Downstairs, Charlotte was engrossed in watching the variety show, unaware that Tucker and Belle were wandering around the corridor.
It wasn't until after nine o'clock, when she couldn't fight off sleep any longer, that she turned off the TV and sent them upstairs to rest.
"Go to sleep now. The TV will be on all day tomorrow!"
Jeremy and Leo reluctantly headed upstairs.
Charlotte called Bear to clean up the lobby. She stretched, preparing to lock the door.
"System, how many points did we earn today?"
[Today's revenue: 820, current progress: 5909/8000]
Charlotte was surprised that she was about to level up again so soon after upgrading.
She definitely had to thank Jeremy for his generous support!
She planned to have "wealthy customers" make longer reservations in the future, which would surely bring in points quickly!
In a good mood, Charlotte hummed a tune as she grasped the doorknob, ready to lock up for the night. She casually glanced at the broken window of a nearby shop and paused, then opened the door again.
"Are you planning to stay the night? We're about to close."
After a few silent seconds, an old woman with disheveled hair peeked out, her tangled hair like a messy nest atop her head.
"Stay? How much does it cost?" the old woman asked, trembling as she looked around nervously. The night had fallen, and zombies would start roaming; they couldn't stay on the streets.
Tucker and Belle had entered this inn and hadn't come out. Was this really a place to stay overnight?
The old woman hid the boy behind her, trembling like a cornered mouse.
"Yes, we offer accommodation. A single room costs just 30 points per person," Charlotte said, taking out a flashlight to illuminate the street.
Seeing the old woman flinch back in fear, Charlotte spoke gently, "Don't worry, it's just to light your way. Do you need a place to stay? If not, we'll be closing."
Charlotte was actually just trying to see what the old woman was hiding.
In the bright light, she saw it was a boy, about ten years old. His thin face made his chin look sharp, and his lips were pressed into a straight line. His big eyes, like black obsidian, glimmered in the light.
Although he was scared, he was trying his best to keep his body from trembling. His eyes were locked onto Charlotte, body tense, like an arrow on a drawn bow, ready to shoot at any moment.
Charlotte withdrew her gaze, losing interest. After counting silently to ten, she saw they hadn't moved, so she shut the door.
With a click, she locked it and turned off the light, instructing Bear to keep watch. If there was any movement, he should subdue the intruders before informing her.
After all, the inn's defense system was always active, so Charlotte wasn't worried. As long as the troublemakers couldn't escape, it was fine.
Outside, the two hiding in the rundown shop saw that the lady owner didn't invite them in warmly but instead closed the door and returned to sleep.
For a moment, they stared at the inn, which was so different from the surrounding buildings, not daring to let their guard down.
"Did you see? Tucker and his daughter went in and didn't come out, right?" the old woman whispered, afraid of attracting zombies.
The boy nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the inn's brightly lit windows, revealing its exquisite interior.
Bright floors, clean and comfortable sofas, a row of brand-new machines, and the water dispenser still glowing at the front.
What were those two machines for? Why were their screens lit?
Earlier, Tucker had taken something from one of them, looking shocked and delighted.
That machine must hold some secret!
He noticed the woman only used a simple lock on the door, and the glass didn't look bulletproof. Maybe when they were asleep, he could smash it with a rock to see?
The boy seriously considered the possibility but soon gave up.
He had been hungry for days and was lucky to make it here safely with his mother. If he broke the glass, they wouldn't get far. Forget it.
The boy shifted his focus, ready to find a relatively safe place to spend the night.
Though he and his mother rarely lived outside the base, he'd heard plenty of stories from Xiao Jie.
The priority was finding somewhere safe to avoid the rampaging zombies at night.
Pulling his mother along, he cautiously looked at the inn, ready to leave for a safer place.
Suddenly, a large bear walked out from the inn's shadows, its fluffy body and two long legs stepping to the door, its head slowly turning, observing with its black-bead eyes.
Caught off guard, the boy found himself staring directly into the bear's eyes, his body freezing as cold sweat dripped down his back.
What... what was that?!
A sense of danger crept up his neck, leaving him unable to move.
He remembered hearing that some people had abilities to control beasts, which they fed in exchange for protection, to prevent being devoured.
Could they be unlucky enough to encounter such a beast?
Sweat poured from his forehead as the boy focused on gathering green energy at his fingertips.
His ability was forced communication, effective only against those with lower levels.
Unfortunately, this was meant for use against ability users, as zombies didn't have minds to communicate with.
This led to teams not only being unwilling to take him but also actively avoiding him.
The boy, sweating profusely, placed the green energy on his forehead, eyes locking onto Bear, praying the bear's level wasn't too high and hoping he could communicate with it, though it seemed unlikely...
"Monster... come quickly..."
The boy froze. Did he just hear a voice?
Could it be that forced communication succeeded?!
"Repeat what you just said," the boy said, suppressing his excitement. What monster?
"The monsters... eat... a lot... come quickly."
The electronic voice echoed in his mind, and this time he understood.
Monster? Did it mean zombies? Are they coming? And a lot of them?!
The boy's face turned pale, his hands and feet cold as he pulled his mother's hand, ready to run.
They hadn't gone far before he stopped.
Where could they run? There was nowhere to hide!
The boy vaguely heard chaotic sounds from the outer street, mingled with the roaring of rampaging zombies. What should they do...
His mother, seeing his state, guessed something was wrong. Her face turned ashen, and her eyes lost their light.
The zombie horde drew closer, their roars seemingly right in their ears.
The boy's legs trembled as he tried to drag his mother into a nearby shop.
Several zombies appeared at the end of the street.
Tonight's moonlight was dazzlingly bright. From this distance, the boy could clearly see the zombies' skinless, dark-gray muscular faces, bulging eyes, and sharp teeth, opening wide to roar at them, stumbling and rushing over.
"Run... run, my dear..."