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Chapter 57

Chapter 57: The Fading City (22)


The self-heating hot pot gave off a cloud of steam, with juice sitting on the side. Ye Nianchu picked up her chopsticks, ready to eat. Food always made her feel better, and she was looking forward to this meal.


Suddenly, a hissing noise came from outside the door, followed by something hitting it. Ye Nianchu froze, realizing something was wrong. She set down her chopsticks and carefully approached the door.


Qin Mubai, moving quickly, reached the door before her. He listened intently for a moment, then understood the situation and pulled her back to the table by her wrist. "They’ve brought the zombies up here."


Ye Nianchu was silent for a moment, then said, "Really good at playing."


Instead of bringing people up, they had brought zombies. It felt like she was stuck in a glitch in a game.


Had Chen Tianju been playing games for so long that he lost his mind?


What was his goal here?


Not only was this a big effort, but if something went wrong in the middle of the game, their team could be wiped out.


Was he bringing zombies up just to block her doorway?


Even if Chen Tianju knew what would happen on the twenty-third day and wanted to set them up, he should have brought all the zombies up before leaving.


Choosing this moment to act was clearly meant to trap her. But Chen Tianju couldn’t possibly know they were planning to leave.


Bringing zombies up with the elevator might seem simple, but it was tricky to operate. The number of zombies that could be brought up was limited, so they couldn’t be stopped if needed.


However, if there was any commotion, Chen Tianju would definitely notice.


Ammunition use was also a concern.


The original plan was to wait two days for the zombie virus to spread to the person below. They would then use the chaos to quietly leave the top floor and move down to the negative two floors.


The current situation was troublesome, no matter what Chen Tianju’s motives were.


Things were not looking good.


While Ye Nianchu was thinking, a crackling sound was followed by the lights going out above her head.


It wasn’t just the hotel; the entire city of Searle was plunged into darkness.


In an instant, all the streetlights under the night sky went out.


The temperature had been dropping over the past couple of days, and the weather was no longer as hot as before.


It was Day Nineteen of the game.


Ye Nianchu and Qin Mubai prepared to leave the top floor. Not knowing what they might face, they decided to use cold weapons to cut through the zombies in the corridor, saving their ammunition.


It was hard to leave the place they had stayed for so long. As soon as the door opened, the comfort of their life disappeared.


Outside, zombies looked over in unison, their eerie roars filling the air. Their black faces were fierce, some with half their bodies missing, yellow-green pus mixed with blackened blood clinging to their ribs.


Ye Nianchu swung her Tang sword, decapitating a zombie in front of her. Black blood splattered onto the luxurious carpet.


After this period of hot weather, the zombies’ bodies were badly decayed, and their brains were almost empty, making them easier to fight.


The once magnificent hotel was transformed quickly.


The smell of rotting corpses was overpowering. The decapitated zombies had bloodshot eyes and their mouths still moved in a chewing motion.


Fortunately, Qin Mubai had mentioned that the zombie virus wasn’t airborne. If it were, masks wouldn’t be enough, and they would need professional protective clothing.


Ye Nianchu was prepared but found protective clothing cumbersome.


As they crossed the bodies, they made extra cuts to ensure no zombie could pose a threat.


With the elevator out of order, they had to use the stairs. They took the staff passage and almost bumped into Chen Tianju’s men when descending two floors.


"Zhao Cheng, what’s the deal with that girl? She drags a little white face out and just runs. You say she ran away, but you still make such a fuss trying to find her."^[1]^



---


Footnote:


1. "Little white face" (小白脸, xiǎo báiliǎn) is a derogatory term used to describe a young man perceived as weak, inexperienced, or lacking in substance. It can also imply someone who is seen as pretty but ineffectual.

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