Chapter Six: The Temporary Rescue Squad

Jiang Miaomiao couldn’t help but bow her head and sob. She knew this would put Qin Sheng in a difficult position, but her heart could not find peace. She could only try to plead with Qin Sheng to see if she would help her.

Qin Sheng’s expression was conflicted. She recalled that in her previous life, when she met Jiang Miaomiao, the latter already knew her boyfriend Jiang Ming was infected, yet chose to stay by his side, ultimately becoming infected herself. If she agreed to let Jiang Miaomiao see Jiang Ming, she feared Jiang Miaomiao would repeat the same tragic fate.

“I can’t guarantee your absolute safety,” Qin Sheng said gravely, her face serious.

Jiang Miaomiao smiled and shook her head. “I’ll do my best to protect myself.”

“Alright. If there’s a chance, I’ll take you out.” After giving Jiang Miaomiao a few more instructions, Qin Sheng left the dorm once again. She wasn’t sure if Jiang Ming had been infected. According to Jiang Miaomiao, when the outbreak began, Jiang Ming was just leaving his dorm. If he hadn’t been infected, he’d likely still be in the male dormitory; if he had been infected… she had no idea where he might have gone.

Qin Sheng decided to scout near the men’s dorm first.

After heading downstairs, Qin Sheng skillfully avoided larger groups of zombies, taking out the stragglers without hesitation. Before long, she reached the supermarket between the male and female dorms. Unfortunately, she ran right into a large zombie horde. She decided to duck into the supermarket for cover.

Most supermarkets were underground, not as bright as convenience stores, relying mainly on fluorescent lights. Now, without electricity, the supermarket was pitch-dark, like a hellish maw ready to swallow anyone whole—one careless move, and you’d be devoured down to the bone.

Qin Sheng’s expression grew even more serious, her sharp eyes scanning the darkness.

The back door of the supermarket was almost never used, but someone had apparently opened it in a panic to escape. That worked in Qin Sheng’s favor.

Crouching low, she crept toward the food section using her memory of the layout. Before she got close, she froze, holding her breath and melting into the shadows.

“Lin, don’t take so many snacks! We need food that’s small but filling,” came a faint, complaining voice from a nearby corner.

Qin Sheng raised an eyebrow—she hadn’t expected to encounter other survivors, and one with such a youthful-sounding voice.

“Xingyu, don’t worry. I got this,” said Lin Xing, flattening a bag of chips and stuffing it into his backpack. “Can’t believe I’ve been reduced to eating chip crumbs…”

Since the two didn’t appear threatening, Qin Sheng decisively moved to the instant food aisle, packing as much as she could into her storage space. The space had just been cleared a little but was now full again.

A guttural growl suddenly echoed—the sound of Lin Xing popping open the chip bag must have attracted the zombies lingering at the entrance.

“Damn it!” Lin Xing cursed. The growls grew louder, likely the same group Qin Sheng had just avoided outside.

Frowning, Qin Sheng drew her katana from her storage space. Though she’d ducked into the supermarket by chance, she’d just happened to run into the future ability-users she’d seen earlier. Serendipity, perhaps.

The zombies, having pinpointed Lin Xing and Chu Xingyu, charged at them like rabid hounds who hadn’t tasted flesh in weeks.

Qin Sheng slipped into a corner and held her breath, deciding to observe the two’s strength before acting.

Lin Xing, a true athlete, snatched up a broom and smashed it over a zombie’s head. Chu Xingyu wasn’t far behind, grabbing whatever was handy to bash the monsters as they ran. By a twist of fate, they dashed right toward Qin Sheng’s hiding place…

She gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her katana. Even playing the observer was dangerous—she wondered if these two were destined to cross her path or simply unlucky.

“We can’t keep this up!” Chu Xingyu’s forehead was beaded with sweat. The zombies came at them in waves, like multiplying bacteria. No matter their strength, the two couldn’t withstand such overwhelming numbers.

Lin Xing wasn’t faring much better. His broom was already bristle-less, the stick splintered. He forced a grin. “Xingyu, meeting you as a brother in this life is worth it.”

“Don’t say that…” Chu Xingyu replied weakly—facing death, there was nothing more they could do.

“Immortal Elder, Queen Mother in Heaven, Ancestors—save us!” Lin Xing nearly sobbed. As a zombie leapt toward him, he squeezed his eyes shut.

In the darkness, Qin Sheng found herself silently applauding their brotherhood. Then, she raised her katana and, swift as lightning, dispatched the zombies one by one. Lin Xing waited for death, but after a long moment, nothing happened. Opening his eyes, he saw a petite, short-haired girl standing before him, katana in hand, every zombie in sight felled.

A theme song blared in Lin Xing’s head, his inner dramatist awakened. “Go, Ancestor! We’re cheering for you!”

Qin Sheng’s face stiffened as she sheathed her sword. Ancestor? She wasn’t even older than Lin Xing—at least not in this life.

“Watch out behind you!” Chu Xingyu cried, just as more zombies lunged from the rear.

Without turning, Qin Sheng swung her katana again—another zombie was cleaved in two.

Lin Xing and Chu Xingyu had never witnessed such carnage, but as guys, they could stomach it better than Jiang Miaomiao, who’d nearly vomited earlier. Still, they were both awed by Qin Sheng’s strength—she was formidable.

“Grab your things and follow me,” Qin Sheng told the two, then hoisted her bags and headed for the back door. With so much commotion, more zombies would be drawn soon—they needed to leave immediately.

Lin Xing picked up two bags brimming with food, and he and Chu Xingyu hurried after her.

Before they reached the exit, Qin Sheng stopped short. The zombie horde had arrived even faster than she’d expected.

“Back! The zombies are coming!” she hissed, relaying the warning before darting back into the store.

She wasn’t sure how many there were. If she were alone, she’d have fought her way out—or, if things got out of hand, hidden in her storage space. But dragging these two along complicated things.

So, retreat was the best option.

The three of them huddled in the darkest, most inconspicuous corner. Qin Sheng, her night vision better than most, observed the situation quietly. Chu Xingyu and Lin Xing simply stared at her, treating her as their only hope.

“Hold your breath—they’re here,” Qin Sheng whispered. The two behind her immediately stilled, breaths shallow. The zombies’ growls crept ever closer, each step like a hammer on their hearts—terrifying, yet oddly exhilarating.

A few minutes was survivable, but before long, Lin Xing and Chu Xingyu couldn’t help but gasp for air. The noise wasn’t enough to attract the zombies, but it did stir the air.

“I’ll draw them away. You two wait for me at the back door,” Qin Sheng murmured to Lin Xing, then slipped out, moving silently.

Lin Xing wanted to object, but recalling Qin Sheng’s terrifying combat skills, he obediently hugged the provisions to his chest and tiptoed with Chu Xingyu toward the exit.

Once Qin Sheng confirmed they were out, she drew her katana and began the slaughter. Twenty-some zombies posed no real threat.

Lin Xing and Chu Xingyu waited anxiously at the back door. After ten minutes, Qin Sheng finally emerged, unharmed, from the supermarket. Both men exhaled in relief.

Even covered in blood, Qin Sheng’s image in their minds was only enhanced.

“Did you get them all, sis?” Chu Xingyu asked, his gentle face full of concern as he thoughtfully took the bags from her.

Qin Sheng nodded politely, then asked, “Where are you staying right now?”

“Room 7213, Princess Building, male dorm,” Lin Xing replied quickly.

Chu Xingyu nodded in agreement.

Qin Sheng pursed her lips, recalling her mental map, then advised, “When you head back, take the blue-roofed route past the girls’ dorm. It’s safer there.”

With that, she took the bags from Chu Xingyu, ready to return to her own dorm.

“Wait!” Lin Xing called after her. “Ancestor, what’s your name?”

The title made Qin Sheng wince with embarrassment. “Qin Sheng.”

Both Chu Xingyu and Lin Xing silently committed her name to memory.

“And stop calling me Ancestor or sister—I’m your freshman junior,” Qin Sheng clarified. “If fate allows, we’ll meet again.”

“Alright, Ancestor!”

“Alright, Sheng-jie!”

Qin Sheng: “…”

“By the way, do you know Jiang Ming?” Qin Sheng remembered her purpose for coming out, and questioned them, hoping for a lead.

Lin Xing thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. “Isn’t he that guy from the Physics Department, the one who had a swarm of girls chasing him when school started?”

Qin Sheng wasn’t sure—she didn’t pay attention to such things.

“I think this Jiang Ming has a girlfriend from the Literature Department—Jiang…”

“Jiang Miaomiao,” Qin Sheng quickly supplied.

“That’s right, Jiang Miaomiao!”

Lin Xing’s confirmation solidified Qin Sheng’s suspicions. She paused, then asked, “Do you know if Jiang Ming has been infected?”

The two exchanged glances and shook their heads.

Qin Sheng pressed her lips together; it seemed she’d have to keep searching nearby.

“If Jiang Ming hasn’t been infected, he should be near the cafeteria,” Chu Xingyu suddenly remembered.

Qin Sheng was puzzled. The male dorm was quite far from the cafeteria—why would Jiang Ming be there if he wasn’t infected?

Seeing her confusion, Chu Xingyu patiently explained, “After the outbreak, the uninfected all hid. Some people at the school formed a temporary rescue team and gathered the survivors. If Jiang Ming wasn’t infected, he was probably rescued and taken to the cafeteria.”

A temporary rescue team?

Interesting.

As for whether they had the strength to protect everyone, that remained to be seen.