​​Chapter 07

Time to brace for the worst.

The cargo vans looted almost all the instant foods and leveled the supermarket entrance in their rampage. The ground lay thick with zombies killed by headshots—though a few half-head corpses still twitched, trying to rise.

For now, the battleground was quiet.

Gagging against the stench, we hauled sacks of rice, flour, and grains back to the office.

Drinks and milk were nearly gone.

Level B1 warehouse definitely held reserves. But the ventilation ducts didn’t connect between floors, and without food, the undead would likely hibernate in darkness.

was sure the lower levels had become their nest.

Going down? A suicide run.

Morale hit rock bottom.

On my night watch, a strained groan pierced the silence.

Auntie Zhou lay curled on the floor, clutching her chest.

"Auntie, what’s wrong?"

"Hea… heart…" she gasped.

"Your pills?!"

Her trembling hand fumbled at her pants pocket.

pulled out a small bottle—quick-acting heart rescue pills—and sighed with relief.

Popped the cap open.

Fuck! Empty!

"Who’s coming to the pharmacy with me?!"

"Me!" Xiao Chu rushed over.

"Grab headlamps! Now!" My voice shook as I scrambled up the filing cabinets.

"Little Dai… don’t." Chairwoman Li’s voice broke with grief.

Auntie Zhou was gone.

remembered her palm on my back—warm, anchoring—after the others tore into me. "It’s alright now… This will pass."

That gentle soul—gone.

After a heavy silence, voices sliced through:

"She was just a cleaner. At least she’s done."

"Hah. One less mouth to feed."

"Ugh… won’t the body stink?"

"Disgusting."

Their words clawed deeper than any zombie’s bite.

My eyes stayed wide open, yet everything went pitch black.

The room still sweltered—but ice flooded my veins.

"Sister, don't break. I'm here."

Xiao Chu lowered me from the cabinets. His warm breath brushed my ear, and only then did it hit me: I still had someone in this hell. For a heartbeat, I didn't want to leave the shelter of his arms.

Near dawn, Chairwoman Li asked me to help her to the bathroom.

She asked about my family. I lied—parents safe out of town, doing fine.

Then she pressed a Swiss bank card into my hand. "Two hundred million," she whispered.

Her demand was clear: Protect her to the end.

"Why me? Zhao Kai's the strongest."

"Some eyes burn red," she said softly. "But their hearts have rotted black."

"I’ll do what I can."

She held me tight, silent.

Later, we wheeled Auntie Zhou’s body out on a shopping cart. Xiao Chu gave it a fierce shove—sent it rolling far into the gloom.

The door had barely shut when the monitors flickered to life.

The dead descended to feed.