don¡¯t kill him, please! I¡¯ll give you anything you want¡­¡±


    Her voice sounded really sad. She didn¡¯t seem to be faking it! Shen Chen was baffled. Why was this girl so protective of Ye Tianlong? What was going on?


    Before he could do anything else, Xiao Li threw herself at him and tugged at Shen Chen¡¯s sleeve. Gazing at him with watery eyes, she implored Shen Chen, ¡°I¡¯m still a virgin¡­ if you want, I can give my virginity to you¡­ if you agree to let him go¡­¡±


    Shen Chen narrowed his eyes. Did he look like a sex-starved monster?


    Seeing that the girl was in a pitiful state, Ye Tianlong pulled her toward him and held her in his embrace. He interrupted her and told her to ¡°shut up!¡± and then looked at Shen Chen beseechingly, saying, ¡°Master, Xiao Li¡¯s brother just died. She still has an elderly mother at home and just wanted to go home to look for her only kin. But as you know, it¡¯s too dangerous outside. I can¡¯t let her go! If I did, I would be sending her to her death¡­ I¡­ I already watched as her brother died in front of me. How could I let her do it¡­¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s chest constricted again. The way both of them were acting, one would have thought Shen Chen was the one who was acting like a bast*rd. The girl was pliant in Ye Tianlong¡¯s embrace, a stark contrast to how she had struggled previously.


    Shen Chen started breathing heavily as the pain in his body began to spread. He forced himself to endure the pain, then gravely asked Xiao Li, ¡°Is he telling the truth?¡±


    The girl nodded urgently, seemingly worried that Shen Chen¡¯s blade would touch Ye Tianlong again. The two of them stared at Shen Chen with bated breath, not even daring to exhale.


    After quite a while, Shen Chen took a deep breath and sheathed his blade. He then turned around and walked away without saying another word.


    As they watched him retreat into the shadows, Xiao Li gave Ye Tianlong a tight hug. ¡°Brother Ye, that guy¡­ what¡¯s up with him? Why did he want to kill us?¡±


    Ye Tianlong tried to comfort the girl in his embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything is okay now. Perhaps¡­ there is some misunderstanding between us!¡± Even so, as he tried to reassure her, there was a trace of doubt and puzzlement in his eyes. He didn¡¯t remember having met this guy prior to the drugstore!


    Shen Chen went back to the room quietly. The room was a huge mess, and the hall was filled with drunken people of all ages and gender.


    Guo Yuan was found snoring in a corner, and Ye Xiaoyu had gone to the female dormitory on the third floor. Shen Chen found a quiet corner for himself and sat down, both his hands clutching the Black Blade. He was lost in thought. He was facing a dilemma right now: the malevolent Ye Tianlong from his past life versus the benevolent Ye Tianlong in his current life.


    Looking at Ye Tianlong, no one would doubt that he was an honest and trustworthy Mr. Nice Guy; this much was obvious from the fact that the girl was willing to sacrifice her body and life in exchange for his. He must be well-esteemed among this batch of survivors!


    Why would someone like that become a heinous person in the future, a monster a hundred times worse than a zombie? And what should Shen Chen do in this life? Should he kill a good person simply because he was going to become a threat in the future?


    Shen Chen figured he might as well get up. He cut through the living room and walked to the balcony, subjecting himself to the cold winter wind. The harsh winter cold did wonders for him. At least, it calmed him down a little. After about ten minutes, Shen Chen finally opened his eyes. Regardless of what Ye Tianlong was like in the present, the fact remained that he would become a scumbag in the future. Shen Chen couldn¡¯t just stand aside and wait for that to happen.


    Shen Chen walked back to the room, and was about to get some shut-eye, when he heard a girl scream. His eyes widened! It was Ye Xiaoyu!


    The good thing about evolution was that not only had his speed and power increased, but his hearing had also vastly improved. In a quiet environment, he was able to hear even the softest sound as long as it was within ten meters. It was how Shen Chen found out about the alliance between Zhang Hongtao and Li Jing.


    He heard Ye Xiaoyu scream again! Shen Chen leapt up in a jiffy and headed in the direction of her scream like an unbridled stallion!


    He ran up to the third floor. There were three apartments altogether, and the security door was unlocked. Shen Chen pushed open all the room doors. The women started screaming at the sight of the male intruder!


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± The ladies wouldn¡¯t stop screaming.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± roared Shen Chen. The screams of these silly women made it difficult for him to figure out where Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s cries for help were coming from!


    Three apartments, dozens of rooms, yet Ye Xiaoyu wasn¡¯t in any of them! D*mn it. Where was she?


    He got even more anxious! It was a good thing that shouting at them worked; the ladies shut up immediately. They stared at Shen Chen in resignation, as if waiting to be ravaged.


    ¡®They must be crazy!¡¯ Shen Chen cursed inwardly. He would never take a fancy to them!


    Just as he was getting worried, he heard another cry. His gaze landed on the last room at the end of the hallway. Shen Chen quickly ran over and kicked open the door! ¡°Ye Xiaoyu! You¡­¡±


    He then became silent. Shen Chen stood there, frozen, a tinge of awkwardness on his usually stony face. Before him, Ye Xiaoyu was holding onto the bathtub with one hand and her ankle with the other. And she¡­ wasn¡¯t wearing anything¡­


    Her feminine curves, her tapered waist, and her long, slender legs¡ªnothing was hidden from sight¡­ And the steam in the bathroom made this beautiful young lady even more alluring.


    Ye Xiaoyu stared at Shen Chen, who was standing at the doorway looking dumbfounded, with her big round eyes. A blush began spreading from her face, to her neck, and the rest of her body¡­ Her fair porcelain skin was dusted with a light pink blush¡­


    Shen Chen¡¯s appearance had been so sudden that she didn¡¯t have enough time to cover herself. She could only stare at Shen Chen helplessly with those doe-like eyes of her¡¯s.


    The fragrance of the shower foam added to the ambiance in the room. They stood there gazing at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Neither of them moved.


    As the winter cold seeped in from the doorway, Ye Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help shivering. Would¡­would he close the door and come over to her? And if he did come over, should she struggle¡­ The bathroom was hardly ideal for a first time¡­ But she could make do with it, since it was him¡­ Was her figure good enough for him¡­? Ye Xiaoyu was practically letting her imagination go wild!

 Chapter 41

    After a while, Shen Chen finally realized what happened after recovering from the huge shock. He coughed and turned his head.


    Ye Xiaoyu unconsciously exclaimed, hurriedly covering the most important place of her body with both hands, then buried her flushing cheeks in her knees.


    Shen Chen looked down at the smooth floor silently and basically confirmed that the scream was because Ye Xiaoyu fell, not because Ye Xiaoyu was in danger. He shook his head helplessly and thought that he was too nervous.


    He was just about to speak but saw Ye Xiaoyu struggling to hold the wall to stand up. The slippery ground and her foot injury made her groan and fall to the ground again.


    A gust of wind blew past. The body that suddenly fell was stopped by a strong chest. Shen Chen only felt that what he was holding was very soft and smooth. The girl¡¯s soft body clung to his chest tightly. In a moment, he felt that his lips were as dry as the desert.


    Shen Chen didn¡¯t look down at the girl in his arms, because when she fell into his arms, her body had suddenly stiffened and shivered badly. Shen Chen looked at the girl¡¯s face in front of him and couldn¡¯t help but swallow. A feeling like an electric shock came into the palm of his hand. Ye Xiaoyu had such smooth, soft, and glossy skin. Such a woman could make all the men go crazy about her.


    They looked into each other¡¯s eyes. There seemed to be a rumble of thunder in their heads that knocked them away. The moment seemed to be an eternity.


    Shen Chen was a little confused, and so was Ye Xiaoyu. This kind of feeling was like being able to feel each other. Both their hearts raced uncontrollably, like when meeting one¡¯s first love. The innocent joy and the touch of a fresh breeze on their faces surprised both of them at the same time.


    This was a very strange feeling for them, as if they were in a rose garden and the wind had spread the flowers¡¯ fragrance to the world. It was also like green blooming on a cliff. It was the birth of new life.


    At that moment, both of them trembled involuntarily. Shen Chen pretended to cough a little, and the two of them recovered from the awkward situation at the same time.


    Ye Xiaoyu immediately closed her eyes in shame. ¡®Is this love?¡¯ she asked herself.


    Suddenly, Ye Xiaoyu exclaimed! Her body suddenly soared into the air. It turned out that Shen Chen had lifted Ye Xiaoyu into his arms.


    Ye Xiaoyu quietly observed Shen Chen¡¯s facial features from his lower side. His features were as sharp as a knife, which showed the fortitude of a man.


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s face grew even redder. She knew that all of her was perfectly present in front of him at this time. Her shyness made her bury her whole head in Shen Chen¡¯s chest. She began to wait for something.


    Suddenly, warm water fell. Ye Xiaoyu hurriedly looked up in surprise.


    Shen Chen¡¯s eyes were still dark and deep, and she couldn¡¯t figure out what he was thinking about. He smiled at her and said, ¡°The bubbles haven¡¯t been cleaned up yet.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu blinked. She had no idea what Shen Chen was going to do with her.


    Shen Chen closed up the shower curtain and came to the door. ¡°You can finish your shower now.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Ah?¡± Ye Xiaoyu was confused.


    Shen Chen looked at Ye Xiaoyu hiding behind the shower curtain and suddenly felt much better. Ye Xiaoyu was like a kitty in shock. There was a rare slight smile on Shen Chen¡¯s face. He said, ¡°Well, do you want me to go in, or do you just want me to watch you take a bath?¡± His tone made it sound like he thought this was a hard and serious choice.


    ¡°Bah! Get out! Get out! You cad!¡± Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s voice came from behind the shower curtain. She grumbled coyly. Her voice was a bit shy, though she tried her best not to sound that way.


    Suddenly, the ambiguous and charming atmosphere between the two eased a lot. Shen Chen immediately laughed and turned to walk out of the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯ll go out, and you finish your bath!¡±


    ¡°By the way, you can close the door!¡± Ye Xiaoyu said in low spirits. Somehow, she found herself frustrated and upset.


    ¡®So I¡¯m nothing in his eyes? He¡¯s seen my body, but he is not interested in me at all?¡¯


    Ye Xiaoyu checked her breasts. She thought they weren¡¯t bad.


    Just when she was thinking this, she heard a quiet voice come through the door. ¡°You have a nice body!¡±


    All of a sudden, two red tides rose in her cheeks, and the redness spread from her cheeks to the corners of her eyes and to her eyebrows.


    ¡°Shen Chen, you dirty wolf!¡± Ye Xiaoyu blurted out, but in her heart, there was a surge of joy that would not dissipate.


    Shen Chen dragged his heavy body out of the bathroom and leaned against the bathroom door. For a moment, the emotions hidden in his eyes faded slowly. He listened to the girl in the bathroom calling him dirt. There was a helpless smile on his face. The girl was attractive to him, and he did have feelings for her. It was just that it wasn¡¯t the right time.


    The next day, just after dawn, Ye Tianlong came quietly to Shen Chen. Shen Chen looked at Ye Tianlong, who was hesitating to speak. Shen Chen frowned at him, as he didn¡¯t expect that Ye Tianlong would dare to come to him, but he waited for him to speak with patience.


    Ye Tianlong looked at the young man. He believed that even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of Shen Chen, it would not change his color. Being so near to Shen Chen, Ye Tianlong was overcome with awe. He swallowed, then said respectfully, ¡°I have something to ask you for your help with. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be interested in lending me a hand.¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s mouth moved slightly, as if he were thinking about something, but his eyes still seemed ice cold and deadly. He asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°We ran out of soy sauce, vinegar, and baby milk for the kids yesterday, so can you please take me to the supermarket to get some stock?¡± Ye Tianlong looked at Shen Chen expectantly.


    Shen Chen pondered slightly and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Then, he looked at Ye Tianlong with a trace of indescribable emotion. ¡°Just you and me?¡± Shen Chen asked.


    Ye Tianlong smiled and said, ¡°We don¡¯t need many things, so just us is okay. If more people go, we won¡¯t be able to take care of all of them. We don¡¯t have many men. We can¡¯t afford to lose anyone.¡±


    There were around forty people, within which a dozen were men. It was told by Ye Tianlong a few days ago that when they went out every day, several men died each day. Apparently, Ye Tianlong wanted to protect them.


    Shen Chen shook his head in disapproval. At this time, if they didn¡¯t practice fighting against zombies when the monsters weren¡¯t that strong, these people would only end up being torn up by the zombies after the zombies evolved. But he didn¡¯t say that to Ye Tianlong. He just nodded again and asked, ¡°When do we start?¡±


    Ye Tianlong hesitated for a moment and replied, ¡°As soon as possible. When do you think?¡±


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go!¡± Shen Chen said, straightforward, refusing Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu, who wanted to go with them. He pushed the door open. Ye Tianlong followed him with a fire axe in his hands.


    Ye Tianlong¡¯s hands were sweating as he watched Shen Chen open the anti-theft door slowly. It was obvious that he was nervous.


    Shen Chen looked at him calmly and then walked out of the residential building first. Such a large neighborhood was as quiet as the dead. There weren¡¯t that many residents living in the neighborhood, and now the building looked haunted.


    The wind whistled through the dry tree branches, and what came with the wind was the smell of blood and rotten flesh. It was so quiet that Ye Tianlong¡¯s heart began to palpitate. He could sometimes hear the deep and low roar of zombies coming from afar, which was more striking than the sound of cars honking from the past.


    Ye Tianlong pointed in front of him and said, ¡°The supermarket is next to the other entrance of the building. It¡¯s about five hundred meters from here.¡±


    There weren¡¯t many zombies around the neighborhood now. Ye Tianlong followed Shen Chen closely, and Shen Chen walked forward by a devious route.


    ¡°Why are we going this way through the wall corners and flower beds? There are no zombies nearby,¡± Ye Tianlong asked in a low voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s often the biggest danger when you don¡¯t see the threat with your naked eye, because you never know when the enemy is going to launch an attack against you,¡± Shen Chen said.

 Chapter 42

    Shen Chen¡¯s words implied something else. Ye Tianlong¡¯s face suddenly froze. He stammered and didn¡¯t know what to say, so he had to make a few awkward laughs to cover it.


    This really was a neighborhood of low occupancy. There were only a few zombies along the way, and Shen Chen easily got rid of them. As they passed through the children¡¯s park of the neighborhood, several five-year-old zombies staggered over and roared.


    Looking at the little zombies, who used to be pure and lovely kids, Shen Chen shook his head helplessly. If now was the end of the world, what he felt the worst about was the children. They couldn¡¯t protect themselves and were often the first targets to be attacked by zombies. Even if they avoided the initial misfortune, they wouldn¡¯t be able to survive long in the future.


    Many people abandoned their children, as, in their eyes, children were the most cumbersome burden when they ran away. Even during the previous miserable famine, children became a kind of food, something to preserve men¡¯s physical strength.


    Shen Chen sighed slightly. Ye Tianlong only saw the glint and flash of Shen Chen¡¯s knife, then the heads of the children flew far away. When Shen Chen was just about to leave, he heard Ye Tianlong say, ¡°Wait!¡±


    Shen Chen looked back and saw Ye Tianlong trotting forward. Ye Tianlong ran to the dead children and moved their bodies together. He covered them with dead branches and leaves and even scattered a handful of dust on them, which was his way of saying rest in peace.


    After that, Ye Tianlong said with a bitter smile, ¡°I just hope that they can leave peacefully. They won¡¯t suffer anymore there. And there will be no more zombies in heaven!¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s deep eyes darkened a lot. This Ye Tianlong in front of him was totally different from what he remembered in the past. At this time, the sincerity in Ye Tianlong¡¯s eyes wasn¡¯t fake at all, and Shen Chen was even surprised to see compassion in his eyes. However, in the previous life, Ye Tianlong was a man charged with numerous criminal accusations. So, who was the real him, exactly?


    Shen Chen loosened his grip on the black blade. ¡®Maybe¡­ Should I give him another chance?¡¯ Shen Chen asked himself.


    Soon, they came to the supermarket that Ye Tianlong had spoken of. There was no trace of pilfering in the supermarket. The supermarket shelves were fully occupied by goods. Ye Tianlong proudly opened the supermarket door with his key. The lovely Hello Kitty key ring swung up and down in his hands.


    Shen Chen said, ¡°Go get the stuff. I¡¯ll wait for you at the door!¡±


    Ye Tianlong waited for a moment before he asked, ¡°Bro, are you not going in with me?¡± Then he added with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve got many things you may need. Take whatever you want, bro.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it. Go and get it yourself,¡± Shen Chen said. It was true that Shen Chen also needed food and other necessities, but he was unwilling to take stuff right in front of the owner.


    Ye Tianlong looked worried, but he didn¡¯t dare say anything. Finally, he nodded and walked into the supermarket alone. Shen Chen looked at his back, and his eyes narrowed to a thin line. He looked at the knife in his hand, slowly approached Ye Tianlong, and slowly raised the knife.


    Ye Tianlong suddenly mumbled, ¡°Ah, Xiao Bao is drinking this brand of powder, and he also needs some diapers¡­¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s breath suddenly caught in his throat. He took a few deep breaths, then he put down the knife again. At this time, Ye Tianlong was still a good guy in Shen Chen¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t kill a good person because of what happened in the future.


    Shen Chen knew that his rebirth was a strange thing. He had seen too many films in the previous peacetime and knew about some strange butterfly effects that could change history and the future. If he killed Ye Tianlong now and it turned out to be the cause of Ye Tianlong¡¯s later change into a bad man, he would be the unknowing accomplice of Ye Tianlong¡¯s evil activities in the future.


    At this time, Ye Tianlong suddenly turned around and saw Shen Chen clinging to his back. He was shocked. He blinked his eyes, clasped his head, and then showed a simple smile. ¡°Bro, can you help me get some things? I suddenly remember that I also need to take some bedding back.¡±


    Shen Chen nodded, and Ye Tianlong¡¯s face showed a loyal and honest smile. He walked in front of him with the key and said, ¡°There is a warehouse up there, and the bedding and other things are stored there. It¡¯s often closed. At present, the air conditioning and heating function well in our house. But if the power goes off one day, all the people in the house will freeze to death.¡±


    Shen Chen nodded silently. Ye Tianlong inserted the key slowly into the door. Looking at Ye Tianlong opening the door, Shen Chen suddenly felt a current pass through his heart, and a very dangerous premonition came over him. His whole body was involuntarily in a defensive posture. He felt like lightning had struck on his scalp, and such a strong sense of danger made him have an unshakable premonition that he would die.


    Just as the door was opened, the feeling of danger all of a sudden came to its climax! With a sharp sound, a female zombie in rags suddenly sprang out! Her eyes were not as muddy as those of other zombies, but they were bloodshot. She had long black nails that were extremely sharp.


    ¡°She¡¯s evolved!¡± Shen Chen exclaimed.


    Shen Chen couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. With both hands, he got Ye Tianlong behind him in a hurry and gave the female zombie a horizontal strike with the black knife in his hand. His whole body quickly retreated a dozen steps, avoiding the attack of the female zombie. But the zombie was obviously not an ordinary one. A shrill cry came out of her mouth, and her whole body bounced up! Her speed was unbelievable!


    She was much more powerful than the unevolved zombies. Her sharp fingernails scratched straight in the air! At this time, the zombie, such a petite lady in her previous life, bounced more than two meters straight up from the ground like the heroine in a Kung fu fiction. She opened her ugly mouth mercilessly, and once again rushed to Shen Chen.


    Shen Chen was really surprised by her fierceness. How could evolutionary zombies appear at this time? In his previous life, they had shown up a month later. Shen Chen clearly remembered that zombies could only evolve if they had enough raw meat. At present, this female zombie was about to reach first tier zombie.


    Shen Chen¡¯s eyes sank into their sockets. He felt an immediate sense of crisis. As he raised his knife, the female zombie jumped up, and his knife could reach her chest. Now the situation was critical.


    Shen Chen saw the female zombie open her mouth exaggeratedly. A stink came out of the mouth. Shen Chen had to discard his black knife so that he could use both of his hands to pull together the upper and lower gums of the zombie.


    He made increasing efforts to close the zombie¡¯s mouth. His hands became harder than steel. The teeth of the female zombie, which hadn¡¯t been sharpened from the evolution yet, broke and flew out of her mouth one by one because they began to grind against each other.


    Shen Chen shouted out at the female zombie in anger.


    Snap!


    The skull of the female zombie was separated into two pieces by Shen Chen starting from the gap in its the mouth. The bones and muscles were torn apart violently at the same time. All kinds of things popped out from the zombie¡¯s mouth suddenly. It was all over the place!


    In a few minutes, the brains of the female zombie flew out of the skull, then the zombie went limp, rolled onto the ground, and died.

 Chapter 43

    To the side, Ye Tianlong was stunned by Shen Chen¡¯s fight with the zombie. His body shivered like a fallen leaf in the autumn wind. His face was covered with tears, and his nose was running, which obviously showed that the ugly zombie had scared him out of his mind.


    ¡®Utterly incredible! He¡­ he tore the zombie into pieces! This isn¡¯t a TV drama¡ªnot like the drama about the resistance against Japanese aggregation. This happened in front of my eyes! This is true. He literally broke off a zombie¡¯s upper palate and chin and broke the zombie¡¯s head up like he was cutting a watermelon. Is he even a human being?¡¯ Ye Tianlong was in a daze.


    Now Shen Chen looked quite pale! The violent and fierce fight seemed an easy job for him, but, in fact, he had used all his strength to achieve it. The Evolution Fluid left in his body had also made a contribution to his explosive strength. After the fight, the remaining Evolution Fluid circulated around uncontrollably in his veins.


    Shen Chen resisted the pain all over his body, and his eyes searched around in a hurry to find a supplement.


    To kill the zombie, Shen Chen had exhausted his strength. The Evolution Fluid wasn¡¯t completely absorbed by his body, and it had even been partially rejected. If he couldn¡¯t get supplements such as ginseng in time, what would happen to his body would be unpredictably miserable.


    Shen Chen held back his pain and asked, ¡°Have you got any supplement? Ginseng or bird¡¯s nest?¡±


    Ye Tianlong blinked and said, ¡°Yes, there is a gift box of bird¡¯s nest. But it¡¯s artificial bird¡¯s nest, not like the natural thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Where is it?¡± Shen Chen asked urgently, gritting his teeth.


    ¡°In front of you, left!¡± Ye Tianlong replied quickly.


    Shen Chen stumbled and rushed over there immediately, and the pain in his body made him almost black out.


    On top of the counter, there were several boxes of bird¡¯s nest covered by dust. Shen Chen roughly tore the package and quickly picked up a bottle and poured it into his mouth. But after he finished a bottle of artificial bird¡¯s nest, his pain wasn¡¯t relieved at all.


    One bottle¡­ Two bottles¡­ One box¡­ Two boxes¡­


    After Shen Chen took eight boxes of bird¡¯s nests, he felt a trace of heat spring up in his stomach. Shen Chen quickly turned over and sat down with his legs crossed. He concentrated on guiding the heat in his body.


    Fortunately, the heat, though not strong, was continuous, warming the Evolution Fluid in his body and helping him slowly absorb it. Shen Chen finally felt relieved. If he was able to suppress this sudden chaos inside his body for a while, he would have time to find what he needed in a drugstore.


    Suddenly, his heart quickened in alarm. Someone was approaching. Shen Chen opened his eyes. His sharp eyes shot at Ye Tianlong, who was walking to him.


    Shen Chen¡¯s fierce and murderous look made Ye Tianlong shiver. Ye Tianlong sat on the ground and said with a trembling voice, ¡°Shen Chen¡­¡±


    Shen Chen stared at Ye Tianlong, who was holding a bottle of beer in his hand. The black blade suddenly went out of its sheath. He asked in a cold voice, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Ye Tianlong was so scared that he quickly waved his hand. He suddenly looked at the beer in his hand and threw it on the ground. ¡°I just wanted to give this to you. Guo Yuan said that you had some medicine wine in the drugstore. I don¡¯t have medicine wine. I¡¯ve got you a beer¡­¡±


    Shen Chen looked at the honest-looking man in front of him. He seemed scared to death but still tried to explain himself. Cold sweat was breaking out on his face.


    Shen Chen¡¯s fierce and murderous look eased a little. ¡°I don¡¯t need that. Get it away from me.¡±


    Ye Tianlong nodded awkwardly with a breath of relief.


    Shen Chen took a deep breath. He realized that he could suppress the Evolution Fluid in his body temporarily. He stood up and asked coldly, ¡°Have you got all the things you need? If you¡¯re finished, let¡¯s head back!¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m done. Let¡¯s go back!¡± Ye Tianlong nodded and bowed to Shen Chen, but the frightened look was still fixed on his face.


    On the way back, Ye Tianlong trotted alongside Shen Chen and looked at him from time to time. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but he never uttered a word.


    When they arrived at the residential building, Ye Tianlong seemed to have summoned all of his courage and was finally able to open his mouth. He suddenly said, ¡°Master, I want to ask you a question.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Shen Chen didn¡¯t stop or turn to look at him. He kept walking.


    ¡°You¡­ Have we met each other anywhere before?¡± Ye Tianlong asked tentatively.


    Shen Chen paused for a while, then continued his previous steps and asked without turning back. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Ye Tianlong hurriedly waved his hand and explained, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Master. I just think that there may be some misunderstanding between you and me.¡± He quickly raised his voice and said, ¡°It¡¯s likely that I¡¯m thinking too much. Brother, forgive me for this.¡±


    Shen Chen finally stopped after hearing what Ye Tianlong said. He turned around and looked at Ye Tianlong carefully.


    Under Shen Chen¡¯s steely gaze, Ye Tianlong felt a powerful aura sweep over him. He felt as if he were being scanned by an X-ray, inside and out. His whole body froze. He didn¡¯t know what Shen Chen saw. He only felt as if he were being watched and that he couldn¡¯t move.


    Ye Tianlong didn¡¯t know how long it took until Shen Chen finally said something. It felt as if it had been a century. Shen Chen asked slowly, ¡°The end of the world will soon be here. What do you think about that?¡±


    Ye Tianlong was surprised. He thought Shen Chen was going to put a knife to his neck like before. He never thought that Shen Chen would ask him such a serious question.


    ¡°Me?¡± Ye Tianlong smiled bitterly and shook his head. ¡°What can I do about it? Live the rest of my days and¡­ and with those guys, every day counts.¡±


    ¡°You could leave them there. You could have this supermarket by yourself. The stock in the supermarket is enough for you to live for several years.¡± Shen Chen¡¯s words were very cruel, but it is the nature of human beings to be cruel. ¡°You could have a better life.¡±


    Ye Tianlong shook in a hurry. He couldn¡¯t believe that Shen Chen was asking him to abandon the others. His eyes were full of hidden anger. ¡°Why would you think that way? Bro, people are social animals. There is no way I could live alone for more than a year and a half! And, because I have this supermarket, I have the ability to help others. I should save more people! Although I¡¯m just a businessman, and I¡¯m not as powerful as you, if one day I and all the other people are doomed to die, I will leave with a clear conscience.¡±


    ¡°With a clear conscience! What a clear conscience!¡± Shen Chen thought about what Ye Tianlong just said.


    There was a little smile on his face and a shine of glory in his eyes, but soon these emotions disappeared. He looked at Ye Tianlong meaningfully.


    Suddenly, he pulled out the Black Blade from its sheath and put it on Ye Tianlong¡¯s neck. ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Maybe we had some misunderstanding before, or maybe I offended you. But if you really want to kill me today, please take care of the others in the building. I hope you can be their leader!¡±


    Ye Tianlong looked at Shen Shen sincerely. His eyes were shining with perseverance, and he looked so different from the man in Shen Chen¡¯s memory.


    There was a cold smile on the corner of Shen Chen¡¯s mouth. ¡°Okay! In that case, you will be satisfied!¡±


    The next moment, the black blade shined! Ye Tianlong closed his eyes. He was trembling, but he stood upright and waited for the pain.


    The gorgeous light of Shen Chen¡¯s blade shined fleetingly across the air.


    Bang!

 Chapter 44

    Ye Tianlong opened his eyes again. Just beside him, a corner of the flower bed had been severely split, and the gravel in it was dashed out. He quickly looked at Shen Chen. He looked happy but puzzled.


    ¡°Remember what you said today!¡± Shen Chen put the Black Blade back in its sheath. His eyes were fixed on Ye Tianlong. He added, ¡°If one day you let me find out your evil deeds, you will die without a burial place!¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s words made Ye Tianlong shiver. His eyes showed a deep fear. He stammered, ¡°No¡­ no¡­ no! I haven¡¯t done and will never do anything harmful to others! I swear!¡±


    Shen Chen didn¡¯t speak anymore. As soon as they entered the residential building, they saw Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan standing at the door and waiting for them. When Ye Xiaoyu saw Shen Chen, her eyes suddenly shone with joy. She was so happy she wanted to raise her hand to wave at Shen Chen, but she suddenly thought of something, and her face turned red. She looked so awkward.


    Shen Chen smiled and looked at Ye Xiaoyu. What happened last night had left something on the girl¡¯s heart. Shen Chen knew that, so he didn¡¯t speak to her. He said to Guo Yuan, ¡°Let¡¯s go back. We¡¯ve been out all night. I¡¯m afraid everyone is worried about us.¡±


    Guo Yuan nodded and smiled. ¡°Okay! Let me get my stuff first!¡±


    Ye Tianlong looked at Shen Chen and asked in a hurry, ¡°Master, are you really not going to stay with our team?¡±


    ¡°I have a team of my own,¡± Shen Chen said coldly but with a trace of friendliness.


    Ye Tianlong sighed and said, ¡°Of course, of course. Master, you should have your own team. You are such a great man.¡± After that, Ye Tianlong sincerely took out some food and handed it to Guo Yuan. ¡°You can keep these cans. I have nothing else to say about my gratitude. I hope that we all can survive through this miserable end of the world!¡±


    Shen Chen smiled. He picked up a can and returned the rest to Ye Tianlong. Then, he left with Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan.


    Looking at their disappearing figures, Ye Tianlong¡¯s eyes sank into their sockets. ¡®Shen Chen, this man¡­ he should not be underestimated!¡¯ Ye Tianlong thought.


    On the way back, Ye Xiaoyu had a look at Shen Chen. Although he still wore his calm and serious look, she felt an obvious difference in his mood. He looked as if a huge load had been lifted off his shoulders. He was much more relaxed than before. He was totally different from the man who saw Ye Tianlong for the first time at the drugstore. At that time, he was more like a tiger who wanted to eat Ye Tianlong alive.


    Ye Xiaoyu bit her lip and blushed. She said, ¡°Shen Chen, you look quite happy.¡±


    Shen Chen nodded and said, ¡°Well, what¡¯s the matter? You can see that?¡±


    Indeed, what Ye Tianlong said to him had really changed his mind. On the way back, he had thousands of opportunities to kill Ye Tianlong. When they came in front of the residential building, he had thought about killing Ye Tianlong. If Ye Tianlong lived for one more day, the potential for disaster was enormous. But later, Ye Tianlong¡¯s words had really touched him and changed his mind.


    Maybe in this life Ye Tianlong wouldn¡¯t be as utterly devoid of conscience as in his previous life. And Shen Chen believed that his last warning to Ye Tianlong, no matter what, would make him fear when he did evil in the future.


    But most of all, Shen Chen believed that with his own ability, if there was any news about Ye Tianlong doing bad things, no matter where he was, he would find him and kill him!


    Listening to Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s question, a smile appeared on the corner of Shen Chen¡¯s mouth. ¡°Yes, I am in a good mood now!¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu said, also with a smile, ¡°Speaking of Ye Tianlong, he¡¯s a lucky guy. He used to work in that supermarket, but he became the leader of more than forty people by the end of the day. Shen Chen, there are so many people working under him. He has a lot more power than you.¡±


    Shen Chen laughed. Number was not the key to defining a team. How many zombies could a Saint Tier neo-human in the previous life fight on his own? Now, people couldn¡¯t imagine that with one person¡¯s strength they could beat thousands of troops! But the word ¡°team¡± was always for a few partners with the same strength!


    All of a sudden, his smile disappeared. His eyes flickered, and then, instantly, he slammed on the brake! Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan hit their heads on the back of the seats because of the sudden braking.


    Shen Chen clasped the steering wheel, his fingernails deeply digging into it! He looked terrible! A kind of unimaginable anger erupted across his face.


    ¡°Shen Chen, what happened?¡± Ye Xiaoyu asked in a panic.


    Shen Chen asked angrily in a low and deep voice, ¡°You just said that Ye Tianlong is a supermarket employee? How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been to this neighborhood before. There¡¯s only one supermarket on this block. The supermarket owner is a beautiful lady!¡± Ye Xiaoyu didn¡¯t know why Shen Chen was asking about this.


    All of a sudden, countless memories flashed in Shen Chen¡¯s mind. The survivors in the residential building once mentioned, ¡°Alas, those who went out with Ye to get supplies died.¡±


    He thought of the imprisoned evolved female zombie in the supermarket and her disheveled appearance. He thought of the Hello Kitty key chain that Ye Tianlong used to open the supermarket. He thought of the bottle of beer in Ye Tianlong¡¯s hand when he was recovering from the fierce fight with the female zombie. And he also thought of the deep fear in Ye Tianlong¡¯s eyes when he looked at Shen Chen.


    Ye Tianlong! Such a scumbag!


    Shen Chen slammed on the accelerator. He turned off the main route and suddenly did a wild U-turn. The car tires made an unpleasant high-pitched noise on the road. The force pressed Ye Xiaoyu against the back seat and made her realize how angry Shen Chen was.


    This kind of anger was like a force of its own. Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu were extremely panicked because they didn¡¯t understand why Shen Chen was so angry.


    The car turned off the main route and suddenly did a wild U-turn, then it went back along the same route that the three of them had just come along.


    Ye Xiaoyu asked in confusion, ¡°What are we doing now?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going back!¡± Shen Chen turned livid with rage. His anger permeated every drop of his blood and every cell in his body.


    Guo Yuan asked anxiously, ¡°Boss, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Shen Chen gnashed his teeth in anger. His every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth after a fierce struggle. ¡°Ye Tianlong lied to me!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Guo Yuan didn¡¯t know what happened to Shen Chen and Ye Tianlong in the supermarket. How did Ye Tianlong cheat Boss?


    Shen Chen¡¯s chest heaved violently, and his mind was consumed by anger. He wished he could catch Ye Tianlong at once! He would pronounce a death sentence on Ye Tianlong on the spot.


    When Shen Chen kicked open the gate of the residential building, the men, women, old, and young in the room looked at Shen Chen in shock. Among them, a brave guy asked, ¡°Mr. Shen, why are you back?¡±


    Shen Chen searched each room, but he didn¡¯t see Ye Tianlong. He asked coldly with a fierce look, ¡°Where is Ye Tianlong?¡±


    Everyone looked at each other, completely in the dark as to his question.


    Shen Chen was furious. He grabbed a man¡¯s collar and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t challenge my patience! Where is Ye Tianlong?¡±


    The man dragged up by Shen Chen shivered. ¡°In¡­ in the supermarket!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shen Chen was surprised.


    ¡°He said that he forgot his things there and took two men to get it with him,¡± he answered in a trembling voice, pale with fear.

 Chapter 45

    ¡°No!¡± Shen Chen¡¯s face clouded. He immediately let go and said to Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu, ¡°Go to the supermarket!¡±


    A trace of confusion flashed in Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes, but when they looked at Shen Chen¡¯s tense look, they knew something big must have happened. Without saying anything, they immediately followed his order.


    The room was silent, and no one dared make a sound. They watched Shen Chen, Guo Yuan, and Ye Xiaoyu rush out the door.


    It took a long time for the guy Shen Chen had grabbed to realize what had happened. With a pale look, he asked in horror, ¡°What do they want?¡±


    The woman whose surname was Li suddenly stood up, and her face turned deathly pale. ¡°No, they must be going to kill our leader, Ye!¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± the others asked in a hurry.


    ¡°Shen Chen isn¡¯t a good man. He wanted to kill Sun Ye and me in the stairs last night, but he failed because we saw through his plot. Now, they must be going to rob the supermarket! They¡¯re planning to kill Brother Ye!¡±


    A woman who is lost in love is always stupid. What the woman with the surname Li said was full of holes, but she fiercely believed in her words. She suddenly kneeled down on the ground and begged the others, ¡°Please go save our elder Brother Ye. Please, think about what he has done for us! We can¡¯t live without Brother Ye! What if they kill Brother Ye and come back to kill us?¡±


    A woman¡¯s tears are especially touching. Several hot-blooded men immediately took up their weapons and said, ¡°D*mn it! Let¡¯s go blow the shi* out of that dog!¡±


    ¡°Go!¡±


    ¡°Go!¡±


    In the supermarket, Ye Tianlong was comfortably lying on a folding chair. The speaker next to him was playing Bach¡¯s ¡°March.¡± Under his feet there was a pool of blood, which spread to the door of the warehouse.


    The melodious music reverberated in the big supermarket. The roar of zombies and the terrifying, shrill screams of a man came from inside the warehouse. ¡°Ye Tianlong,¡± the man said, ¡°I will not let you off, you b*stard! I will come at you and eat you up, even if I turn into a ghost.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The shrill screams, the cries of the zombie, the rhythmic ¡°March,¡± and the blood on the ground all made the whole supermarket a weird and ferocious hell.


    There was a morbid and bloodthirsty smile on the corner of Ye Tianlong¡¯s lips. His hands went up and down with the beat of the music, the rhythm of tearing and biting, and the sound of screaming. He groaned with a morbid pleasure on his face. As the man¡¯s voice from the warehouse gradually became weaker, Bach¡¯s ¡°March¡± reached its climax, and Ye Tianlong¡¯s body jerked violently several times. His face was suddenly flushed with abnormal redness.


    For a while, Ye Tianlong slowly propped himself up and wiped the liquid on his hand with a piece of tissue. All of a sudden, his face turned extremely ferocious and horrifying. Then, he bounced up and threw a kick at the coffee table beside him, breaking it into pieces!


    ¡°F*ck!¡± The thought of a male zombie eating a man couldn¡¯t satisfy him. ¡®As expected, it wasn¡¯t as exciting as a female zombie eating people,¡¯ Ye Tianlong thought angrily.


    The face of this seemingly honest and kind man wore a distorted look filled with cruelty and raw ugliness. If anyone who was familiar with him saw his face, he wouldn¡¯t believe that the man before him was the gentle and kind Ye Tianlong. But if Shen Chen saw him, he would surely recognize him. He was the real Ye Tianlong, the devil in the previous life.


    Ye Tianlong was furious. He jumped up and kicked the door of the warehouse. The zombies inside hissed and roared.


    ¡°F*ck you! Stop your ugly roaring. Zhou Xiaobo, I didn¡¯t want you to be zombie food, because I see you as my friend. Thank me that you can at least live as a zombie now. You have something to eat every day. Thank me! If you make another sound, I promise that you won¡¯t live through tonight. I won¡¯t bring anyone for you to eat tomorrow!¡±


    After saying this, Ye Tianlong came back to the beach chair and cursed again. ¡°D*mn it. To kill you now would be a favor to you. If it wasn¡¯t for Shen Chen, the supermarket owner¡¯s wife wouldn¡¯t be dead. I fed her for more than ten days. I might have to take Xiao Li here and make him my new pet.¡±


    Ye Tianlong said with a long sigh, ¡°Go to h*ll, Shen Chen. If it wasn¡¯t for what you did, Zhou Xiaobo wouldn¡¯t have been so lucky as to become the new zombie.¡±


    Shen Chen, who was now already at the door of the supermarket, heard what Ye Tianlong said. For a moment, his anger lashed out like a raging wave! He broke open the door of the supermarket with a fierce push and immediately came in front of Ye Tianlong.


    Ye Tianlong was still talking to himself, not knowing that Shen Chen had come in, but he suddenly felt his blood freeze. He raised his eyes and saw the muscles in Shen Chen¡¯s face shaking angrily and his eyes shining with a fire that would likely rip through him in the next second.


    Ye Tianlong cried out in horror, and cold air rushed along his back. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his body suddenly fell from the chair. ¡°Brother Shen¡­ Shen Chen!¡±


    Shen Chen didn¡¯t say a word to him. He slowly raised the Black Blade in his hand. He stared at the ¡°honest¡± man in front of him. His anger was like hot magma erupting cruelly from a volcano.


    This scum had been lying to him from the beginning. He wasn¡¯t the owner of the supermarket. The corpse of the woman in the warehouse was the owner¡¯s wife. It looked like she had been raped before she was killed by Ye Tianlong. She lay on the ground, rumpled. It was obvious that Ye Tianlong had killed her and then locked her in the warehouse for fear that someone would find out the truth, but he didn¡¯t know that when the last day of the world came, the woman would turn into a zombie.


    And Ye Tianlong, taking advantage of his fair looks and the supermarket, quickly gathered a group of survivors. He fed the people like he was raising pigs, and in the name of looking for food in the supermarket, he deceived some of his members into coming to the warehouse with him. Then, all of the people who came with him became the food of the female zombie. That was why the female zombie had evolved so fast. All of this was just to satisfy the sick desires of this b*stard. Maybe he had found out from the beginning when he raped the owner¡¯s wife to death that only by watching extreme violence could he obtain sexual satisfaction.


    After finding out the whole truth, Shen Chen was so angry that he couldn¡¯t control himself anymore. If it hadn¡¯t been for Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s unintentional reminder, he wouldn¡¯t have known that Ye Tianlong was the evil monster that he had known in the past life, and he wouldn¡¯t have known how many of the survivors would be taken to the supermarket and become the zombie¡¯s meal!


    Shen Chen wanted to tear Ye Tianlong to pieces. His body felt like it was covered in a layer of ice. He coldly held his Black Blade and raised it slowly at Ye Tianlong. He walked to Ye Tianlong one step at a time.


    Ye Tianlong hurriedly retreated. His face turned ghastly pale, and his legs started to shake uncontrollably. ¡°You¡­ What do you want to do to me?¡±


    ¡°What do I want to do?¡± Shen Chen squinted. His eyes narrowed to a thin line and suddenly sank into their sockets. It was like there was a flash of sudden lightning in his eyes, then it disappeared quickly and turned dark. In the end, it ignited into uncontrollable anger. Shen Chen stood there, smiling coldly, like a wounded lone wolf, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±


    Bang! A loud bang! A high shelf collapsed, and heavy goods on the shelf fell on Shen Chen¡¯s back.


    Ye Tianlong was standing behind the shelves. He thought that one shelf wasn¡¯t enough. Then, he overturned another row of shelves. After that, he ran out of the supermarket in panic.

 Chapter 46

    Ye Tianlong¡¯s face blazed with ferocious malice, and his chest heaved violently. The fact was he was extremely afraid of Shen Chen, but Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu were nothing difficult in his eyes!


    Ye Tianlong suddenly threw his fist at Ye Xiaoyu, attacking her chest. Ye Xiaoyu was shocked and also felt ashamed. She hadn¡¯t expected that this honest-looking man would do such a shameless thing to her, but she quickly dodged him and grabbed the fire axe to protect herself and used it to hit Ye Tianlong.


    Ye Tianlong was quick. He moved aside, then threw a kick. He rotated on the ball of his foot so that his heel pointed toward Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s lower body.


    Guo Yuan immediately pulled Ye Xiaoyu behind him. At the same time, he felt a fierce pain in his thighs. The pain made him roll on the ground, groaning. Such strength was not something a human being was able to have.


    Ye Tianlong took the opportunity to run out of the supermarket. There was obviously a trace of disdain on his face. ¡°You want to stop me. Let me tell you, I got my degree from a martial arts school, and I can knock down ten of you at one time. You dogs¡­¡±


    Ye Tianlong¡¯s expression suddenly froze. He saw a familiar figure in front of the door of the supermarket. The figure moved very fast. The next moment, it was at the door next to him. Ye Tianlong now saw clearly that the figure was Shen Chen, his born enemy.


    The Black Blade appeared in Shen Chen¡¯s hands, and the anger on his face had disappeared. For the first time, his determined face showed cold and heartless cruelty. ¡°You want to run?¡±


    The Black Blade was slowly raised, and Ye Tianlong only felt that the blade was getting bigger and bigger in front of his eyes! The next moment, he thought he was going to be split into two halves on spot!


    All of a sudden, he heard quick footsteps from not far away. Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan were shocked and looked up quickly.


    A dozen men ran over in a panic. Seeing that Shen Chen was raising the Black Blade high, several men immediately threw the kitchen knives in their hands at Shen Chen angrily! Ye Xiaoyu screamed and immediately went to protect Guo Yuan, who was lying on the ground and moaning.


    Shen Chen frowned at the dozen men. He waved the Black Blade. Then, the men¡¯s weapons, wooden sticks and iron bars with kitchen knives tied onto them, immediately fell to the ground and turned into pieces beside Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu.


    Ye Tianlong ran behind the men. He understood why they were there. The men immediately surrounded Ye Tianlong. Meanwhile, they raised the weapons in their hands at Shen Chen and stared at him angrily.


    ¡°Are you all right, Brother Ye?¡± one asked Ye Tianlong.


    ¡°Boss?¡± another one asked.


    A proud smile appeared on Ye Tianlong¡¯s lips. He looked at Shen Chen, then showed a panic which he tried to cover up with an honest look. ¡°Great. You are here to save me. These people killed Xiaobo, and they also want to kill me. They¡¯re planning to rob the supermarket and leave us nothing to eat!¡±


    ¡°Sh*t, it¡¯s true!¡±


    ¡°Kill these b*stards!¡±


    ¡°Sh*t. Do they think they¡¯re the law? Even if the last day of the world comes, we will still protect our Boss.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Even if the end of the world comes, they can¡¯t do whatever they want,¡± the men holding iron bars and wooden sticks shouted angrily!


    ¡°Beat them!¡±


    ¡°Kill them!¡±


    A guy among the men took the lead. He raised his weapon, then the other men followed suit. Their faces blazed with anger. They stared at Shen Chen. Blue veins stood out on their foreheads, and they started to shake with the rhythm of their deep breathing.


    Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but give a gasp of horror. To some extent, people who lose their minds are far scarier than zombies.


    Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan retreated until they touched the side of Shen Chen. Finally, they were given a sense of security.


    What Ye Tianlong¡¯s evil eyes saw was a dozen men rushing up to the three people in front of them with weapons in hand.


    Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan screamed and hurriedly took up the fire ax. ¡°What can we do, Boss?¡± Guo Yuan was so nervous. These people were human beings, not zombies. He didn¡¯t want to hurt them, but if they gave up their weapons, they would be killed by these mad people who had lost their minds. In that case, at the end of the day, all that was left for them was death.


    Ye Xiaoyu was both angry and sacred. It was like the people in front of her had been bewitched into madmen by Ye Tianlong. It reminded her of the people who were killed in the Taiping Period.


    Shen Chen looked as cold as before, and at this crucial moment, moved. He stood in place, and, seeing the madmen throwing sharp weapons at him, he had time to feel the whirring wind, which came along with the flying weapons. He took a deep breath, then quickly drew the blade and cleaved a path through whatever was in front of him. Ye Xiaoyu only saw a faint halo in front of her move in slow motion like in the movies.


    For a moment, there seemed to be only the blade left in the world. In Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes, Shen Chen could use this Black Blade to destroy all of the mountains and rivers on earth. No one could resist the sharp edge of the blade. It had all the power in the world.


    The next moment, there was the sound of something heavy falling onto the ground. It was the madmen¡¯s weapons. Their wooden sticks and iron bars were cut into halves and fell to the ground.


    These people originally held weapons more than a meter long. Now, they were only the size of a pencil. Everyone was stunned. Were they in a movie? How could this kind of thing happen in real life?


    But they didn¡¯t have time to think more about what had just happened. The next second, a sharp pain in their stomachs stole their attention.


    Everyone howled, and their bodies flew into the air uncontrollably. The dust rose when they fell on the ground, wailing, creating a neat view. Looking from afar, it was a kind of neat and hazy beauty, just like the peerless ink paintings created by the masters of traditional Chinese painting.


    Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan looked at each other. They couldn¡¯t believe that Shen Chen had such power that he could play with nature. Ye Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t understand at all. How did Shen Chen do it? However, Guo Yuan thought of something. He understood that it was because of evolution fluid. A bottle of evolution fluid every night during this time had made him feel a growth in power, but the evolution fluid¡¯s effect on his boss still surprised him.


    Guo Yuan didn¡¯t know that once a neo-human reached the First Tier, its body changed. A brief explanation was that this neo-human was a reborn human, which enabled it to go beyond the limits of human beings. If the maximum power of Mike Tyson¡¯s fist was 800 kg, which was said to be the limit of human beings, then the minimum power of the First Tier neo-human was 1200 kg, and its speed and explosive force was double.


    Shen Chen, in fact, had gotten the power of the second phase of the First Tier at this time. However, due to the fact that a large part of the evolution fluid had not been fully absorbed, his body was overwhelmed. Even so, his strength, compared with these ordinary people, was absolutely unmatched.


    Ye Tianlong looked at Shen Chen. He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. He suddenly realized something. Before his absolute power, any tricks or lies were useless. He stepped back slowly, a pale smile on his face. ¡°Bro! Brother Shen, let¡¯s talk. We can talk about it. I can explain. You can take everything from this supermarket. You can have all the girls. Please, let me go.¡±


    The men who were lying on the ground couldn¡¯t believe what they just heard. Was this the boss they risked their lives to protect? He was now selling them? And women were just goods for trade in his eyes? And he also gave up the supermarket so easily?

 Chapter 47

    ¡°Brother Ye! You¡¯re crazy!¡± a man yelled. He couldn¡¯t believe what Ye Tianlong said.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Ye Tianlong threw a hard kick and knocked the man down. ¡°I¡¯m not the owner of the supermarket, so it¡¯s none of my business. Whoever wants it can take it¡± Then, he tried his best to put on a kind face for Shen Chen. He begged him, ¡°Let me go, Brother Shen! Let me get out of here!¡±


    ¡°Let you go?¡± Shen Chen smiled and asked, ¡°What about the people you killed?¡±


    ¡®Ye Tianlong killed people?¡¯ Everyone looked at each other in confusion. They still didn¡¯t believe that Ye Tianlong was a devil. Their guess was that Ye Tianlong had been threatened by Shen Chen and that he really didn¡¯t want to give up on them.


    ¡°Ye Tianlong was just an employee of this supermarket,¡± Shen Chen said slowly. ¡°He killed his boss¡¯s wife, and that woman became a zombie, which is why people who went out with him never returned. Those poor guys were killed by Ye Tianlong. Then, he used the dead bodies to feed the female zombie.¡±


    In fact, Shen Chen didn¡¯t care if these foolish men believed him or not. He wasn¡¯t talking to these ignorant people. He was talking to Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan. ¡°Right after I killed the female zombie this morning, this scum took two people to the supermarket in the afternoon. Now, one of the two has become a zombie, and the other, I¡¯m afraid, has become the zombie¡¯s food!¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s words shocked everyone. No one believed that this seemingly honest and kindhearted man was such a dirty and cruel monster!


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t believe it!¡± someone said, shaking.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe it? The zombie is still in the warehouse. You can go and have a look.¡± Shen Chen reached out his hand and made a gesture as if to say, ¡°please, be my guest.¡±


    The man instantly got up from the ground. He stumbled into the supermarket. After a while, the men outside heard a zombie howl from the warehouse in the supermarket. Everyone¡¯s face turned livid. It was true! There was a zombie in the supermarket!


    The next moment, the man who had gone into the supermarket ran out with tears on his face. He frantically grabbed a stool and raised it to hit Ye Tianlong. ¡°F*ck you. You killed Zhou Xiaobo and made him a zombie! I¡¯m going to kill you! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Everyone felt a cold chill go down their backs. The man who was shouting before them was Sun Pang. He and Zhou Xiaobo were good friends, since they knew each other in childhood. If Zhou Xiaobo had turned into a zombie and was now locked in the warehouse, Sun Pang would definitely be able to identify that it was Zhou Xiaobo from his voice.


    After hearing what Sun Pang said, everyone no longer had any doubts. Their anger from being deceived by Ye Tianlong flushed their faces. They glared at Ye Tianlong, but Ye Tianlong had already realized that danger might be around the corner. His eyes finally revealed malice. Seeing that Sun Pang was coming at him, he raised his leg and did an extremely quick kick at Sun Pang¡¯s thigh. Then, he locked Sun Pang in a chokehold. Sun Pang was caught and couldn¡¯t move. When Ye Tianlong increased his pressure, Sun Pang screamed like a pig under a slaughterer¡¯s knife.


    ¡°F*ck! F*ck! You dare to hit me? Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Ye Tianlong spat in the man¡¯s face and then stared fiercely at Shen Chen. ¡°Let me out of here, or I¡¯ll break his neck. You son of a bit*h. You ruined my plan again. Bad b*stard. I know I¡¯m not a match for you right now, but I tell you, sooner or later, I will take your head off!¡±


    Guo Yuan said angrily, ¡°You¡¯d better consider your actual situation. You still think you¡¯ll be able to get out of here?¡± Guan Yuan raised his fire axe at Ye Tianlong and shouted, ¡°Guys, let¡¯s get him. If you¡¯re a man, let¡¯s kill this b*stard.¡±


    The other men followed. ¡°You son of a b*tch.¡±


    People got excited! They might have been deceived by Ye Tianlong¡¯s nice words in the beginning, but now everyone had found out the truth. They knew what the right thing to do was. In order to meet the needs of his sick desire, Ye Tianlong had killed so many innocent people. Not a single person could forgive what this monster had done. No one could bear to see him live in this world anymore.


    ¡°If anyone dares to come closer, I¡¯ll kill him!¡± Ye Tianlong suddenly took out a knife and put it on the man¡¯s neck. The blade was dark, and black blood was dripping off of it. ¡°This is zombie blood! Get away from me, or I¡¯ll make him a zombie before your eyes. Think about it. Even if you kill me, I can use this knife to cut you before I die! You¡¯ll see what can happen to you if you touch zombie blood.¡± Ye Tianlong¡¯s eyeballs stuck out like a toad, and the muscles on his face twitched ferociously.


    For a while, everyone¡¯s rash impulse to kill Ye Tianlong suddenly disappeared, and everyone looked at the knife with the zombie blood on it anxiously! A look of panic appeared on everyone¡¯s face.


    Ye Tianlong was right. Whoever went near him could be hurt by his bloody knife, and that poor guy would end up turning into a zombie.


    The quick footsteps slowly stopped, and Ye Tianlong put on an extremely arrogant and even disdainful look. He laughed wildly.


    Shen Chen looked at the madman in front of him. Somehow, there was a trace of fear in Shen Chen¡¯s eyes. In his memory of the previous life, Ye Tianlong was a perfect liar. Even in this life, his disguise and cruelty were the same. Ye Tianlong! He was truly the ultimate devil.


    Ye Tianlong grabbed Sun Pang¡¯s neck, retreated slowly, and laughed with disdain. ¡°Rubbish! A group of rubbish! Since you don¡¯t dare come closer, I¡¯m leaving this d*mn place!¡±


    Ye Tianlong¡¯s insults and contempt burned everyone¡¯s heart like a hot iron. However, no one dared to take a step forward. No one dared to take their life lightly.


    Seeing the scum move away, a heavy weight pressed on everyone¡¯s heart. Everyone¡¯s breath was unsteady. In a moment, a great sense of hatred and regret made everyone¡¯s eyes turn red.


    ¡®Are we just going to watch as this scum leaves here peacefully and escape while we do nothing? He¡¯s just going to get away with what he did so easily?¡¯ everyone asked themselves.


    No one was willing to face the fact that they couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu looked at Shen Chen with hope in their eyes. To them, only Shen Chen was able to punish this scum.


    Ten meters¡­ Twenty meters¡­ Fifty meters¡­ One hundred meters¡­ Shen Chen watched Ye Tianlong retreat, but he still didn¡¯t move.


    Ye Xiaoyu gradually felt desperate. ¡®Even Brother Shen can¡¯t beat him? Doesn¡¯t brother Shen want to punish this a**hole?¡¯


    She was very confused, but she suddenly heard a calm and soft voice in her ear. ¡°Anyone got a knife?¡±


    The calm voice broke the long silence and rang in everyone¡¯s ears. It woke everyone up like a thunderbolt. Everyone turned to stare at Shen Chen.


    ¡®What is he talking about?¡¯


    ¡®He wants a knife now?¡¯


    ¡®What can he do with a knife?


    ¡®Can a knife kill that scum?¡¯


    Everyone asked themselves different questions in confusion. Apparently, they didn¡¯t know why Shen Chen asked this, but no one spoke, because no one believed Shen Chen! Ye Tianlong¡¯s cunning, insidious, and ferocious image had rooted itself deeply into their minds. This evil image made it difficult for them to trust anyone.


    Shen Chen glanced at the silent people with a cold smile on his lips. ¡°Just let him go? That¡¯s what you want?¡± Shen Chen still had the same calm and soft tone, but now, suddenly everyone seemed to have confidence. Everyone¡¯s eyes looked instantly bright, and their gazes slowly turned to Shen Chen as if to make sure that he wasn¡¯t joking but really asking for a knife.


    The resoluteness in Shen Chen¡¯s eyes gave a young guy new insight. His gaze sharpened, as if he had seen something unusual. He said, ¡°I have a knife. I have a knife!¡± Then, he ran to Shen Chen and handed him a fruit knife and asked, ¡°Is this what you need?¡±


    Shen Chen nodded and checked the knife. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± After that, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he concentrated his strength in his hand. Then, he started to shake his wrist.

 Chapter 48

    Suddenly, the knife shot forward and went straight toward Ye Tianlong¡¯s feet.


    The knife tail cut through the air, and the blade of the knife shone brilliantly with the reflection of the sun.


    There was a scream of disbelief from all the men present. It lasted for a very long time until¡ªbang! Ye Tianlong felt a splitting pain in his foot! The knife stabbed his foot and plunged through it into the ground!


    His eyeballs suddenly stuck out! He couldn¡¯t believe what happened. He bent over instantly in an attempt to pull out the knife in his foot but found that this knife, which looked like a small kitchen knife that every family has in their kitchen, now was the biggest obstacle for him to escape. The knife was planted into the ground like a tree grown-up from its roots. Ye Tianlong failed to move it no matter how hard he tried, and blood started to drip down the back of the knife. A great fear suddenly rose in Ye Tianlong¡¯s heart. His feet turned so soft that they couldn¡¯t support his body, and he fell down uncontrollably. At the same time, the man who was caught by Ye Tianlong moaned and ran to the people in front of the door of the supermarket.


    Everyone was violently shocked. Their hearts lurched with fear. That man, Shen Chen, nearly two hundred meters away from Ye Tianlong, just threw a small kitchen knife with a flick of his wrist and got Ye Tianlong under control. What power did he have?


    However, no one could be more scared and shocked than Ye Tianlong. His face turned livid with fear. He was so shocked that he looked at Shen Chen walking slowly toward him without blinking.


    Step by step, Shen Chen walked to Ye Tianlong like the Grim Reaper. Ye Tianlong shuddered and shivered like a sieve. He had run more than two hundred meters away from Shen Chen. How was Shen Chen able to hurt him? How?


    His body was shaking uncontrollably, and he suddenly thought of what Shen Chen said to him before: ¡°If you dare to hurt anyone, I will kill you, and you will die without a burial place!¡±


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t kill me! Don¡¯t kill me!¡± Ye Tianlong, who felt frozen from the top of his head to the tip of his toes, begged for mercy as loudly as he could. He fell to the ground like a lump of mud and knelt down, kowtowing for mercy.


    But Shen Chen didn¡¯t at all care about what Ye Tianlong had to say. He simply ignored his pleading. In his opinion, as early as the first time they met, Ye Tianlong should have already been a dead man. It was because of Shen Chen¡¯s stupid mercy that Ye Tianlong was still alive.


    Shen Chen raised the Black Blade in his hands. His deep eyes were as cold as an ice cellar thousands of years old. ¡°Ye Tianlong, each day, how many people died from your hands? Now, it¡¯s time for you to disappear from this world!¡±


    The Black Blade was about to fall! All of a sudden, Ye Tianlong shouted desperately, ¡°You are ill! You need food that¡¯s high in nutrition. I can give you that. Let me go. I can get you that!¡±


    Shen Chen stopped and asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Ye Tianlong¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened. He knew he had gotten his last chance at life. ¡°I know of a warehouse that¡¯s full of ginseng and goods that are highly nutritious! If you let me go, I¡¯ll tell you the address!¡±


    Shen Chen showed a smile on his lips. He held the Black Blade in his hand and asked calmly, ¡°Tell me the address.¡±


    ¡°I will tell you if you let me go!¡± Ye Tianlong eagerly looked at Shen Shen and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die! I don¡¯t want to die, at least not today.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Shen Chen didn¡¯t hesitate in the slightest, which made Ye Tianlong feel much more nervous.


    ¡°He agreed?¡± Ye Tianlong thought.


    Ye Tianlong asked Shen Chen to swear. ¡°You¡­ you swear! Swear that if you try to kill me, you will let zombies tear you to pieces.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I swear. If I try to kill you after you tell me the address, I will let zombies tear me to pieces and eat me,¡± Shen Chen said immediately.


    Without any hesitation, Shen Chen said what Ye Tianlong wanted in an extremely calm way, as if he weren¡¯t talking about himself, but Ye Tianlong was close by Shen Chen. He saw the suppressed anger in Shen Chen¡¯s eyes, which made him suddenly believe Shen Chen¡¯s words.


    ¡°Good!¡± Ye Tianlong gnashed his teeth and said quickly, ¡°No. 388, Chengnan Road!¡± Then, he struggled to stand up and stumbled away.


    ¡°I¡¯m not dead. As long as I can find a hospital, I can live, and then I¡¯ll make you pay for what I suffered today,¡± Ye Tianlong thought, walking away.


    However, the next moment, Ye Tianlong¡¯s pupils suddenly stuck out! His other foot was pierced by a knife. Before he could make a sound, his right hand was nailed to the ground, and then his left hand.


    Ye Tianlong¡¯s legs, feet, hands, and arms were repeatedly pierced by the small kitchen knife within ten minutes. The tremendous pain made Ye Tianlong howl wildly. His blood gushed from the holes in his flesh.


    However, he was still struggling. ¡°Let me go. You promised! Let me go!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t imagine that Shen Chen would lie to him, but the next moment, the wicked Black Blade was slowly raised above Ye Tianlong¡¯s head.


    Ye Tianlong was desperate. He looked at the Black Blade above his head and murmured, ¡°You¡¯re a liar!¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, he saw Shen Chen¡¯s body fall down, and blood gushed out from Ye Tianlong¡¯s neck like a fountain. ¡°He lied to me,¡± Ye Tianlong repeated in his mind. ¡°He said he wouldn¡¯t kill me. He said he would be torn to pieces by zombies if he tried.¡±


    Looking into Ye Tianlong¡¯s eyes, which still held questions after he died, Shen Chen calmly wiped the blood from his Black Blade. ¡°I said I would be torn up by zombies. Oh, zombies did that to me once. Did you think that I would care if it happened again?¡± Shen Chen said softly as if he were laughing at himself or something else he was thinking about.


    He was apparently excited. What he had tried to hide in his eyes was about to come to the surface. The next moment, he turned around, standing proudly. His clothes were swaying in the night wind, and blood dripped from his Black Blade.


    All of a sudden, in the eyes of all the people present, it seemed that there was only one person left between heaven and earth. It seemed that this person bore the distance between heaven and earth and bore all the responsibilities of the world.


    This scene was remembered by the people present for many years later, and was never forgotten.


    ¡°Rubbish! Rubbish!¡± Zhou Xiaobo¡¯s good friend suddenly grabbed a chair and rushed over. He roared wildly and smashed the chair on Ye Tianlong¡¯s body.


    All of the people went unprecedentedly mad. Each of them took what they could get that was near them and smashed it on Ye Tianlong¡¯s body. They were furiously crazy. Finally, Ye Tianlong¡¯s body became a rotten meat pie flowing on the ground.


    Ye Tianlong¡¯s head rolled to the side. The ground was covered with grass, soil, and blood. His eyes stared at his body slowly turning into a pile of rotten meat. If he still had any residual consciousness at this time, he was most likely thinking that he had never imagined that the end of his story would be so miserable. However, he was responsible for all of it.


    After all of the people smashed his body like crazy, someone suddenly asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Shen Chen?¡±


    Shen Chen disappeared in front of the supermarket. All of the people slowly put down their weapons and looked in the distance. At that moment, all of them deeply carved the extraordinary young man¡¯s name in their hearts. He would be remembered forever and ever.

 Chapter 49

    While in the car, Shen Chen coughed violently and couldn¡¯t stop shivering. Looking at Shen Chen cough, Ye Xiaoyu felt extremely worried! She gave him a back rub in hopes of soothing his cough, but upon touching his back, she realized that Shen Chen¡¯s back was squishy like a sponge. When she put her hand on his back, the spot she touched would cave in!


    Ye Xiaoyu looked at Shen Chen in astonishment, only to be greeted by a wry smile. Just as she was about to speak, Shen Chen¡¯s face became terribly pale.


    The car suddenly stopped by the side of the road, and Shen Chen spat out a mouthful of black blood!


    Both Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan were shocked at the sight of this.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Brother Shen Chen?¡± Ye Xiaoyu asked anxiously.


    Even Guo Yuan couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Boss, what¡¯s going on? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Staring at the pool of black blood, Shen Chen felt a chill go down his spine. The evolution fluid was still wreaking havoc in his body; the longer it remained in his body, the more damage it would cause. His powers were being eroded. Before long, he would revert to an ordinary human being, but it wouldn¡¯t just stop there. His body would continue deteriorating, and he would become weaker and weaker. Eventually he would turn into some kind of mutated zombie. What was even more frightening was that his abilities as a zombie would mirror the abilities he possessed as a human, which was to say, once he became a zombie he would be similar to a Third Tier zombie! He would become a formidable nemesis! Practically indestructible!


    388 Chengnan Road. It looked like he would have to make a trip.


    Realizing how anxious Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu were, Shen Chen tried to reassure them by saying, ¡°It¡¯s a side effect of the evolution fluid!¡±


    ¡°Evolution fluid!¡± Guo Yuan was taken aback and glanced at Ye Xiaoyu discreetly. This was a secret between the four of them, and Ye Xiaoyu wasn¡¯t a part of their inner circle yet, and therefore not privy to it.


    Ye Xiaoyu was not oblivious to the look that Guo Yuan gave her, though. She felt a little sad but still said with a smile, ¡°How about I leave so that you guys can have a moment to yourselves?¡±


    Shen Chen gestured with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s all right. She¡¯s not an outsider.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu blushed. What Shen Chen said made her extremely happy. She was overwhelmed with joy! There was a marked shift in the way she looked at him. However, her joy was soon overshadowed by her concern for him. ¡°What exactly is wrong with you?¡± she asked worriedly.


    Shen Chen sighed and explained what had happened on the fourth floor the other day and the effects he suffered after drinking the evolution fluid. ¡°This fluid has to settle for four hours before consumption, and there has to be twenty-four to thirty-six hours between each usage. But I drank enough for ten people, and all within twenty-four hours. My body is unable to absorb it all, so a significant amount of evolution fluid still remains in my system, causing damage to my body. If I don¡¯t find a way to resolve this, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    It was only now that Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan realized just how much Shen Chen had been suffering for the past two days. They couldn¡¯t fathom how they would have handled it if it had been them, or whether they would have been able to kill the evolved female zombie, then Ye Tianlong!


    ¡°Is that why you needed the ginseng?¡± Ye Xiaoyu asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The tonic can speed up the rate of absorption and prevent my body from breaking down,¡± Shen Chen said with a nod.


    ¡°F*ck! We¡¯ll look for all the American ginseng and bird¡¯s nest! Ye Xiaoyu, where else can we find drugstores?¡±


    Looking at how panicky Guo Yuan was, Shen Chen smiled. ¡°No need to go to all that trouble. Let¡¯s go to 388 Chengnan Road.¡±


    ¡°Chengnan Road?¡± Guo Yuan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s in the outskirts. There¡¯s a reservoir there and warehouses beside it.¡±


    Shen Chen said with a smile, ¡°Ye Tianlong did a good deed before he died. He told me that there was a warehouse over there filled with premium stuff!¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu was relieved to hear that. ¡°That¡¯s great! Let¡¯s not waste any time in getting there!¡±


    The car sped along the highway toward Chengnan Road. Chengnan Road was located in the south of S City and was seventeen kilometers away from J. There weren¡¯t many vehicles on the highway; even if there were zombies, they were all trapped within the vehicles. The trapped zombies howled at them as their car went past, stretching their pale white arms toward them. It was a scalp-tingling sight! But that¡¯s all it was¡ªa frightening sight that posed no threat to Shen Chen¡¯s entourage whatsoever.


    What was most important to Shen Chen right now was time. Time was of the essence! He couldn¡¯t afford another second¡¯s delay. Every second delayed prolonged his agony by another second!


    Half an hour later, they finally arrived at 388 Chengnan Road.


    There were rows of warehouses, and the surroundings were quiet and nondescript. Occasionally, they would hear a dog howling in the distance, making the atmosphere even spookier.


    ¡°There usually aren¡¯t any people around here, only watch dogs and maybe a couple of security guards,¡± said Guo Yuan.


    ¡°You seem to be familiar with the area, ¡± said Ye Xiaoyu curiously.


    Guo Yuan smiled somewhat sadly. ¡°My grandpa used to come here to fish, and I would accompany him sometimes¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Ye Xiaoyu said apologetically, having sensed that Guo Yuan was feeling emotional.


    Guo Yuan shook his head, dispelling the sadness he was feeling. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Becoming a zombie in that manner might not have been a bad thing for him!¡± Guo Yuan then turned to Shen Chen and said, ¡°Boss, there are so many warehouses here. How do we find the right one?¡±


    ¡°The ginseng needs to be left out to dry, then placed in the shade. We should look for a warehouse in the south with a basement.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t apparent whether Guo Yuan understood what Shen Chen meant, but Guo Yuan nodded anyway. Ye Xiaoyu, on the other hand, said with a sparkle in her eyes, ¡°Brother Shen Chen, looks like you know quite a bit, too.¡±


    Shen Chen smiled in response. In his past life, he heard that the person who had the same problem he did had stored his supply of ginseng in his own basement.


    The three of them went through rows of warehouses. A dozen days into the apocalypse, the electricity supply had long been cut off. Fortunately, it was still broad daylight, so the lack of electricity didn¡¯t hamper their search. After thirty minutes, the three of them finally found a warehouse with a basement.


    The door to the basement was just like the jaws of a monster. Beyond the door was a stretch of darkness, which seemed to go on forever. They walked down the staircase carefully.


    Suddenly, their noses picked up on a foul stench. It was a smell they were all familiar with. The smell of decay. The smell of zombies!


    Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan were at a loss as to what to do. The darkness put them at a disadvantage!


    Bang!

 Chapter 50 - Perfect Breakthrough!

    Shen Chen wasn¡¯t at all fazed. In fact, he was taking his own sweet time. He hadn¡¯t even unsheathed the Black Blade. Holding it up horizontally seemed to suffice in stopping the zombie from moving forward, so Shen Chen gave the zombie a hard kick! Plonk, plonk, plonk! The zombie promptly rolled down the stairs.


    ¡°Ooh, there goes a zombie!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too dark! I can¡¯t see anything!¡±


    Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s hearts lurched in fear. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t have faith in Shen Chen¡¯s abilities. In fact, had it been bright, they wouldn¡¯t have had any doubt that Shen Chen could take out the zombies, no matter how many there were. But in a dark environment where visibility was low, the zombies had an especially acute sense of smell. The darkness wouldn¡¯t deter the zombies, but the same couldn¡¯t be said of the humans! Without light, they would have no sense of direction. What was worse was that they wouldn¡¯t even be able to figure out how many zombies there were!


    Wielding the Black Blade, Shen Chen said to them quietly, ¡°The two of you head upstairs. Be quiet. Don¡¯t make any noise! Find us some torch lights. Go now!¡±


    Guo Yuan was about to respond, but Ye Xiaoyu immediately got ahold of him before he could do so and dragged him upstairs. She knew that Shen Chen had reasons for asking them to head upstairs.


    Meanwhile, Shen Chen tried to acclimatize to the darkness and relied on his sense of hearing to suss out his surroundings. As a neo-human, he had a well-developed sense of hearing. Although zombies made no breathing sounds, he would definitely be able to hear them while they shuffled around or made an attack.


    Besides, a neo-human assessing enemies solely with the sense of sight was a foolish thing. Eyes are easily deceived. Before attaining the status of Third Tier neo-human, many people would train mindfully, trying to circumvent the limitations of sight.


    Shen Chen, of course, was no exception. He was very confident in his abilities based on his experiences in his past life. As long as he was in an absolutely quiet environment, he would be able to kill them all!


    This thought calmed him down. Shen Chen didn¡¯t make any hasty moves. Instead, he waited cautiously at the staircase and leaned against it. This would ensure that only one or two zombies would be able to come up at the same time, so that he wouldn¡¯t be trapped.


    Suddenly, Shen Chen sensed some hostility coming in his direction. He crouched down quickly and slashed forward with his Black Blade.


    Plonk. A round object seemed to have fallen onto the ground and rolled for a distance. Subsequently, there was a sound of another heavy object also falling to the ground, and this was followed by a third one! Then a fourth! There were loud growls coming from his left and right.


    Shen Chen was able to determine where the zombies were standing based on their growls. Balancing himself on the balls of his feet, he leapt two meters into the air, and two brilliant flashes appeared in the darkness.


    The zombies¡¯ ugly faces were visible during the flashes. Not long after, two decaying heads fell to the ground. Shen Chen only relaxed after making sure that there weren¡¯t any more zombies coming toward him. His powers decreased as the evolution fluid in his body continued wreaking havoc. He couldn¡¯t help coughing violently because of the pain.


    Perhaps because they heard Shen Chen¡¯s violent coughing fit, Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan rushed over to his side quickly. With a quick push of the door to the basement, the entire basement was soon lit with the light from dozens of torch lights.


    Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan saw three dead zombies lying on the ground. As for Shen Chen, he was leaning against the railing, trying to catch his breath. There was a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.


    Guo Yuan immediately ran to him. ¡°Are you all right, Boss?¡±


    Shen Chen smiled comfortingly as he fixed his gaze on the piles of wooden boxes stored in the basement.


    Ye Xiaoyu was astounded by the sight of the boxes. ¡°There are that many boxes? There¡¯s gotta be a few thousand boxes here!¡±


    Shen Chen grinned and pointed toward the countless wooden boxes before them. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s ginseng. The more the merrier!¡±


    The floor of the basement was covered with heaps of wooden boxes, and each wooden box contained at least a hundred grams of ginseng.


    In the presence of the inviting aroma, hunger pangs reverberated throughout Shen Chen¡¯s body as he felt an insatiable craving. He pounced on the boxes like a tiger that had been starved for a long time. He broke open a wooden box with his hands, revealing the delectable ginseng. A couple of chews was all it took for him to swallow the ginseng. The entire process only took two to three seconds!


    ¡°I need a lot of ginseng! C¡¯mon, help me!¡±


    What Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan needed to do was remove the ginseng from the wooden boxes, then pass it to Shen Chen.


    One box¡­ Two boxes¡­ Three boxes¡­


    It had to be said that these boxes of ginseng were indeed of premium quality. After ingesting tens of boxes of ginseng, the familiar warmth spread all over Shen Chen¡¯s body, and the pain slowly went away. Even so, Shen Chen was not yet satisfied. He was determined to absorb the d*mn evolution fluid once and for all!


    ¡°That isn¡¯t enough! I need more!¡± Shen Chen urged.


    Numerous boxes of ginseng were soon placed before him. Ginseng, worth tens of thousands of dollars, might as well have been cheap carrots bought from the market, given the manner in which they were swallowed by Shen Chen. He swallowed multiple boxes of ginseng without a moment¡¯s hesitation. The heat generated by the ginseng in Shen Chen¡¯s body eventually hit a peak. It was as if there were a fire-breathing dragon in his body as the heat engulfed his body and wrapped itself around the evolution fluid, layer by layer. Shen Chen felt the heat come in waves as it slowly intertwined with the evolution fluid, at first in small waves, then in big waves, and finally in one gigantic wave as it all culminated.


    His blood circulation became better and better, smoother and smoother, just like water swirling in a basin. Finally, as if a dam had been broken, all obstructions removed, the waves overwhelmed him in a bout of euphoria. The evolution fluid swept through his meridians and bones, bathing them with a delicious warmth.


    After several cycles, something began to shift in him, and his bones and muscles became better and stronger. ¡°Phew¡­¡± After some time, Shen Chen finally opened his eyes with a gleam of satisfaction. He exhaled slowly.


    To his pleasant surprise, the results were very apparent this time around. The huge quantities of ginseng he had consumed really aided in the absorption of the evolution fluid and improved his powers by leaps and bounds! He was almost at the Second Tier now! Such progress would have taken one or two years in his previous life, but he had made it happen in less than two weeks! It was incredible!


    However, Shen Chen was also cognizant of the fact that not everyone was suited for such drastic changes and rapid growth. Otherwise, in his previous life there wouldn¡¯t have been so many people becoming mutated zombies after failing in their attempts to speed up the process. In short, even though such growth and progress was remarkable, there was no way to tell how many times one¡¯s body could withstand such extreme methods. It was all fine and dandy if the body survived the breakthrough, but if his next attempt were to end in failure, the consequences would be disastrous!


    At the thought, Shen Chen¡¯s heart constricted. He made a promise to himself not to ever take such risks again once everything was over.

 Chapter 51 - He’s Just Teasing You

    The light in the basement had grown much dimmer. Out of the dozen torch lights they found, only one or two remained working; the rest had gone out a long time ago. Shen Chen looked up, only to see Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan sleeping soundly against the wall in a corner.


    Shen Chen was a little taken aback. He got up hurriedly and stared at the room full of broken wooden boxes. The whole basement was filled with the overpowering aroma of ginseng. He was surprised by the sheer amount of ginseng he had consumed. Well, actually, Shen Chen had no idea how much ginseng he had really consumed.


    Possibly because she heard noises, Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes cracked open, and she glanced at Shen Chen. Her eyes widened as she leapt up in excitement. ¡°Brother Shen Chen! Brother Shen Chen!¡±


    Shen Chen watched as Ye Xiaoyu jumped and hopped about like a little bunny, eventually running into his chest. The fragrance of the young girl mingled with that of the ginseng made for a rather pleasant combination.


    Shen Chen was stunned for a moment, his hands frozen in the air awkwardly. But he let Ye Xiaoyu hug him tight, and he said kindly to her, ¡°Okay, okay. Relax. I¡¯m all right now.¡±


    Guo Yuan was awoken by the commotion. He blinked at the sight of Ye Xiaoyu reveling in Shen Chen¡¯s embrace, then slowly broke into a smile and gave them a thumbs-up!


    Shen Chen didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. He knew that Guo Yuan was thinking dirty thoughts, but it should have been pretty obvious that he and Ye Xiaoyu hadn¡¯t quite advanced to that stage yet!


    After staying in his embrace for a long time, Ye Xiaoyu finally peeled herself away from Shen Chen. She looked up at his resigned smile with a blush on her face, just like a startled little kitten. Ye Xiaoyu then took a few steps backward and asked shyly, ¡°Are you doing better now?¡±


    Guo Yuan couldn¡¯t hold in his laughter anymore. He snickered. ¡°He was feeling much better before you hugged him tight!¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s face was now as red as a pomegranate. She jumped back as if she had been electrocuted. With a raise of her eyebrows, she then asked, ¡°Guo Yuan, are you teasing me?¡±


    But before Guo Yuan could answer, Ye Xiaoyu quickly grabbed hold of Shen Chen and asked worriedly, ¡°Did I really hug you too tight?¡±


    By that point, even Shen Chen couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. This girl might be smart, but she was endearingly silly sometimes.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Ignore Guo Yuan. He¡¯s just teasing you!¡± Shen Chen said while ruffling her hair.


    Ye Xiaoyu immediately turned as red as a beetroot. She nodded silently, a pout on her face.


    Seeing that both Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan were looking exhausted, he asked, ¡°What time is it now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already 9 p.m!¡± Ye Xiaoyu replied after taking a look at her watch.


    ¡°Nine?¡± Shen Chen was surprised. He remembered that it was only one in the afternoon when they had arrived at the warehouse. That meant the absorption of the evolution fluid had taken eight frigging hours!


    He couldn¡¯t believe that it had taken this long. No wonder Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan looked so tired. Anyone would be fatigued after spending eight hours in this setting.


    Shen Chen smiled apologetically and beckoned them. ¡°It must have been hard on you guys! It¡¯s getting late. We should head back soon. Otherwise, Pan Di and the rest will be worried.¡±


    Guo Yuan nodded and replied with relief in his voice, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m so glad that you¡¯re fine now. Shall we go then?¡±


    ¡°How about all these boxes of ginseng?¡± There were still about half remaining, and Ye Xiaoyu felt it would be a waste to leave them behind.


    ¡°Bring some of them back with us, then,¡± Shen Chen replied. ¡°Let¡¯s take with us as many boxes as we can manage. But, frankly speaking, I hope I won¡¯t ever need this stuff again.¡±


    The three of them took about forty boxes of ginseng, as the rest of the boxes wouldn¡¯t fit in their car. While leaving, Ye Xiaoyu looked at the warehouse with some regret, seemingly reluctant to leave the ginseng behind.


    ¡°Silly girl. We can always come back here, since we know about this place now,¡± Shen Chen said reassuringly.


    Ye Xiaoyu finally let it go and nodded in response. Guo Yuan had already turned on the engine and driven the car over to Shen Chen and Ye Xiaoyu. He popped his head out from the car window and said to them, ¡°Hop in!¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu got in at the back of the car with a sigh, while Shen Chen opened the car door next to the passenger¡¯s seat, just stopping short of getting in. His brows furrowed, and he cocked his head, as if trying to hear better. Seeing that both Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu were looking at him questioningly, he slowly shut the car door and told them, ¡°Wait for me here. I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy.¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu and Guo Yuan nodded and didn¡¯t ask any questions, simply watching as Shen Chen disappeared in the dark.


    ¡­


    There were a couple of people outside one of the warehouses nearby. Two youths who looked like hooligans, and two elderly people who looked weak and frail.


    ¡°What the f*ck, old men? You¡¯ve been out the whole day and that was all you managed to catch? Two measly fish? Are you trying to starve us?¡±


    The old men, who looked to be at least seventy years old, were then viciously shoved to the ground by the youngsters.


    The old men were caught unawares and didn¡¯t manage to break their fall in time. As they fell, so did the fish basket they were holding. A few carps escaped from the basket.


    The hooligans got even angrier. One of them picked up a broom and started whacking the old men with it. ¡°F*ckin¡¯ old men, why did you lose your grip on the fish basket? Did you do it on purpose so that we wouldn¡¯t have anything to eat?¡±


    The broom hit them across their faces, and the two old men braved through it all with gritted teeth, holding onto each other.


    The other hooligan looked at the bloodied old men with some worry in his eyes. He tried to persuade the first hooligan to stop, saying, ¡°Ming, don¡¯t kill them. If you kill them, no one will get us fish!¡±


    The old men were pretty skilled at fishing. Had the hooligans not come across them by chance, they probably would have starved to death or been eaten by zombies, so there was no way they were letting go of the old fellas!


    The hooligan referred to as Ming finally put down the broom begrudgingly. ¡°If not for the fact that these old geezers know how to fish, we would have thrown them out by now,¡± he griped.


    Ming then said to the other hooligan, who had a head full of bleached hair, ¡°Little Tian, bring them out to catch more fish. Tell them if they don¡¯t come back with at least ten kilos of fish tonight, they won¡¯t get to eat anything tomorrow!¡±


    Little Tian acknowledged what Ming said and watched as Ming walked into the warehouse with the two fish. He then turned to look at the old men, who remained dignified despite the abuse and humiliation.


    ¡°Ptooey!¡±


    His spit landed on the old men. With a hateful expression on his face, he said to them, ¡°D*mn it! You made me lose face in front of Ming. Looks like you guys haven¡¯t suffered enough today!¡±

 Chapter 52 - F*ck Your Mother

    The two old men smiled wryly, and the younger of the two said with a sigh, ¡°Kid, live and let live. Don¡¯t burn your bridges. Otherwise¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, the blondie squeezed out a clump of mucus from his nose and flung it onto the two of them. The two of them shuddered at such treatment. They had never been so humiliated in their entire lives!


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand people like you! You look so self-righteous and intellectual with your glasses and all! Priding yourself on your seniority! Ptooey!¡± the hooligan snorted. He looked down on the two of them and taunted, ¡°Let me tell you, the apocalypse is here! Society as you knew it doesn¡¯t exist anymore! Only physical strength matters now! Whoever has physical might is Boss!¡±


    The more he talked, the more agitated he got. The hooligan started swinging his fists as he spoke, his spit flying about in the air!


    But the old men didn¡¯t appear to agree with his opinion or show any fear of him, despite what he had said. On the contrary, they seemed to be looking at him with a little pity in their eyes.


    ¡°F*cking hell! Don¡¯t you look at me like that!¡± Blondie was perturbed by the look in their eyes. He glared at them and shouted furiously, ¡°Stop f*cking staring at me as if you feel sorry for me! You better believe that I¡¯ll punch your heads in! I don¡¯t need your f*cking pity!¡±


    Blondie sent a flying kick in their direction. One of the men fell to the ground. He placed his hand over his stomach and groaned in pain.


    An expression of vindictive pleasure appeared on Blondie¡¯s face. Yes! That¡¯s right! They deserved it! That was the only way his anger could be placated!


    The more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him. He picked up the broom and used it to whack the face of the man lying on the ground.


    Blondie appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen years of age, stuck in a rebellious phase, not unlike other teenagers around his age. His brutish ways were perhaps an indication of his lowlife status in society¡­


    As for the old men, they looked like civilized and dignified individuals who were on the verge of retirement. Who would have thought that, instead of enjoying their retirement, they would be subjected to such abuse by hooligans?


    The other old man said to Blondie, ¡°Stop hitting us. Who is going to catch fish for you guys if you beat us to death? You guys are going to end up starving!¡±


    ¡°Godd*mnit. Are you guys threatening me right now? F*ck it! I¡¯m not just going to beat you up, I¡¯m going to beat you guys up real good!¡± Blondie was now utterly furious. His fist was raised and was about to make contact with the old man¡¯s body.


    Blondie sneered. ¡°F*ck you, old men. I hate people like you. If it hadn¡¯t been for the b*stardly school principal who wouldn¡¯t let me graduate from high school, would I have ended up like this? But it¡¯s okay now. The apocalypse is here. I can finally show you what I¡¯m made of. You guys are going to rue the day you were born!¡±


    There was a vile smirk on Blondie¡¯s face as he eyed the innocent old men before him, who at the moment represented everything he hated, everything that was to blame for his downfall. He was ready to rain punches on their stomachs, but he never got the chance.


    Bang! There was a loud crash!


    Blondie cried out in pain as he was thrown toward the entrance of the warehouse! Having difficulty getting up, he looked up angrily, only to see the silhouette of a man standing next to the old men.


    ¡®Who the f*ck is this?¡¯ Little Tian was somewhat taken aback. He rubbed his eyes again to make sure he was indeed seeing what he was seeing. How did a man suddenly appear in the dark of night?


    At that moment, Shen Chen was busy helping the old men get up. ¡°Are you all right?¡± he asked in concern.


    Ever since the apocalypse, the two of them had been stuck with these hooligans, who not only refused to dignify them with basic respect but abused them from time to time. Thus, when Shen Chen treated them with such respect, the two of them were almost moved to tears. ¡°We¡¯re all right, buddy. Thank you so much!¡±


    The younger of the two suddenly said to Shen Chen frantically, ¡°Young man, you better leave now! These people are not to be trifled with!¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, the other old man shouted with wide eyes, ¡°Be careful, young man!¡± A metal spade had been raised behind Shen Chen¡¯s back and was about to come down on him!


    The old men¡¯s hearts leapt into their throats! They couldn¡¯t bear to see a bloody fate befall the young man who had just helped them, so they kept their eyes closed. This man before them, the only person who had retained some humanity despite the apocalypse, was about to be chopped to pieces!


    Much to their surprise, as if he had already seen it coming, Shen Chen moved swiftly to counter the attack with an elbow hook and a flying kick!


    The metal spade flew into the air, and so did Blondie, with a mouth full of blood! Once again, he fell hard to the ground, only this time round he could no longer get up. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth to his neck.


    Shen Chen looked coldly upon the youth, his murderous intentions apparent! He had seen many people like him during the apocalypse. People who bullied the weak and feared the tough, people who pillaged and plundered! It wouldn¡¯t be the first time that Shen Chen killed people like him. Shen Chen had killed so many people like that in his previous life, so why should it be any different in his current life?


    Bang!


    The door of the warehouse was violently pushed open as Ming walked out. ¡°Little Tian, haven¡¯t you fooled around long enough?¡± His words trailed off as the scar-faced man stared at Little Tian lying on the ground. ¡°F*ck! What happened to you?¡±


    Little Tian scrambled over to Ming and whined, ¡°Ming, that b*stard. He f*king beat me up!¡±


    The two old men watched with trepidation as Blondie pointed a finger at Shen Chen. The younger of the two was feeling especially uneasy. He suddenly realized that they knew nothing about the young man who had suddenly appeared. But with scar-faced Ming and Little Tian, they had spent enough time with them to know that they were hooligans who were exceedingly cruel!


    All four of them¡ªMing, Little Tian, and the two old men¡ªhad come to the warehouses to find refuge. But as soon as Ming and Little Tian arrived, they took over the textiles warehouse, even forcing the original occupants to leave! And after they realized that he and Lao Jiang were good at fishing, they started compelling them to do so for them!


    The old men had watched the man called Ming kill dozens of zombies with his bare hands! Every zombie he killed deflated like a punctured tire. What chances would the young man have against thugs like this?


    Ming glared coldly at the man, whose upper body was shrouded in darkness, and took a puff of the menthol cigarette he was holding, then threw it to the ground with a vengeance, shouting, ¡°F*ck you!¡±


    Before he even finished speaking, Ming had already launched himself at Shen Chen like a tiger, his hairy arms swinging at Shen Chen!

 Chapter 53 - Doomsday Paradise

    The two old men gasped in shock. They couldn¡¯t bear to look at what was about to happen.


    The blondie named Little Tian said fervently to Scarface Ming, ¡°Ming! Kill him! Give him a good beating!¡±


    How thrilling! This was the apocalypse! They were no longer governed by law. There was no need for a lawful society! Do whatever you want! Do whatever you like! Kill! Rob! This was doomsday paradise!


    Boom! Blondie¡¯s fantasies were shattered when Ming¡¯s body flew through the air. The guy he idolized sliced across the air like a kite. After being mercilessly flung into the air, Scarface Ming landed on the ground with a loud crash amidst rising dust.


    ¡°Cough cough cough¡­¡± Everyone started coughing violently because of the dust that had risen. Their eyes widened at the sight of a muscular brute like Ming being tossed into the air as if he were as light as a feather. Who would have known that such a skinny man would be capable of throwing a 1.8 meter tall man into the air, and with just one hand?


    Little Tian rubbed his eyes in disbelief as he watched his boss, the man he had absolute confidence in, pass out after spitting out a few mouthfuls of blood.


    Shen Chen turned his gaze to Little Tian. ¡°You hit them?¡±


    Little Tian shrank back in fear and stuttered, ¡°No, no, no¡­¡± When Shen Chen walked toward him, the quick-thinking Little Tian slapped himself and apologized profusely. ¡°Sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I was wrong! I was wrong!¡±


    He then got on his knees, crawled over to the old men, and kowtowed. ¡°I was wrong. It was my fault. Please forgive me, dear sirs! I won¡¯t do it ever again! Never again!¡±


    The old men looked at each other and smiled wryly. Just a moment ago, he had been acting like a bully, but now he was as meek as a lamb.


    Little Tian, who didn¡¯t get the reaction he was expecting, added, ¡°My dear sirs, although we¡¯ve been mean to both of you, we¡¯ve kept you safe by killing some zombies. Think about it. If it hadn¡¯t been for the both of us, you would have already been eaten by zombies!¡±


    The older of the two sighed and said to Shen Chen, ¡°What this kid said makes sense.¡±


    Shen Chen looked at the old men with some surprise, his brows furrowed. It seemed like the old men were the sort of people who returned good for evil. In an apocalypse, people like that either lived very well or died terribly!


    It wasn¡¯t his place to say anything, so he decided to respect their wishes. Shen Chen grunted in response, then looked closely at Blondie. ¡°If I ever find out that you¡¯re abusing them again, I¡¯ll do more than just teach you a lesson. Now scram! Get out of my sight!¡±


    Little Tian didn¡¯t need to be told twice. Grabbing his buddy, he quickly got out of there with Scarface Ming.


    Shen Chen stared blankly at the two hooligans fleeing from the scene, a cold smile slowly forming on his face. He then turned around to look at the old men before him.


    Seeing that the two hooligans had disappeared from sight, the younger of the two extended his hand with a smile on his face. ¡°Thank you so much, young man.¡±


    Despite the dried bloodstains on his face, and his head full of white hair, the old man appeared to be healthy and sprightly. He introduced himself to Shen Chen, extending his hand. ¡°My name is Sun Yanze. May I know what your name is, young man?¡±


    Sun Yanze¡­ sounds familiar?


    Shen Chen furrowed his brows and tried to remember the name, but to no avail. He shook his head. It seemed like his memories from his past and current life were still jumbled up. There were still tens of years¡¯ worth of memories to organize.


    Shen Chen smiled politely and grasped his hand. ¡°How do you do, Elder Sun? You may call me Shen Chen.¡±


    The older of the two also extended his hand to Shen Chen, saying, ¡°My surname is Jiang. You may call me Elder Jiang. Thanks again, young man. Thank you for helping these old geezers. Had it not been for you, we probably would have ended up spending the rest of our days like this¡­¡± He winked at Shen Chen.


    Shen Chen smiled in response. In the apocalypse, elderly people like them who hadn¡¯t turned into zombies were few and far between. Their generation had contributed much to nation-building in a variety of different ways. Some of them were experienced farmers. Some were construction workers, or perhaps even scientists. In every occupation and sector, these people would generously share their knowledge and life experiences. They were practically assets to their country!


    Even in his past life, Shen Chen had been respectful to the elderly, which was why he had rushed over as soon as his acute sense of hearing had picked up on their cries.


    As for the hooligans, he really didn¡¯t give a d*mn about them. He was well aware that it was easier for people like them to survive during the apocalypse, but that didn¡¯t mean that one needed to be inhumane in order to survive.


    Shen Chen knew all too well how quickly civilization had crumbled during the apocalypse in his past life and how much effort it took to rebuild it. As someone who was there to witness the rebuilding process, he knew the importance of law and order. Law and order was what kept people going. It was the secret to saving humanity.


    Elder Sun and Elder Jiang were surprised by Shen Chen¡¯s calm demeanor. They exchanged a wry smile with the young man before them, who was covered in bloodstains, and saw the worry in each other¡¯s eyes. The situation outside must be pretty grim.


    ¡°Elder Jiang, what are you guys doing in the outskirts?¡± Shen Chen asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to this guy. He asked me out for fishing in the middle of the night. Who knew we would encounter something so terrible? We escaped from the fish pond and ended up at the warehouse.¡±


    Shen Chen suddenly realized how lucky these old men were. The elderly were usually considered a team¡¯s weakest link, and they were usually the easiest target for zombies, provided they hadn¡¯t already become zombies themselves! In comparison, Elder Lao and Elder Jiang were able to make it to a warehouse and survive for tens of days. They really were lucky.


    Shen Chen nodded and said to them, ¡°Well, my car is nearby. Where are you guys staying at? I¡¯ll give you a lift.¡±


    Before Elder Sun could say anything, Elder Jiang replied, ¡°Young man, if you have a car charger that I could use, I¡¯ll just need to make a phone call. We won¡¯t be leaving with you guys.¡±


    Shen Chen nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else. These men might be in dire straits, but they had undoubtedly remain dignified. Since the two of them had no intention of following him, Shen Chen was happy to respect their wishes.


    Elder Jiang followed Shen Chen back to the car, and the few of them watched curiously as he took out a cell phone. After fiddling with it for a while, Elder Jiang said, ¡°I¡¯m done. Thank you!¡±


    Shen Chen nodded his head. He asked one last time, ¡°Are you sure you guys don¡¯t wanna come with us?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re fine! Thanks again!¡±


    Shen Chen signaled Ye Xiaoyu to leave behind some food for them, then said earnestly, ¡°The end of the world is near, so do take good care of yourselves!¡±


    The gas pedal was floored, and the car sped off. Elder Jiang watched them leave with a thoughtful expression on his face.


    ¡°Brother Shen Chen, you went out just to bring back an old man to borrow our car charger?¡± Ye Xiaoyu asked curiously.


    Shen Chen replied with a smile, ¡°He¡¯s not just your average old man dressed in Zhongshan attire. The number he dialed is exclusively used by the military. He¡¯s probably someone special.¡±


    Guo Yuan let out a whistle. ¡°That¡¯s cool.¡± Continuing with a sigh, he then said, ¡°If only we were with the military. They would definitely be able to keep us safe!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Aren¡¯t we safe with Brother Shen Chen?¡± Ye Xiaoyu said with furrowed brows.


    Guo Yuan immediately scratched his head. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±


    Shen Chen chuckled. ¡°Well, Elder Jiang obviously had no intention of asking us to stay either, so why should we overstay our welcome? Remember, people who are capable are able to do well for themselves!¡±


    Both Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu nodded in agreement. Boss was right. As long as they were competent, they would definitely be able to survive! To do better!

 Chapter 54 - The Glow Of Humanity

    Shen Chen¡¯s car sped forward quickly, so quickly that the trees and buildings on either side of the road became a blur. From the window, Shen Chen could see two people discreetly walking in the opposite direction. It was quite apparent that they were behaving stealthily, because when they saw Shen Chen¡¯s car, they quickly hid themselves in a corner.


    After seeing the car disappear, they finally crept out of the shadows, saying with a sigh, ¡°F*cking hell. What was that?¡±


    Little Tian quickly went up to help support him. ¡°Ming, what should we do now?¡±


    Ming looked terrible, but his pale face did nothing to mask his ugly personality. Spitting out a mouthful of blood and saliva, he replied, ¡°What do we do now? We thrash the old geezers!¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t they leave with the car?¡±


    ¡°Idiot. Didn¡¯t you see that the car was filled with all sorts of crap? That rascal didn¡¯t bring the two of them with him! Didn¡¯t I tell you so? Who would be so altruistic during an apocalypse? I better not see that rascal ever again. Otherwise, I¡¯m gonna bust his balls!¡±


    ¡°I knew you were the best, Boss!¡± Little Tian¡¯s faith in his boss could not be shaken. ¡°What do we do next, Boss?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back. See if I don¡¯t kill those old geezers!¡± Ming continued ranting. ¡°There must still be stuff that we missed in those warehouses. Let¡¯s have a good look when we get back!¡±


    Meanwhile, Little Tian was busy gleefully rubbing his hands together. He was already fantasizing about how he would torture the old men and how he would make them apologize and kneel before him. ¡°They¡¯ll pay for it, godd*mnit!¡± he thought.


    Some distance away, Shen Chen¡¯s car had stopped by the side of the road. He got out of the car with his Black Blade, a smirk on his face.


    Little Tian and Ming were so busy ranting that they hadn¡¯t realized a figure was approaching them and was getting closer and closer!


    Scarface Ming suddenly had a sense of foreboding. A chill went down his spine as he turned around frantically, asking in a trembling voice, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    ¡°Whoosh!¡±


    Ming felt a cold sensation around his neck. The next moment, he was surprised to realize that his field of vision had become so wide that he could see the reservoir, the roaming zombies, and even the stars twinkling in the sky. Soon after, he also saw a familiar head whizzing through the air.


    ¡­


    There were clearly more zombies roaming about at night than the day, but Shen Chen was a skillful driver who made the most of Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s SUV. After ramming into dozens of zombies, the three of them were back at the hotel within thirty minutes.


    Zhao Zhen and the others crowded around them as soon as they arrived at the hotel. They were so excited to see them that Shen Chen and the others were almost swallowed up in the crowd!


    Pan Di held Shen Chen in a tight embrace. ¡°Boss, we were worried to death about you guys!¡±


    Shen Chen slapped Pan Di and Zhao Zhen on the shoulder, a smile on his face. He said teasingly, ¡°What? Were you guys worried that we wouldn¡¯t make it back?¡±


    ¡°Touch wood!¡± Guo Yuan immediately interjected. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t Boss make it back?¡±


    Everyone could barely hide the joy on their faces. Having not heard from the three of them for the past few days, everyone had been feeling really worried and restless, especially Li Jing, who kept moaning that Shen Chen must be dead. If it hadn¡¯t been for Zhang Hongtao, who kept her in check, who knew what kind of fuss she would have kicked up.


    ¡°All right, Boss just got back. Xiaoya, go prepare some food for them. Everyone, let them get some rest first!¡± Zhang Hongtao instructed.


    Shen Chen raised his eyebrows when he saw everyone do as they were told. Even Pan Di and the usually discerning Zhao Zhen showed no signs of impatience or annoyance.


    Shen Chen looked at Zhang Hongtao in mild surprise. Within two days, Zhang Hongtao had done what Zhao Ze wished to achieve but failed to do¡ªcommand everyone. Perhaps there was more to this guy than what he seemed.


    Shen Chen smiled. As long as Zhang Hongtao wasn¡¯t an idiot, he would know better than to follow in Zhao Ze¡¯s footsteps, and he would know better than to incite trouble like Zhao Ze had.


    At the dinner table, Guo Yuan and Ye Xiaoyu vividly described what happened in the past two days, wowing everyone at the table. They were careful, however, to skip the parts about Shen Chen¡¯s injuries and recovery process.


    Upon hearing their stories about Ye Tianlong, everyone was at a loss for words. Zhang Hongtao said with a frown on his face, ¡°It¡¯s barely been two weeks since the start of the apocalypse, and a scumbag like him has already appeared? I can¡¯t imagine what this world would look like if zf failed to carry out rescue operations in time. What¡¯s wrong with society?¡±


    Shen Chen responded flatly, ¡°Depend on yourselves. I would suggest that you not harbor any hopes with regard to zf.¡±


    In Shen Chen¡¯s previous life, zf was indeed a powerful organization in the early days of the apocalypse. But even during peaceful times, let alone an apocalypse, it was difficult to transmit information. All the temporary shelters, with the exception of a few, were attacked by swarms of zombies. In the end, the country became divided, and cities started fending for themselves. When that happened, not only did they have to resist zombies, but they also had to fight against one another for territory and power. It was truly a chaotic time where no law and order existed.


    Only after seven to eight years did human technology and government administration vastly improve. Dozens of high-ranking neo-humans united to set things right again, but this eventually resulted in a small group of elites wielding a lot of power and influence.


    But they didn¡¯t need to know about that now.


    Zhang Hongtao let out a sigh. Although the three-year-old Duoduo had no idea what was happening, he could sense that everyone was feeling down. Pouting his little mouth, he asked, ¡°Daddy, why isn¡¯t Mommy back yet? When can we go home?¡±


    Everyone froze, and no one said anything. There was a heavy silence. They didn¡¯t know what to say¡­ so they could only stare blankly at Duoduo.


    They suddenly realized that they were unable to explain to a three-year-old kid as to why they couldn¡¯t go back home and why Mommy had disappeared, or why he couldn¡¯t attend preschool anymore¡­


    Cognizant of how everyone was staring at him with sad expressions, he seemed to have sensed that something was wrong. ¡°Wah! I want my mommy! I want to go home,¡± Duoduo wailed.


    Zhang Hongtao grew anxious and looked at everyone apologetically. He then said sternly to the kid, ¡°Duoduo, you¡¯re not to cry anymore. Didn¡¯t Daddy tell you that Mommy¡¯s gone on a trip? Mommy won¡¯t come back if you don¡¯t stop crying!¡±


    After spending the past few days together, everyone had taken a liking to this sensible and well-behaved boy with big eyes, who had even helped the adults with washing the vegetables!


    Looking at Zhang Hongtao¡¯s glum expression, Zhang Xiaoya promptly stopped him from saying more. She crouched down to Duoduo¡¯s height and ruffled his hair. ¡°Duoduo, your mom is somewhere very far away, but she still cares a lot for you. She wants to know whether you¡¯ve been a good boy, and whether you¡¯ve grown taller! So you have to be a good boy, okay?¡± Zhang Xiaoya said gently.


    Duoduo wiped away his tears and asked innocently, ¡°Really?¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu also walked over to him. Her eyes were red. She produced a remote control toy car from behind her back and handed it over to him, saying ¡°Look, Duoduo. Your mom got this for you. Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Duoduo smiled through his tears. He picked up the toy and started happily playing with Ye Xiaoyu and Zhang Xiaoya.


    A smile formed on Shen Chen¡¯s face. The short-haired girl had taken a remote control toy car from Ye Tianlong¡¯s minimart and hid it in her car. During an apocalypse, people often showed their true colors, but for every heartless person, there was someone who was kind and generous, like a beacon of light in the dark!


    Zhang Hongtao watched with mixed feelings as the two girls tried to pacify his son, and let out a long, deep sigh.


    Shen Chen tapped him on the shoulder and said to him, ¡°Let¡¯s go out for a walk.¡±

 Chapter 55 - On What Grounds?

    The two of them came to a spacious terrace and leaned against the railing, letting the winter wind blow in their faces. Zhang Hongtao looked up at the sky full of stars and said in amazement, ¡°There are quite a number of stars tonight.¡±


    Shen Chen smiled and said, ¡°The stars are always there. Whether there¡¯s more or less depends on the person who¡¯s looking.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a point,¡± Zhang Hongtao laughed. ¡°You know about the Big Four international accounting firms, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Shen Chen responded, glancing again at Zhang Hongtao. The ¡°Big Four¡± was the nickname used to collectively refer to the four largest professional services networks in the world. Each of the Big Four accounting firms offered audit, assurance, taxation, management consulting, corporate finance, and legal and actuarial services to their clients. A significant majority of the audits of public companies, as well as many audits of private companies, were conducted by these four networks.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Zhang Hongtao to be such a formidable figure. He and Zhao Ze were indeed as different as night and day.


    Shen Chen smiled inwardly. This was perhaps why Zhao Ze was dead and Zhang Hongtao was alive.


    Zhang Hongtao was unaware of his thoughts. He said with a smile, ¡°I worked in one of the Big Four accounting firms for the past ten years. It may not sound like much, but I was at least considered a department head. Each time I came home from work at an unearthly hour, it never occurred to me to look up at the stars. Now, when I¡¯m finally able to do so, the people and things around me are no longer the same¡­¡±


    There was a long and deep sigh. Both of them remained silent for a long time.


    Suddenly, Shen Chen broke the silence by asking outright, ¡°Zhang Hongtao, you¡¯re a smart guy. Say whatever¡¯s on your mind!¡±


    Zhang Hongtao was slightly taken aback, but he looked Shen Chen in the eye and chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re really direct, huh! Let me get to the point, then,¡± he said, somewhat embarrassed. He said earnestly, ¡°You¡¯re a strong man. You could definitely survive the apocalypse, maybe even thrive in it! Hence, I want to join your team.¡±


    Clenching his fists, Shen Chen laughed and said bemusedly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you already part of the team?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Zhang Hongtao shook his head. ¡°I wanna be in your inner circle, just like Guo Yuan, Ye Xiaoyu, Pan Di, and Zhao Zhen.¡±


    Shen Chen took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, an intriguing smile spreading across his face. ¡°You? On what grounds?¡±


    ¡°What makes him think he could?¡± Shen Chen thought.


    Zhang Hongtao was amazed at the level of confidence oozing from Shen Chen. It seemed to suggest that Shen Chen was capable of overseeing and managing everything. Almost as if he were omniscient and omnipotent!


    Zhang Hongtao felt a sudden sense of pressure and couldn¡¯t help but break into a cold sweat. ¡°I have managerial experience. I could help you streamline your operations.¡± By right, he ought to feel really confident in his abilities, but, for some reason, it didn¡¯t come out the way he expected¡­ In fact, he even sounded a bit desperate.


    Shen Chen broke into a smile and patted Zhang Hongtao on the shoulder. He was not only not affronted by the gesture, but also pleasantly surprised by it.


    ¡°Do your job well, and don¡¯t think too much about it. When the time comes, I will consider you!¡±


    Shen Chen strolled back into the living room, leaving Zhang Hongtao on the terrace with a trace of hope.


    Zhang Hongtao was a smart man. He knew how tough Shen Chen was. The only thing that kept him going in the apocalypse was his son. His only wish was for his son to make it to adulthood, which was why he had to survive with Duoduo, and Shen Chen was the key to their survival! They had to stick with Shen Chen until he gained his approval! He had to!


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, they had all spent yet another week in the hotel. By this time, they had already cleared the first to tenth floors, which meant that floors one to ten were safe zones.


    As the four of them would leave together for their training practice, they no longer had to be secretive when extracting the evolution fluid. Their priority was effortlessly killing zombies and cracking open their heads to retrieve the evolution fluid, absorbing the fluid at night, then participating in strength training and combat practice.


    Shen Chen, whose powers had gone up nine notches and was almost at Second Tier, was especially ready to finally practice some of the combat skills he had obtained in his past life. These combat skills could help develop a neo-human¡¯s strength. For people with powers of a higher tier, it might even improve their strength by leaps and bounds.


    If one only possessed a high tier without corresponding combat skills, it would be akin to a person having strength but not knowing how to fight. What good would it be having the strength but not the skills? The purpose of the combat skills was to elevate the neo-human¡¯s combat levels.


    In his past life, these combat skills were obtained from the military. Of course, some of the stronger neo-humans would come up with their own set of combat skills, and those were highly sought after. A great set of combat skills could be worth thousands of vials of evolution fluid.


    What Shen Chen had obtained his past life were merely military-devised combat skills for the public. But, while they might be common, they were more than adequate for Shen Chen at the moment!


    Shen Chen was currently doing warm-up exercises on the forty square meter terrace while Guo Yuan and the others watched with worried expressions on their faces.


    This particular set of combat skills focused on footwork coupled with movements with bursts of energy, so as to achieve greater speed and explosive force.


    All of a sudden, Shen Chen launched himself into the air. His feet bounced off the ground, and he leapt forward and landed on the railing.


    He swiftly moved across the railing on the sixteenth floor! The three of them watched, their hearts in their throats. They were on the sixteenth level, so the wind was strong. They were worried that Shen Chen might lose his footing and end up falling off the building.


    But it was apparent that Shen Chen didn¡¯t share the same concerns. The wind didn¡¯t bother him a single bit. He not only managed to stand firmly with both feet on the ground, but was also able to jump around nimbly like a monkey. In fact, he managed to execute a few somersaults in midair before landing in front of the three of them!


    Zhao Zhen, Pan Di, and Guo Yuan clapped enthusiastically and congratulated Shen Chen. ¡°Wow! That was amazing! It was like a scene out of a Kungfu film!¡±


    Shen Chen shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s nothing!¡± he thought to himself. If one had enough practice, they might even be able to ¡°split¡± themselves into several ¡°shadows¡± so as to confuse their enemies. To reach that level would be truly amazing, but one would need more than basic combat skills in order to reach that level.


    He was busy guiding them as they practiced, when Ye Xiaoyu suddenly appeared. Waving to him, she called out, ¡°Brother Shen Chen!¡±


    Shen Chen turned around and saw an expression of worry flash across Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Shen Chen said to Guo Yuan and the rest.


    Guo Yuan winked at Shen Chen, receiving a glare in return. Shen Chen walked over to Ye Xiaoyu and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu looked around to make sure no one was within earshot before whispering, ¡°Brother Shen Chen, we don¡¯t have much food left, and portions have been greatly reduced for the past few days. If we don¡¯t replenish our food supply soon, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±

 Chapter 56 - We’re Still Alive!

    It suddenly occurred to Shen Chen that the amount of food he had prepared before the apocalypse was only enough for four people. Considering they now had at least ten mouths to feed rather than four, it was a miracle they had lasted this long.


    He nodded coolly. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll bring some food back later.¡±


    ¡°Are you guys going out later?¡± Ye Xiaoyu asked curiously.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to go out. Remember the Chinese restaurant on the fourth floor? They must have a lot of stock stored in the kitchen. Besides, it¡¯s winter now, so the vegetables won¡¯t go bad easily,¡± Shen Chen replied with a smile.


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s great! Why didn¡¯t that occur to me?¡± She then asked excitedly, ¡°Brother Shen Chen, since the first ten floors are safe, can we go together?¡± Ye Xiaoyu pouted. ¡°I¡¯ve been stuck in my room for the past few days¡­¡±


    Shen Chen was fond of Ye Xiaoyu, although his feelings for her weren¡¯t necessarily romantic. It was the kind of fondness one might have for the girl next door, or for a younger sister.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll let everyone know later,¡± he said while ruffling her hair.


    Ye Xiaoyu was so excited that she practically bounced out of the room. She was totally unaware that Lin Qianqian was standing behind the door with a sour expression on her face.


    During breakfast, Shen Chen announced to everyone, ¡°Today, all the men and Ye Xiaoyu will head out together.¡±


    None of the men batted an eye, but Lin Qianqian and Li Jing looked at each other knowingly. When the crowd dispersed, Lin Qianqian immediately went up to Li Jing and asked, ¡°Sis Jing, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°What do I think? I think Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s gotten into Shen Chen¡¯s bed, that¡¯s what I think,¡± Li Jing smirked.


    ¡°How gross, using your body in order to survive. Women like that are so disgusting! If it were the past, I would have given them a piece of my mind!¡± Li Qianqian said with a sneer.


    Li Jing looked at Lin Qianqian out of the corner of her eye and merely snorted.


    Lin Qianqian continued indignantly, ¡°Sis Jing, look at them! They¡¯re all so close with each other, and we¡¯re left in the dark. It sucks to be left out like this!¡±


    ¡°Why do you care? You¡¯ve got a good boyfriend looking after you,¡± Li Jing responded.


    ¡°What good is he? All he does is hang on Shen Chen¡¯s every word,¡± Lin Qianqian said, somehow managing to sound smug and displeased at the same time. She then turned to Zhang Xiaoya, who was currently playing with Duoduo, and shouted, ¡°Hey! Why do you cook so little these days? Don¡¯t you know we¡¯re starving?¡±


    Duoduo was startled by the shouting, and Zhang Xiaoya had to comfort him with a hug. ¡°So what if you eat less? You don¡¯t do anything anyway!¡±


    ¡°All right. We may not be starving, but how about the men? Do they have enough to eat?¡± Lin Qianqian asked with raised eyebrows.


    Zhang Xiaoya looked up and said somewhat hesitantly, ¡°That¡¯s all Ye Xiaoyu gave me. She said it was enough nutrition!¡±


    ¡°Enough nutrition? Enough nutrition? That¡¯s what she always says!¡± Lin Qianqian jeered.


    Watching Lin Qianqian lecture Zhang Xiaoya, Li Jing couldn¡¯t help but snort. It was a wonder this dumb woman had managed to survive for this long.


    By the afternoon, the men had already made a few trips to the kitchen to bring up the food supplies, and everyone was happy to see that the food supply was greatly replenished. It was like a great harvest!


    As Pan Di offloaded the goods, he couldn¡¯t help but praise Shen Chen. ¡°Boss chose well for our refuge! There¡¯s a restaurant below stocked with all kinds of food items! We don¡¯t have to worry about having enough to eat and drink!¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu, on the other hand, looked at the yellowed vegetables with a frown on her face. ¡°Brother Shen Chen, I think these veggies are going to go bad if we don¡¯t eat them soon. Let¡¯s eat them before they go bad!¡±


    Zhang Xiaoya felt put on the spot, since she was responsible for cooking. There were so many types of vegetables before her that she had difficulty choosing. What should she make?


    Pan Di¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. He produced a packet of Szechuan Mala hotpot seasoning from the sack and suggested, ¡°Tada! How about we have hotpot? Nothing beats watching TV and having hotpot on a cold winter¡¯s day! It¡¯s the best!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes also lit up. They sneaked a peek at Shen Chen, who licked his lips in anticipation and nodded. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he had hotpot! ¡°All right, let¡¯s do it. Let¡¯s have steamboat!¡± Shen Chen said, thumping his fist on the table.


    The crowd erupted into cheers. It had been half a month since the start of the apocalypse! The world as they knew it no longer existed, so to be able to have hotpot was more than just a luxury¡ªit was an homage to their beautiful memories of the old world!


    Everyone knew that fresh produce like this, free of preservatives and chemicals, would never be produced again!


    They quickly got to work, and everyone busily helped out. A few girls helped to wash the vegetables, and the men started chopping the meat and preparing the butane stove for the hotpot.


    It was already nightfall when the place was filled with the aroma of hotpot. The pot was placed right in the middle of the plates of vegetables, mutton, and beef. Pan Di even made another trip downstairs to bring up a few bottles of beer and other beverages.


    Everyone suddenly had the illusion that they were in peaceful times again and that this was merely a gathering among friends!


    The stove was turned on. Watching the soup boil within the pot, everyone was immersed in the familiar aroma of hotpot.


    No one moved, but their bodies started to tremble! A familiar scene like this reminded everyone of how reluctant they were to let go of their happy memories of the old world!


    Zhang Xiaoya was the first to cry. She covered her face but couldn¡¯t stop her tears from flowing out from between her fingers. ¡°I can¡¯t stand it¡­ I really can¡¯t stand it anymore!¡± she cried. ¡°Why? Why did this have to happen?¡±


    Zhang Hongtao closed his eyes. Everything in front of them was so wonderful, but this wonderful sight was just an illusion that wouldn¡¯t last beyond today. They would have to go back to living from hand to mouth.


    There was a melancholy atmosphere in the room. The silence was heavy with unspoken grief. Subsequently, some of them broke into sorrowful sobs, presenting a stark contrast to the boiling hotpot.


    Suddenly, Shen Chen opened a bottle of beer with a loud ¡°pop!¡± Foam bubbled out from the bottle, mirroring the tears that had formed in everyone¡¯s eyes.


    Shen Chen started pouring beer for everyone, a calm smile on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s live in the moment and enjoy this while we can. Leave tomorrow¡¯s troubles for tomorrow,¡± he said. ¡°Everyone has to die. It¡¯s only a matter of time. But rather than living out the rest of your days in sorrow, why not go out with a bang! Since sooner or later we¡¯re all gonna die, we may as well make life worthwhile. At least we¡¯re alive now!¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s words were like a refreshing stream of spring water, an oasis that quenched the thirst and soothed the parched throats of weary travelers. Every word he said went straight to their hearts, be they happy or sad.


    Their blood quickened, and their heartbeats accelerated, and they could feel their breathing grow heavy. ¡°F*ck it!¡± someone said. ¡°Let¡¯s toast to us still being alive! Bottoms up!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s live forever! Cheers!¡±


    ¡°F*ck the d*mn apocalypse!¡±


    ¡°Bottoms up!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s start eating!¡±


    Pan Di removed the pot cover with much fanfare, and the enticing smell of the food tickled everyone¡¯s taste buds!

 Chapter 57 - Sudden Power Outage

    Plates of meat and vegetables went into the pot, and a dozen people scrambled to eat them. Even Duoduo had gotten on a chair, using both his hands to snatch at the food. He looked so adorable with his cheeks stuffed full that the girls couldn¡¯t help pinching his face.


    Everyone forgot their sorrows and worries, as well as the zombies waiting for them outside. In that moment, all they could think about were the plates of food waiting to be eaten and the bottles of beer waiting to be drunk.


    Indulging in the merrymaking provided a brief respite from their troubles and temporarily allowed them to escape from the uncertainties that lay ahead of them. What was most important to them in this moment was the fact that they were still alive. Carpe diem, baby!


    After several rounds of drinking, Guo Yuan shouted enthusiastically, ¡°Turn on the TV! How can we have hotpot without turning on the TV?¡±


    Guo Zhen chuckled. ¡°Do you think there will be anything to watch?¡±


    Zhang Hongtao circled around the television and suddenly smiled. ¡°There may be nothing on TV, but we could watch DVDs!¡± He held up a bunch of discs. ¡°There¡¯s a DVD player, and there are DVDs. What movie should we watch?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s watch Resident Evil!¡± Guo Yuan chortled.


    ¡°What the heck? Haven¡¯t you had enough of killing zombies? You still wanna watch something like that?¡± Pan Di slapped him on the back, then quipped, ¡°Are there any ¡®artistic¡¯ films? Y¡¯know what I mean!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± The girls became indignant at Pan Di¡¯s suggestion. They walked up to him and pinched him hard. ¡°You¡¯re such a pervert! And shameless! How dare you talk about stuff like that in front of us girls!¡±


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. As if you girls don¡¯t watch stuff like that in the female dormitory. Don¡¯t you girls love reading comics of the same genre?¡±


    ¡°Shameless! Despicable!¡± P*ssed off at Pan Di, the girls chased him around the room!


    Watching Pan Di begging for mercy, Ye Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°That Pan Di¡¯s a real jokester!¡±


    Shen Chen shook his head at the lively scene in front of him, then suggested, ¡°How about a comedy? What¡¯s available?¡±


    ¡°What do you think of ¡®Lost in Thailand?¡¯ It was really popular back then,¡± Zhang Hongtao said as he looked at the disc he was holding. ¡°It stars Xu Zheng and Wang Baoqiang.¡±


    ¡°Okay, put that on. It¡¯s pretty funny. Let¡¯s watch that!¡±


    Everyone cheered as the 60-inch television was turned on. Unsurprisingly, there was nothing but static and white noise on the screen.


    Just as Zhang Hongtao was about to press ¡°play¡± on the DVD player, they heard a robotic female voice from the television. ¡°May I have your attention, please? Kindly take note of the following announcement. The Huaxia army is now stationed in every city. Temporary shelters have been set up for survivors. Please find details below about the shelters in each city. Ten shelters have been set up in BJ City, located at¡­¡±


    Clatter! Their chopsticks fell onto the table.


    Everyone was fixated on the static on the television screen, as if it were the best movie in the world. A deluge of emotions threatened to overwhelm them, and their eyes brimmed with tears.


    ¡°It¡¯s zf!¡± they thought. ¡°They haven¡¯t given up on us! They¡¯re coming to save us!¡±


    Everyone was incredibly focused. They listened intently, not willing to miss out on a single bit of information.


    ¡°H City¡­¡± the female voice continued.


    ¡°Where is it, where is it¡­¡± Li Jing muttered to herself.


    ¡°45 Xiahe Street, Xiuhe District¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s near my home!¡± Li Jing tightly clasped her hands. If her parents had managed to survive, she might be able to find them there.


    When everyone heard their hometown mentioned, they were either excited or dejected until it was finally mentioned, ¡°S City has set up four shelters for survivors¡­ respectively¡­¡±


    Their hearts lurched as they listened attentively in anticipation. At that moment, they no longer cared about hotpot! Everyone was so focused on listening to the announcement that the veins in their necks popped.


    ¡°Buzz¡­ buzz¡­¡± The television suddenly started flickering, and the screen went dark. And the very next moment, the whole room was plunged into darkness.


    The women¡¯s piercing screams filled the room! ¡°Where are the shelters for S city located?¡±


    ¡°Why did the power suddenly go out?¡±


    ¡°D*mn this lousy TV. D*mn this lousy hotel!¡±


    The room immediately descended into despair and madness. Everyone was extremely angry and irritated. Why did the hotel have to suffer a power outage at such a crucial moment?!


    Shen Chen watched everything and everyone as if he were an outsider, detached from the situation. He witnessed the varying degrees of sadness and anger on their faces. It was evident from his companions¡¯ reactions to the news that receiving aid from zf would mean a lot to them. Such trust and reliance was characteristic of human nature. Even in his previous life, Shen Chen had been no exception. But such blind faith had resulted in disastrous consequences, which was something that Shen Chen wanted to avoid in his present life.


    Shen Chen did know where the shelters were located, but he was far from willing to bring them there. It wasn¡¯t exactly a good idea for people like them, who had survived the early stages of the apocalypse, to congregate in a large group¡­ But he couldn¡¯t exactly tell them that, could he?


    His reverie was broken by Zhang Hongtao, who suddenly thumped the table with such great force that everyone stopped screaming and ranting.


    ¡°This hotel has a backup generator. If we manage to find it, we¡¯ll be able to get it going. The news is probably being broadcast repeatedly, so even if the emergency power supply lasts for only twenty minutes, it should be enough for us to find out where the shelters are located!¡± Zhang Hongtao said calmly.


    ¡°The question is, where is the backup generator?¡± Li Jing shouted frantically.


    ¡°They¡¯re usually in the basement,¡± Zhang Hongtao answered.


    Everyone drew a deep breath at the mention of the basement¡­ The basement was filled with cars and was submerged in darkness. If zombies were to attack them in the basement carpark, they would practically be defenseless¡­


    They turned to look at Shen Chen. His decision would decide their fate. His three buddies appeared to be somewhat hesitant. Even though the shelters might be a good idea, they had no doubt that they would survive without them as long as they stuck with Boss. But that wasn¡¯t what the ladies were thinking. They were staring hopefully at Shen Chen.


    Shen Chen sighed deeply and slowly got up. ¡°Let me go! You guys wait in your room!¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu leapt up anxiously, her eyes filled with worry. ¡°No! You can¡¯t go alone! Do you have a death wish? There are three levels to the basement, and it¡¯s extremely dark down there! Who knows how many zombies there are! If you go¡­ what if¡­ what if¡­¡±


    Ye Xiaoyu¡¯s protectiveness brought a smile to Shen Chen¡¯s face. It warmed his heart to know that she was so concerned for his well-being. Ruffling her hair, he said to Ye Xiaoyu, ¡°Trust me!¡±


    ¡°Boss, we¡¯ll come with you!¡± Guo Yuan, Zhao Zhen, and Pan Di said in unison as they made eye contact with each other.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Shen Chen said, shaking his head. The basement wasn¡¯t too dangerous for him, but it would be no different from hell for Guo Yuan, Zhao Zhen, and Pan Di.


    ¡°Ahem. How about I go with Boss?¡± Zhang Hongtao suddenly suggested.

 Chapter 58 - : Terror in The Basement

    Some of them looked at Zhang Hongtao doubtfully. ¡°You?¡±


    Shen Chen didn¡¯t even intend to bring his three buddies along with him, so what was Zhang Hongtao trying to do by volunteering himself?


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself to go,¡± Shen Chen said calmly while glancing at him.


    But Zhang Hongtao replied earnestly, ¡°The person who designed this hotel is a good friend of mine. I¡¯ve seen their design plans, and I¡¯m the only person around who knows where the backup generator is located. If I don¡¯t come along with you, Shen Chen, you won¡¯t be able to find it, even if you search for it the entire night.¡±


    Shen Chen raised his eyebrows. ¡°Looks like I have no choice but to bring you along, then.¡± He then turned to Guo Yuan and said, ¡°You¡¯re around the same size as Zhang Hongtao. Pass him your weapons and protective suit.¡±


    ¡°Boss, since you¡¯re bringing someone with you, you might as well let us come along, just in case¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Shen Chen waved his hand. ¡°End of discussion.¡±


    Seeing that Zhang Hongtao had already gotten ready, the two of them left the room under the watchful eyes of the crowd. Everyone was feeling a mixture of anticipation and worry.


    The beam from the torchlight flickered as it lit their way down the staircase. In the dark, the staircase was like the gaping jaws of a flesh-eating monster waiting to be fed.


    Fully armed, the two of them slowly made their way down the stairs. Zhang Hongtao couldn¡¯t stop his legs from trembling. It was his first time attempting something so dangerous, and the fire axe in his hand was starting to feel heavier and heavier, and it kept threatening to slip out of his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I¡¯ll walk in front of you. It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Shen Chen said flatly, the Black Blade in his hand glimmering in the light from the torchlight.


    Zhang Hongtao swallowed his saliva, feeling a little better. ¡°Too bad the elevators stopped working. We have to go down quite a few levels!¡±


    Shen Chen didn¡¯t reply, merely smiling in response. The two of them continued making their way down slowly. After some time, they finally reached B1, the first level of the basement.


    There was a carpark on level B1. It was shrouded in darkness, and zombies could be heard gnashing their teeth. Hearing the sound echoing in the dark was extremely disturbing!


    Shen Chen and Zhang Hongtao leaned against the blast-resistant door. Zhang Hongtao was already covered in goosebumps and was shaking uncontrollably.


    The torchlight was turned off, and for the first time Zhang Hongtao realized how frightening darkness could be. He was like a drowning man trying to grasp at anything and everything that could save his life.


    Shen Chen¡¯s voice rang in the darkness. ¡°You¡¯re going to stay here for a while. Don¡¯t wander around on your own, and please, whatever you do, don¡¯t turn on the torchlight. Wait for me to return.¡±


    Although Shen Chen spoke quietly, Zhang Hongtao heard him loud and clear. He somberly nodded in response and held on more tightly to the fire axe.


    After a while, not hearing any movements next to him, Zhang Hongtao couldn¡¯t help but panic. Fear overwhelmed him like a venomous snake wrapping itself around his heart, and he was unable to shake it off. ¡°Shen Chen¡­ Shen Chen? Are you still here?¡± he asked in a low whisper, but the darkness beside him suggested that Shen Chen had long left his side.


    From some distance away, he could hear zombies howling excitedly, but the howling didn¡¯t last for long. It soon stopped, and the sound of bodies dropping to the floor followed.


    A large chunk of Zhang Hongtao¡¯s anxiety finally dissipated. The darkness had heightened his sense of hearing. It was really comforting to hear the bodies falling to the ground.


    Meanwhile, Shen Chen was roaming around in the carpark with his eyes shut. He had no reason to fear the dark. In fact, to stop his eyes from instinctively trying to find a light source in the dark, he deliberately kept his eyes closed, instead relying on his ears to find the zombies.


    In his previous life, Fourth Tier neo-humans usually had more evolved brains. Or, rather, there was a specific area in their brains that was more developed, which meant that they were better equipped to make use of their sixth sense to determine the zombies¡¯ location and the direction in which they were located. Their sixth sense was somewhat similar to the feelers or antennae on an insect.


    It was a strange sensation. One could close his eyes, yet still be aware of his surroundings, even without depending on his sight.


    Shen Chen was currently doing the kind of training one had to engage in before reaching the Fourth Tier: developing one¡¯s sixth sense by using the ¡°antennae¡± in one¡¯s consciousness, relying on sounds to approach zombies in the dark.


    He was extremely familiar with such training in his past life. Even though he now had to repeat the training, since that area of his brain had yet to develop, he was still able to perform the basics. What would be extremely difficult and frightening for the average person was merely regular training to Shen Chen.


    Shen Chen fearlessly made his way around the carpark, the zombies¡¯ howling indicating to him their exact location. His mind had already made a mental sketch of the carpark based on the sounds. There were approximately two to three hundred vehicles, with a few carelessly scattered across the carpark.


    There weren¡¯t many zombies roaming around, but some had been trapped in the cars and were ramming themselves against the car doors, going ¡°dong dong dong¡± in the dark.


    With a slash of his Black Blade, the foul stench of blood assaulted his nose, and a wet patch formed on his clothes. Subsequently, there was the sound of zombie corpses falling to the floor.


    Shen Chen had walked for about fifty to sixty meters when, all of a sudden, his expression changed. Shen Chen immediately turned around. His whole body was tense!


    Meanwhile, in that moment Zhang Hongtao was shaking as he held onto his fire axe. Every muscle in his body seemed to be quivering, and his lips had turned blue. It felt like he had been waiting in the dark for almost a century, waiting for the only person who could bring him out of the darkness.


    Zhang Hongtao suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. His scalp tingled, and his forehead broke into a cold sweat. Letting out a scream, he leapt about a meter away, but a happy expression soon appeared on his face. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re back!¡± Zhang Hongtao said ecstatically as he turned on the torchlight.


    But he stopped making happy sounds! What he was looking at was the smelly and rotten face of a zombie, and its horrible eyes were staring straight at him!


    ¡°Arghhhhh!¡± A piercing scream ricocheted in the empty carpark basement, resulting in terrifying echoes.


    Zhang Hongtao haphazardly raised his fire axe. His legs crumpled beneath him, and he fell to the floor like a pile of mush, his entire body shaking from head to toe.


    He failed miserably at wielding the fire axe, and could only watch as the zombie pounced on him like a hungry predator. Its bloody jaws were already opened incredibly wide and were about to reach the bridge of his nose. It desperately tried to reach the softest part of Zhang Hongtao¡¯s body, his neck, and its disgusting drool was already dripping all over his face and neck.


    ¡°Arghhh! Save me!!!¡± Zhang Hongtao struggled with all his might, but the zombie was much stronger. It held Zhang Hongtao in a death grip! The blackened teeth in its mouth became visible as it tried to bite Zhang Hongtao on his neck!

 Chapter 59 - Never Give Up

    Zhang Hongtao didn¡¯t know where his strength to fight suddenly came from. Although he almost fainted, he tried his best to reach the mouth of the zombie and close it. However, the big mouth of the zombie was getting closer and closer to his neck.


    Zhang Hongtao felt desperate. Suddenly, he felt that he shouldn¡¯t be playing the hero just because Shen Chen needed him to be one. He had his son Duoduo, who was waiting for him to come back. If he died, how could Duoduo survive?


    Duoduo had lost his mother, and Zhang Hongtao was now the only family Duoduo had in the world. Even in heaven, Zhang Hongtao wouldn¡¯t be able to bear seeing Duoduo live as a parentless orphan.


    Zhang Hongtao let out a loud shout. Strength suddenly came into his hands, and he pushed the zombie¡¯s head away. The zombie immediately gave a roar. The food that had been easy to get to before was now suddenly difficult to reach. The zombie screamed and threw itself on Zhang Hongtao again.


    It was a hard battle. Zhang Hongtao was clearly already failing in his fight against this monster. After all, he was no longer in the prime of his life, and compared to this kind of zombie, which never tired, he had no chance of winning.


    Feeling that he was gradually losing his strength, Zhang Hongtao felt hopeless. However, just when he was about to give up, he suddenly heard something whip through the wind and come toward him! Zhang Hongtao¡¯s eyes shone!


    Immediately afterward, the body of the zombie jerked violently a few times. After only a few jerks, its body felt like it was running out of strength. It fell on Zhang Hongtao and stopped moving.


    The zombie¡¯s head hung on Zhang Hongtao¡¯s chest. Then, it slowly separated from its body and rolled down onto the ground. Zhang Hongtao felt his strength come back. He cried out, stretched his leg, and kicked the zombie away. He then turned on the flashlight and found a machete stuck straight into the zombie¡¯s head. He looked up and saw Shen Chen in the distance, looking at him urgently. Judging by how he stood, Zhao Hongtao knew that it was Shen Chen who had just saved him.


    The feeling of life returning came over Zhao Hongtao like a flood. He was so excited that he couldn¡¯t control his emotions. The feeling of not being abandoned was overwhelming. He wanted to run to Shen Chen and give him a hug!


    ¡°Can you walk?¡± Shen Chen asked in the distance.


    ¡°Yes! Absolutely!¡± Zhang Hongtao said excitedly, then crawled to the head of the zombie. He was surprised to find that the machete Shen Chen used to kill the zombie had completely cut through its head.


    Zhang Hongtao couldn¡¯t believe that Shen Chen was able to hit the target so precisely and from such a far distance. He was astonished. If the tip of the machete had missed by even a fraction, Zhang Hongtao¡¯s chest might have been split open.


    Even from such a long distance away, Shen Chen could strike precisely. Zhang Hongtao used to think that this kind of superpower only existed in TV dramas or movies.


    After Zhang Hongtao pulled out the machete from the zombie¡¯s head, he was surprised to find that the machete was much heavier than the fire axe. ¡°Shen Chen, what else are you capable of that I don¡¯t know about?¡± Zhang Hongtao thought.


    Zhang Hongtao ran to Shen Chen and handed him the machete. The flashlight helped him see the approval in Shen Chen¡¯s eyes. ¡°You did a good job!¡± he said.


    Zhang Hongtao wiped away the cold sweat that broke out on his forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t joke with me,¡± he said. ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for you, I would have been killed by the zombie.¡±


    Shen Chen slowly turned around and said, ¡°No, you should thank yourself. If it wasn¡¯t for your strong will to survive, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold out a little bit longer. If you gave up, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to save you, even if I wanted to. So remember how you felt when you got that burst of strength, because it will save your life in the future.¡±


    Zhang Hongtao nodded after hearing Shen Chen¡¯s explanation, and he really began to trust and respect this man, who was more than ten years younger than him.


    With the help of the flashlight, Zhang Hongtao now saw what was in the parking lot. The ground was covered with blood and broken skeletons and skulls. Zhang Hongtao knew that these people must have been killed and eaten by zombies. Zombies ate everything.


    Zhang Hongtao¡¯s stomach churned violently, and he felt like he were going to vomit. But, because the zombies locked in the cars repeatedly banged on the car doors and windows, he didn¡¯t dare to slow down, and carefully followed Shen Chen instead.


    Currently, there weren¡¯t many zombies wandering in the parking lot, and the dead ones were obviously a result of Shen Chen¡¯s good work.


    Zhang Hongtao looked at Shen Chen, who walked as if the place were empty. To Shen Chen, the parking lot wasn¡¯t the same one from earlier, when it had been swarming with zombies. His calm filled Zhang Hongtao with respect.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid of these zombies,¡± Shen Chen said to Zhang Hongtao. ¡°Their movements are still relatively slow, and their hearing and sense of smell are only slightly better than a human¡¯s. In a way, the difference between a human being and one of these zombies is that the zombie is fearless and the human lacks courage!¡±


    ¡°Yes, people do lack courage!¡± Zhang Hongtao thought. ¡°No one living in a civilized society would ever expect that they would live in a world full of zombies one day. Everyone who sees a zombie becomes scared. I¡¯m not a brave man. When I first saw zombies, I was frightened out of my wits! In fact, humans are no better than zombies!¡±


    Zhang Hongtao felt himself blush. Shen Chen¡¯s words gave him new insight and courage. For a moment, he was lost in thought.


    After a while, Shen Chen asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the spare generator?¡±


    Zhang Hongtao was aroused from his thoughts. He led Shen Chen to a passage, pushed open the explosion-proof door, and walked through the corridor. In front of him, a door marked ¡°Staff Only¡± blocked the way.


    ¡°Here it is!¡± Zhang Hongtao said. He pushed on the door, and suddenly looked worried. ¡°It¡¯s like a steel door. Well, we have to find the key first.¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s eyes fell on the lock, but instead of looking for the key, he relaxed and leaned against the wall. He asked thoughtfully, ¡°As for the shelter for survivors, what do you think?¡±


    Zhang Hongtao hadn¡¯t expected him to ask this. He looked at Shen Chen, who looked very serious, as if this weren¡¯t just a casual chat.


    Zhang Hongtao also became serious, and his expression gradually changed. After a few minutes, Zhang Hongtao looked up at Shen Chen and said, ¡°I¡¯ll say what I believe first. Maybe it¡¯s not the same as what you think, but it¡¯s what I think.¡±


    Shen Chen asked Zhang Hongtao to continue and didn¡¯t say a word or interrupt him. Zhang Hongtao couldn¡¯t understand what was on Sheng Ning¡¯s mind. He only felt under great pressure. He wasn¡¯t half as nervous when making an annual report in front of hundreds of people.


    He cleared his throat and said slowly, ¡°At the beginning, I thought it would be a good idea to go to the survivors¡¯ shelter, since it¡¯s protected by the military. But now, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Shen Chen nodded and showed interest in what he had to say. ¡°Go on,¡± he urged.


    ¡°S city has a population of twenty million people, but there are only four shelters. Even if only ten percent of the people survive and go to the shelters, it means that a shelter must accommodate five hundred thousand people! What does this mean? Five hundred thousand people is equivalent to the total population of a county-level city. Food, beds, management¡ªthese are big problems!¡± Zhang Hongtao frowned tightly. ¡°And when so many people live together, I¡¯m afraid they will easily cause riots and commotions, especially since Doomsday has already come. When rules are broken, it¡¯s obviously impossible to preserve order with just the army.¡±

 Chapter 60 - An Unexpected News

    There was a smile on Shen Chen¡¯s lips, which showed that he agreed with Zhang Hongtao. The rotten streets and morally depraved world was not something Shen Chen believed in. The problems that existed in the military shelters were obvious. However, these problems were not the most terrifying things at present.


    Zhang Hongtao shook his head. ¡°Although there aren¡¯t many people in our team, and some of them don¡¯t get along with each other, you are undoubtedly the core of the team. Guo Yuan, Pan Di, and Zhao Zhen aren¡¯t very convincing in the way they handle things. But sometimes you can still trust them with their work. Even though it¡¯s the end of the world, I believe that staying here is clearly the best choice. Right now, it¡¯s far from the right time to go to the military shelter. We have to wait for better opportunities and better shelters.¡±


    Shen Chen¡¯s eyes showed that he thought the same thing. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he said.


    Zhang Hongtao finally smiled. He knew that Shen Chen agreed with him, and more importantly, he finally understood what Shen Chen was thinking about. Zhang Hongtao said with a smile, ¡°Shen Chen, if you ask me, the TV doesn¡¯t need to be repaired. Since we¡¯re not going to leave here, it doesn¡¯t matter if we watch the TV. Plus, we don¡¯t have the key.¡±


    A bunch of keys flashed through the air in a beautiful parabola and landed accurately in Zhang Hongtao¡¯s hands. Zhang Hongtao looked at the keys in surprise. He didn¡¯t know why Shen Chen had the keys.


    Shen Chen said, ¡°These are the keys I found on my first day at the hotel. Have a try. One of them should be able to open the door.¡±


    Zhang Hongtao was puzzled. ¡°But we don¡¯t have to¡­¡±


    ¡°We at least need light. And think about the restaurant on the fourth floor. If we don¡¯t have a freezer, I¡¯m afraid the food will go bad soon,¡± Shen Chen said with a chuckle.


    Zhang Hongtao hadn¡¯t thought about that. He slapped his head self-deprecatingly. ¡°I forgot about that.¡±


    After a while, with the roar of the electric generator, the hotel had its power back. As ordered by Shen Chen, Zhang Hongtao cut off the power supply for all the rooms except those on the sixteenth floor, the fourth floor, and all the corridors to ensure the overall distribution of solar energy.


    After all this, Shen Chen said to Zhang Hongtao, who had sweat dripping down his face, ¡°Since we¡¯re here, don¡¯t forget about the zombies in the cars!¡±


    There was a smile on Shen Chen¡¯s lips. It was like sunshine, passing through layers of concrete to shine into the cold underground parking lot and dispel the haze.


    Zhang Hongtao was suddenly encouraged by Shen Chen¡¯s smile. This was the first time in quite a while that he felt so positive about the future. He suddenly clenched his hand and said, ¡°None of them will escape my fist!¡±


    Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of zombies smashing the car windows came from the underground parking lot. When a zombie finally broke the car window and popped its head out of the window, it was decapitated instantly.


    Along the way, Zhang Hongtao and Shen Chen carried their weapons and made zombie heads dance and fall to the ground, their brains bursting out. The two left behind a gorgeous carpet of fresh blood in their wake.


    Killing was an exciting job!


    When they went to the sixteenth floor, Zhang Hongtao was still in a state of extreme excitement, and when the two opened the door, everyone inside the room cheered.


    Everyone had a happy smile on their face. They greeted Shen Chen and Zhang Hongtao as if they were heroes, their mission having been completed perfectly.


    Zhang Hongtao, however, suddenly fell into a nervous state after seeing the location of the shelter on TV. He looked at Shen Chen, who was still smiling calmly. Zhang Hongtao didn¡¯t know if he had made the right choice.


    ¡°If they know that I advised Shen Chen not to go to the shelter, what will they do? Will they get mad at me?¡± Zhang Hongtao thought as he looked at the cheering people.


    As if feeling Zhang Hongtao¡¯s nervousness, Shen Chen gave him a quick glance, and the smile on his face turned even brighter.


    After a while, everyone sat around Shen Chen and Zhang Hongtao and asked happily, ¡°Boss! Do you know where the nearest shelter for survivors is?¡±


    Shen Chen smiled, pretending to think hard. ¡°Where is the nearest shelter for survivors?¡±


    ¡°J Unversity!¡± Pan Di¡¯s eyes showed dazzling excitement. He hugged Lin Qianqian and kissed her. ¡°J Unversity! It¡¯s near where we are now. And there aren¡¯t that many zombies on the way! I think we can start tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Yes, since the army and government have taken over everything, it means that things will get better,¡± Li Jing said. ¡°We won¡¯t be in constant fear anymore!¡± Li Jing was ecstatic at the thought of going to the shelter.


    ¡°In my opinion, we shouldn¡¯t have come here in the first place,¡± Lin Qiangian said, her lips curling into a contemptuous smile, but everyone was too happy to dislike what she said. ¡°We never should have left uni!¡±


    People were excited talking about how their life would be after entering the shelter. They wondered whether they could still live in their dormitories or whether the military could help them find their families in the city.


    Shen Chen looked at them and slightly squinted his eyes. He slowly stood up, then turned off the TV. ¡°Rest early. Tomorrow we¡¯ll continue to clean out the zombies on the tenth floor!¡±


    The heated discussion stopped, and the room suddenly fell silent. Everyone turned to look at Shen Chen unblinkingly to see if he was joking with them, but Shen Chen¡¯s serious look clearly told them that he wasn¡¯t.


    The atmosphere suddenly changed. People¡¯s excitement dissipated, and they looked confused. What Shen Chen said was totally absurd to them.


    Excitement disappeared from the three men¡¯s eyes. Immediately, they thought about what Shen Chen said. The three men were not like the others. Although they were also confused, they understood that the only reason they were alive was because of Shen Chen, so they believed Shen Chen, and their friendship with him led them to give him their unconditional trust. Therefore, they didn¡¯t say a word. They just stood up silently and nodded at Shen Chen.


    Lin Qianqian hurriedly grabbed Pan Di. ¡°Wait! Come here!¡± she said, then asked Shen Chen angrily, ¡°What do you mean by cleaning out the zombies tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I think I made myself clear, didn¡¯t I?¡± Shen Chen said.


    ¡°Why kill the zombies?¡± Lin Qianqian asked again. ¡°We should go to the shelter tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Who said we were going to the shelter?¡± Shen Chen asked her.


    The room fell dead silent again. Only people¡¯s breathing could be heard. After a while, Li Jing stood up and broke the silence. ¡°Shen Chen, what do you mean? Are you trying to imprison us here?¡±


    Shen Chen smiled. Because of what he suffered on doomsday in his previous life, he never revealed his true self to outsiders, so he was always calm and cold. So, in the face of Li Jing¡¯s provocation, he remained stoic. At this time, he suddenly thought of some ¡°chicken soup for the soul¡± that he was told in his previous life, such as ¡°people with dark minds think everything others do is malicious.¡± This was what he could use to describe Li Jing, but Shen Chen was obviously not a psychological counselor, and he had no responsibility to explain anything to Li Jing.


    ¡°If you want to leave, you can go at any time,¡± Shen Chen said coldly.


    Li Jing calmed down a little. She wasn¡¯t stupid. She was just a woman. If she left on her own, she would be killed by the zombies outside.


    Li Jing¡¯s face instantly turned red, and she gritted her teeth and didn¡¯t say a word. Instead, she smashed all the dishes on the tea table to the ground and went back to her room in a rage.


    But there were others who thought the same as her.