The farther they walked in, the stronger the stench became. It was the rot that leaked from zombies: the higher the level, the stronger the smell.
They could see it now. In the faint light seeping through the window, there was a small-built zombie standing in the middle of the cold storage room. Hearing someone enter, the zombie snapped its head toward them.
A level-three zombie.
Qi Yue immediately fired several shots, provoking a low growl from the zombie. Its rotting body flickered sideways, dodging the bullets, then flung a fireball at Qi Yue. Qi Yue dove to the side just in time, rolling into an open spot before slipping behind a freezer for cover. This zombie, like Han Fei, had fire-type powers. Panting heavily, Qi Yue glanced at the spot he’d stood in moments earlier, there was now a burned hole punched clean through the metal panel behind it.
Seeing the zombie attack Qi Yue, Han Fei also launched a series of fireballs and spatial blades at it. High-level zombies possessed thought processes similar to humans. They knew how to dodge and no longer charged in blindly like low-level ones. The higher the level, the more complex their minds became, and they habitually targeted whoever they judged to be the weaker opponent.
After its first strike failed and Qi Yue ducked away, the zombie turned and attacked Han Fei instead. It had realized that this human would not be easy to deal with. After launching several consecutive fireballs, it also flickered into hiding.
The cold storage area was large: full of sinks, freezers. It was dim and chilling, with weak lights glowing in a few corners and the hum of machinery filling the air. The earlier battle had shattered one of the light tubes, dropping it into a sink where it sparked continuously.
Han Fei, expression cold and sharp, searched the area. Qi Yue, hearing no movement, cautiously peeked out. Seeing the zombie had disappeared, he stepped out as well. It wasn’t that he feared death, he simply had no powers; if he rushed out earlier, he would only have dragged Han Fei down. Han Fei was actually satisfied that he knew how to protect himself.
Qi Yue slowly approached Han Fei, eyes scanning nonstop. A faint, elusive scent drifted in. He focused, trying to identify the direction. It was the same rotten smell the zombie emitted. No doubt about it, it came from the zombie. The smell was faint, and it took effort to sense it. Maybe his low-level ability was the reason it was so draining.
Cold sweat trickled down Qi Yue’s forehead. He couldn’t pinpoint the exact direction. A level-three zombie was stronger than Han Fei. If they didn’t attack first, they’d be in serious danger. Even one level difference meant a huge gap in power. They had to find the zombie before it struck again.
Qi Yue focused on the left, the stench was stronger there. The zombie was on that side, but where exactly? His gaze swept across the freezers and corner shadows.
There. That spot near the door, in the shadow between the freezers.
Qi Yue raised his gun and fired directly at it.
The zombie, realizing it had been discovered, lunged straight toward him. Han Fei immediately sent a spatial blade slicing toward the zombie’s legs.
Crack! The zombie, caught off guard, had its leg severed. Its torso and leg separated, but it didn’t feel pain, still crawling forward relentlessly. Bang! Qi Yue fired again, blasting its head apart. Rotten tissue splattered everywhere.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Ssshh! Bang! Fireballs, water spheres, earth clods, wooden spikes, various ability attacks rained down onto the already-dead zombie.
A few other zombies lurking in the shadows were also drawn in by the noise and were cleaned up by the ability barrage.
Qi Yue held his knife and rummaged through the burst level-three zombie’s head, digging out the crystal core. It was a vivid, crystal-bright red gem. He wrapped it with a tissue and slipped it into his pocket.
Only then did he look up at the group entering: Senior Fei Fan’s “Bright Sunshine Team,” full of different ability users. Seeing the mixed expressions on their faces, Qi Yue raised a brow, glanced at Han Fei, and grinned.
The sight of him pocketing the core made the crowd restless. A level-three core, most of them had never even seen one before. Qi Yue’s smile made them even more uncomfortable.
“Qi Yue, how can you take the core by yourself? Didn’t we agree to cooperate? We helped you fight the zombie, the core belongs to us too.” Du Mengyao scolded him sharply.
“I killed the zombie. Tell me exactly what you all did to help?”
“Qi Yue, that’s not right. If we hadn’t come out and distracted it, how could someone without powers like you kill it?” said Brother Zhou, Qi Yue’s upstairs neighbor.
“So what do you want?” Qi Yue looked straight at Liao Feifan, the team leader, who had stayed silent. Qi Yue was curious to see what he would say.
Han Fei didn’t speak. Having lived between the underworld and the legal world for years, he had long learned to judge people quickly—who was useful, who was a threat. Since Qi Yue knew these people, he would let him handle it.
Liao Feifan smiled mildly and admonished the two earlier speakers. “Mengyao, Brother Zhou, how can you say that? We’re all survivors, we should help each other. Unity is important.”
“Then if we need help in a tough spot, you’ll help us, right?” Qi Yue asked.
“Of course.”
“Our car broke down earlier. It’s abandoned. We have no vehicle now. So?” Qi Yue smiled faintly.
Liao Feifan hesitated. They had four cars, but more than ten people, most picked up or rescued along the way.
Qi Yue continued, “You took two of my cars earlier. Now I want one back. That’s reasonable, right?”
“Qi Yue, how can you say that? You offered those cars to us willingly!” Du Mengyao protested.
“I gave them, so now I want one back.”
“You’re too much! We have so many people, if we give you one, what do we do?” Du Mengyao fumed. How did she ever think Qi Yue was cute? This guy was shameless, trying to take their car now.
“Why don’t you and your companion just join us? We can help each other and head to the safe base together. As for the car… we have kids onboard, they’re the hope of the future.” Liao Feifan said sincerely. He really wanted Qi Yue and Han Fei in their group. As a dual-ability level-two user, he could sense that Han Fei’s level was likely higher than his.
“No need. I’m afraid you would slow us down.” Han Fei rejected flatly.
Liao Feifan’s smile stiffened. “Our abilities may be low now, but we will improve.”
A beast always tells a beauty: Though I am ugly, I have a kind heart. Same eyes see differently. Same ears hear differently. Same mouth speaks differently. Same heart thinks differently. You cannot judge people by their faces. An ugly face isn’t necessarily malicious; sunshine doesn’t guarantee purity. One must know oneself and act within one’s limits.
Han Fei never considered himself a good person. He also lacked the ability to save others. Since he couldn’t do it, he wouldn’t interfere and hinder others from doing so either.
“Mm.” Han Fei seemed to think for a moment, then added, “Besides, with so many of you, I might fail to protect Qi Yue in danger. I might even end up abandoning him.”
Then he took Qi Yue’s hand and walked out. They had collected most of the supplies inside anyway, what was left could stay for them.
Liao Feifan watched the two figures fade into the distance, sorrowful.
“Senior, don’t mind them, they’re heartless. They just saw women and children in our vehicle,” Du Mengyao comforted him. “You’ve already done so much and saved so many.”
“I’m worried they’ll run into danger. Only two of them and no car…” Liao Feifan murmured. Then he straightened up again. “I’ll do everything I can to safely bring everyone to the base.”
Brother Zhou and the security guard both echoed supportively.
As they passed the convoy, the people in the cars having overheard Han Fei earlier looked at him with disdain. A six- or seven-year-old girl pointed angrily at him: “Bad guy!” Then hid in her mother’s arms. Others glared with contempt.
Han Fei frowned, dragging along the gloating Qi Yue. He had been speaking up for him, and the brat was just laughing?
Outside the cold-storage factory gate, Han Fei pinned Qi Yue against the wall and kissed him hard. Watching Qi Yue gasp for air afterward finally eased his pent-up irritation.
Qi Yue shoved him away angrily. He enjoyed it but hated Han Fei doing this anytime, anywhere. If they were going to get intimate, it should be him initiating. Ignoring Han Fei, he walked ahead. They were too close to the entrance, he couldn’t take the car out of his space yet. Better not expose the space ability unnecessarily.
Han Fei followed with a smile. He felt less and less like himself lately, he loved teasing Qi Yue. Seeing him bristle amused him. The feeling was unfamiliar but sweet. He liked it, liked Qi Yue and sank deeper into it.
Qi Yue suddenly stopped. Han Fei caught up and wrapped an arm around him. “What is it?”
Qi Yue’s expression twisted with discomfort. “I smell a dog scent. A dog passed this way.”
Han Fei blinked. That is normal, isn’t it?
“And a female dog.” Qi Yue’s expression contorted even more. “A pregnant female.”
Han Fei almost laughed. “Your ability is amazing. Before the apocalypse you could’ve been a detective.”
“You’re calling me a police dog, aren’t you?” Qi Yue snapped.
Han Fei quickly coaxed him. “Impossible. No police dog could be this tempting.” He nuzzled and kissed Qi Yue’s face while rubbing against him intimately. “If you’re the police dog, then I’m the trainer and I want to stay right beside you.”
Qi Yue’s face flushed red, part anger, part embarrassment. Was this really the same man he once thought had mafia-boss aura? A 190-cm tall man clinging and rubbing against him… And d*mn it, he could feel the man’s obvious arousal. This pervert, always in heat.
He shoved Han Fei away, only to freeze.
Han Fei also stopped smiling. He sensed it too, the abnormal spiritual pressure, the faint but unmistakable stench of infection.
At the corner of his eye, he saw one… two… three…
Five in total.
They were surrounded by five mutated zombie dogs; two on the side, three in front. The one in the middle was indeed the pregnant female Qi Yue had mentioned. Larger and fiercer than the others, it growled continuously, low and threatening. The dogs crept closer bit by bit.
Inside the cold-storage building, Liao Feifan’s team had gathered their supplies and boarded the vehicles. Liao Feifan stared deeply in the direction Qi Yue and Han Fei had left. Seeing his uneasy expression, Du Mengyao asked, “Senior, what’s wrong?”
Liao Feifan, also a dual-ability user, had fire and tracking abilities, both level two. From the beginning, he’d sensed that the pack of zombie dogs they’d encountered earlier had been following the convoy. Now they were very close. They should be right where… Qi Yue and Han Fei had gone.
He sighed. He wanted to save them, but he had women and children in the car, ordinary, powerless people. He sighed again. “Turn around. We’ll go through the village road.”
“But there are more zombies in the village,” Du Mengyao protested. The main road was shorter and clear. Why not take it?
“I’ve had a bad feeling about the main road. It feels dangerous. Now it’s even stronger.” They trusted his intuition, it had saved them many times.
The cars turned and headed toward the village path. Du Mengyao glanced regretfully toward Qi Yue’s direction, then back, only to see Liao Feifan still watching that same direction. She comforted, “Senior, don’t be sad. You tried to help them, they refused. You’ve already done well.”
The little girl crawled over and hugged Liao Feifan’s arm. “I like big brother. He’s a good person.”
Liao Feifan smiled again. He would save as many people as he could.
