"That's right. I can tell this guy's up to no good."
"He's only known you for a day—who knows what he's after? Taking you with him?
Hah, he's just trying to use you as insurance. When things go south, he'll throw you to the zombies and run."
"Lin Qingqing, you're still young. You have no idea how cruel people can be. Especially now—you can't trust strangers!"
The three security guards chimed in as well, echoing the sentiment, one after another, their voices full of certainty.
Lin Qingqing's heart wavered, unsure.
"But… but this floor is about to become unsafe," she said weakly. "A horde of zombies could show up any minute."
"You mean the other gate? No way."
"We reinforced that side. We check it every two hours on a rotating basis. No zombies are getting in from there. Did that punk tell you this? He's just feeding you lies!"
Lin Qingqing bit her lip, torn between instinct and doubt. Subconsciously, she looked up at
Huan Tian—only to meet a pair of eyes as cold and emotionless as ice.
"If you want to leave, I'll take you."
"But if you choose to stay, I won't stop you."
With that, Huan Tian turned away, indifferent, and resumed clearing the debris as if none of it concerned him.
This time, Liu Tong and the others didn't try to stop him. There was a hint of eagerness in their expressions.
Behind Lin Qingqing, Liu Tong's eyes roamed over her body, full of undisguised greed and aggression.
A flicker of guilt passed through Liang Jing's eyes—but it was quickly buried beneath a colder resolve as she leaned close, whispering sweetly in Lin Qingqing's ear, "Qingqing, trust me…"
But Lin Qingqing stood frozen, staring blankly at Huan Tian's back.
Just moments ago, after passing test after test, she had started to feel the frost in Huan Tian's attitude slowly thaw.
But now, his gaze had turned as cold and distant as it was the day he first examined her, as if she were nothing more than a stranger.
There was only endless indifference in his eyes, as if nothing about her mattered to him anymore.
Lin Qingqing shivered.
The events of last night played over and over in her mind like a haunting reel.
Huan Tian's methods had been harsh, even borderline cruel.
But it was precisely because of what happened last night—because her entire worldview had been shattered—that she'd found the courage to step out of that room.
If it had been up to her alone, she'd probably still be hiding under that cabinet, too scared to move.
A sudden surge of emotion welled up inside her.
"Huan Tian, wait! I'm coming with you!"
She turned around, facing the others behind her.
"Mr. Liu, Liang Jing, and you three guards—I trust Huan Tian. He's not the kind of person you think he is. And this place isn't safe anymore. If you want to live, you should come with us."
Just as she was about to run toward Huan Tian, a hand yanked her back—
Liang Jing held her in a vice grip.
"Qingqing, I think you'd better stay."
The smile on Liang Jing's face was long gone, replaced by a blank, icy expression.
There was something wild in her eyes now, something dark and unsettling.
Suddenly, she threw Lin Qingqing backward with force—
She stumbled, falling hard into someone's arms.
She looked up—only to see the leering face of a security guard.
One of his hands gripped her arm tightly, while the other slithered around her waist with obscene familiarity.
"Mr. Liu and Miss Liang are right, Miss Lin. Why don't you stay here with us?" the guard sneered.
"I'm sorry, Qingqing. I didn't have a choice," Liang Jing said softly, her face wearing a mask of guilt. "Just… help me, please. Pretend you're saving me."
If Lin Qingqing still didn't realize what was happening now, she'd be a fool.
Her eyes widened, lashes trembling with fear and disbelief.
"Liang Jing! Why… why would you—"
"Why?" Liang Jing's voice turned sharp, almost mocking.
"Isn't it obvious? I did it for myself."
The elegant, gentle smile she once wore was completely gone.
Her eyes were like ice—cold, hard, merciless.
That look alone sent a chill straight to Lin Qingqing's core.
"Liang Jing... how could you turn into this?" she whispered, voice trembling.
"You used to be kind. You weren't like them. You weren't a monster."
"Stop pretending to be some innocent fool! Do you even know what I went through yesterday?"
"I was trapped in the bathroom by two zombies. They risked their lives to kill them and save me. But Liu Tong told me that they had already lured away all the zombies in this area."
"He said if I wanted to stay here and wait for rescue safely, I had to 'comply' with their demands. Otherwise, I'd be kicked out of this office zone."
"That night… I was tormented by four men, taking turns—no rest for seven whole hours."
"I felt like I was being torn apart, every second hanging on the edge of death."
"Hahaha… now I'm broken body and soul trampled beyond recognition. If my husband finds out, he'll never forgive me."
"But none of that matters anymore, because I have to survive—survive to go home and find my son."
"He's only thirteen. He must be waiting for his mother to come back."
"For him, I'll fight with everything I have, even if I have to become someone I hate."
"You're younger, prettier than I. They'll be more interested in you. If you come, maybe I can finally let go."
Suddenly, Liang Jing's voice erupted into a hysterical roar, her eyes shifting from guilt to wild, painful hatred.
Her once graceful and poised face twisted into a grimace of torment, as if all her dignity had been shattered by despair and suffering.
Everything from last night had pushed her to the brink of madness.
Liu Tong and the three guards instinctively took a few steps back, keeping their distance.
This woman, lost to reason, made even them uneasy.
Only Huan Tian remained unmoved, his expression unreadable, not even a flicker in his lashes.
He had seen too much of this in his previous life.
Countless wealthy heiresses were forced to sacrifice everything to survive.
Famous stars, once adored worldwide, are driven to desperation just to stay alive.
In the apocalypse, this was all too common.
Survival had no room for dignity.
It demanded sacrifice.
"You're wrong. So, what if we're women? We can kill zombies just as well, and we can survive on our own." Lin Qingqing clenched her silver teeth, her eyes filled with anger and frustration, as if blaming herself and those around her for their weakness.
"Hahaha, you have no right to mock me," Liang Jing sneered, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"If it were you, you'd have chosen to leave a long time ago. But go out there, and in less than five minutes, the zombies will tear you to pieces! I'm stronger than you—at least I sold my body and I'm still alive!"
Her laughter suddenly twisted into something wild and unsettling. She began trembling uncontrollably, the helplessness and despair radiating from her like a dark cloud.
"Liang Jing, you did well. As a reward, Lin Qingqing will stay with us tonight so you can rest," Liu Tong said coldly, his bare possessiveness immediately overpowering the fear Liang Jing had stirred.
Hearing this, Liang Jing let out a long sigh of relief right in front of Lin Qingqing.
"That's good. But I hope none of you come looking for me anymore. She's younger, prettier, and stronger—she'll satisfy your twisted demands better than I ever could. For your usual games, you can find me. But if you want something more... send her to deal with it."