There were too many zombies. The door of the small conference room wouldn't hold for long. Once they broke through, this entire area would be completely overrun.
Moving forward in the darkness, Huan Tian's expression was grim to the extreme.
The bloodied human arm was freshly severed. He had distinctly heard the dull thud as it struck the tempered glass, then the sound of it falling into the conference room—
Someone had deliberately used that blood-soaked arm to lure the zombies!
But Huan Tian couldn't make sense of it.
If the culprit had thrown the arm from the rooftop, they would have been exposed to the rain, and according to the infection mechanism, that meant a 100% chance of turning into a zombie.
Who would sacrifice their own life just to direct a zombie attack here? What was their motive?
What frustrated him even more was that he couldn't figure out whether the target was himself… or Lin Qingqing.
"This way. The storage room's just ahead,"
Lin Qingqing followed close behind, barefoot, food strapped to her back, gripping tightly the short spear he had given her. Her expression was panicked and uneasy.
"Lin Qingqing," Huan Tian suddenly asked, "Does anyone else know you're still alive? Did you have any enemies in the company?"
"I don't have any enemies," she replied, trembling. "Everyone who was in the meeting with me has turned into zombies… You killed them all. No one knows I'm still alive."
Just as he suspected. Huan Tian's heart sank.
Which meant—
The one behind this was coming for him.
Names flashed rapidly through his mind.
Philly? That guy was dead—no way it was him.
The executives in the president's office? A bunch of cowards. They'd never have the guts or ruthlessness for something like this.
That left only Zou Wen. He was the only one who knew Huan Tian was taking this route.
But according to Huan Tian's judgment, Zou Wen wasn't likely to have survived either…
Everything felt like it was collapsing into a dead end.
Huan Tian couldn't help but slap his forehead.
As if having a Tier-2 mutant roaming the building and hunting survivors wasn't bad enough, now someone was luring zombies to kill him.
When it rains, it pours—literally and figuratively.
He rounded a corner, and his eyes suddenly narrowed.
At the end of the hallway stood a closed security gate, identical to the one he had passed through earlier when entering this area.
But this one wasn't just locked—it was barricaded with a heap of debris, tightly wedged in place. It wouldn't be cleared anytime soon.
Which meant—
There were other survivors on the other side.
But Huan Tian didn't have time to dwell on it. He immediately began clearing the obstruction.
By now, Lin Qingqing had developed a deep, instinctive sense of reverence toward him. Whatever he told her to do, she did without question.
The noise echoed in the empty corridor, louder than he liked.
Fortunately, it remained quiet beyond the door. The tireless predators that never stopped hunting had likely been drawn elsewhere, possibly even down to a lower level.
Then—
"Don't move!"
"Hands in the air!"
Footsteps pounded behind them, followed by a sharp bark of command.
Huan Tian froze.
He didn't need to turn around—the faint prickling at the back of his neck told him enough.
Whoever was behind him was armed, and the weapons they carried could pose a threat.
Lin Qingqing slowly raised her hands, too, but a flicker of joy lit her eyes.
"Liang Jing? Is that you? It's me—Lin Qingqing!"
"Lin Qingqing? It is you! You're alive!"
"Both of you, turn around slowly. No sudden moves!"
Lin Qingqing cast a quick sidelong glance at Huan Tian.
He gave her a small nod, and together, they carefully turned around.
Five people stood behind them.
At the front was Deputy General Manager Liu Tong, aiming an old-fashioned double-barrel shotgun straight at Huan Tian.
But the moment Lin Qingqing faced him, his eyes shifted and began roaming over her without restraint.
Standing next to Liu Tong was Liang Jing, head of the secretarial department. Though she was already in her forties, she was well-maintained, elegant, and poised, with the appearance of someone in her early thirties. She had always been fair and decent, never abusing her position. Among the company's upper management, she had one of the best reputations.
But now, her face was unnaturally pale—so pale that even a thick layer of powder couldn't hide it.
The moment she saw Lin Qingqing, a strange gleam flickered in her eyes.
It wasn't joy. It was something much darker. Almost feverish.
Behind the two stood three security guards Lin Qingqing also recognized. All of them were stationed on this floor.
Each one held a weapon—either a baseball bat or a piece of wood torn from a chair. The dried bloodstains on their makeshift weapons spoke clearly: these men had dealt with zombies before.
They were all familiar faces.
And that made Lin Qingqing break into a smile—something she hadn't done in what felt like forever.
"Liang Jing…"
She instinctively took a step forward.
But with just a slight glance from the corner of Huan Tian's eye, Lin Qingqing froze mid-step.
Her body reacted before her mind could even process it.
Liu Tong immediately frowned at the exchange, tightening his grip on the shotgun and snapping, "Who are you? What are you trying to do?"
The others mirrored his hostility, their expressions sharp and wary, as if Huan Tian were some dangerous kidnapper.
The tension in the air thickened.
"Vice President Liu, Director Liang, it's a misunderstanding!" Lin Qingqing rushed to explain.
"This is Huan Tian, from the project department. He saved me yesterday. We're just trying to get out of here, so we were clearing the door."
Seeing familiar faces had made her drop her guard. Without thinking, she spilled their plan.
Huan Tian frowned slightly but said nothing.
But Liu Tong and the others, upon hearing her words, visibly darkened.
The three guards exchanged a glance, then subtly began to fan out, surrounding them from three angles.
"No. You can't leave. If you open that door and zombies rush in, we're all dead!"
"Exactly. No one is going anywhere."
"We stay here. We wait for the military to come rescue us."
As Liu Tong and the guards spoke, they slowly advanced.
Their words sounded reasonable, but Lin Qingqing suddenly noticed something off.
Their gazes.
They were too hot. Too direct. Scanning over her in a way that made her skin crawl.
They'd never looked at her like that before.
Not back when everything was normal.
And now…
Now they did.
Seeing Lin Qingqing frown slightly, Liang Jing quickly plastered on a smile and stepped forward.
"Qingqing, why don't you just stay here? If Huan Tian wants to leave, let him go alone. It's too dangerous out there. Isn't it better for us sisters to stay together?"
Lin Qingqing's heart trembled slightly at those words.
Liang Jing wasn't wrong. Everyone here was familiar—— people she had worked with for years.
Maybe not day in and day out, but there was history, a kind of unspoken bond.
And Huan Tian? She had only known him for a day.
That difference hadn't been obvious before. But now, facing familiar faces, it became stark.
She remained silent.
Sensing the hesitation, Liang Jing took the chance to reach for her hand—
But Huan Tian stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Lin Qingqing.
"What if we insist on leaving?" he asked calmly, though his eyes were sharp.
"You little punk!" Liu Tong snapped. He shoved the barrels of his double-barrel shotgun hard against Huan Tian's chest. "You're just a low-level grunt from the project department! Every single person here outranks you. You don't get to talk. Step aside."
"Exactly!" Liang Jing added, her voice rising sharply. "Who do you think you are to Lin Qingqing? We've known her for years—we're practically family. And you? You met her yesterday, and now you think you can drag her off to risk her life with you? You're delusional!"
Before Huan Tian could respond, Liang Jing launched into a storm of accusations.
Her words were cutting—so sharp that Lin Qingqing's face went pale.
She quickly stepped around Huan Tian and rushed to Liang Jing's side.
"Liang Jing. Don't be angry at him. If there's something you want to say, say it to me. I'm listening."
Seeing her approach, a glint flashed in Liang Jing's eyes. She softened immediately, smiled warmly, and gently took Lin Qingqing's hand, pulling her subtly toward their side.
"Qingqing, don't believe everything he says," she coaxed. "Did he tell you it's safe out there?
That the danger has passed, and it's time to leave? It's all nonsense! The city is still swarming with zombies. If something happens out there and he throws you to the horde to save himself, what will you do? You're the one who needs to stay safe."