Girls' Dormitory, Room 202
Mina received a message from one of the school teachers, asking if any of them had awakened special abilities.
Mina turned to the other three girls and asked, "Orange, Ruoruo, Nazi, the teacher is asking if we've awakened. Should we tell her?"
Ruoruo, looking concerned, replied, "Wait, I think something's off."
Orange asked, "What do you mean?"
Ruoruo continued, "Why is the teacher asking about this? What if they're planning to round up all the awakened students?"
Zhang Feina nodded, "That's possible."
Mina thought for a moment and suggested, "Orange, you have the talent for listening. Can you use your ability to eavesdrop on what's happening in the principal's office?"
Orange nodded slightly, "Sure."
The girls' dormitory was only about 500 meters from the principal's office, well within Orange's one-kilometer hearing range. She activated her listening ability, focusing on the distant sounds. She could hear various noises—the chatter in other dorm rooms, birds chirping outside, even the distant groan of zombies.
Her consciousness extended to the principal's office, where she tuned into the conversation between Principal Chen and his secretary, Xiaoyu.
Principal Chen asked, "Xiaoyu, how are the statistics coming along?"
Xiaoyu replied, "The statistics aren't complete yet, but we've already identified 29 awakened students."
A smile spread across Principal Chen's face. "There are about 3,000 students at our school, and 29 have already awakened. That's nearly a 1% awakening rate."
Xiaoyu added, "And the count isn't over yet. There are surely more."
Principal Chen suddenly laughed, a hint of something sinister in his voice.
Xiaoyu, curious, asked, "Principal, why are you so happy?"
Principal Chen replied, "If I can get these awakened students under my control, I could carve out my own territory in this apocalypse. I could be an emperor, and you... you could be my queen."
Xiaoyu blinked, smiling coyly. "Really?"
Principal Chen nodded, "We need to figure out how to make them all loyal to us."
Xiaoyu suggested, "Maybe we could gather them in the name of the army?"
Principal Chen shook his head, "No, summoning them like that would be too obvious. We need a more subtle approach. Keep gathering information on who's awakened and bring me the full list."
"Yes, Principal," Xiaoyu agreed.
Principal Chen then leaned in closer, placing a hand on Xiaoyu's shoulder. "Come to my room tonight."
Xiaoyu blushed and smiled, "Okay."
Orange quickly returned to her body, her face pale with the realization of what she had overheard.
Mina asked urgently, "What did you hear?"
Orange replied, "Thank goodness Ruoruo was suspicious! Our principal is an absolute scumbag!"
Ruoruo pressed, "Orange, what happened? Tell us everything!"
Orange explained, "I heard the principal telling his secretary that he wants to gather the awakened students to use them for his own gain. He's planning to establish power in this apocalypse, even dreaming of becoming an emperor. What a joke!"
Mina's expression darkened. "He really said that?"
Orange nodded, "Absolutely. The secretary said there are already 29 awakened students, and there are more to find."
Zhang Feina was surprised, "That many awakened people at our school?"
Orange replied, "It makes sense. We already know of several, and the four of us haven't even been counted yet."
Ruoruo decided, "We definitely shouldn't report our abilities. We'll just say we didn't awaken anything."
Mina agreed, "I think that's the best course of action. We need to stay under the radar."
Orange added, "And don't mention my listening ability to anyone. If people know, they'll always be on guard around me."
The other girls nodded in agreement. They all realized the value in keeping Orange's ability a secret.
Zhang Feina added, "I think it's also smart to hide my flying ability. It could be our trump card if we need to escape."
Mina nodded, "Right. If we encounter zombies, Ruoruo and I will handle it. The two of you should keep your abilities hidden for now."
Ruoruo smiled, "Let's just pretend the four of us are ordinary. If we really get into trouble, Mina and I will take care of it."
Mina confirmed, "That's the plan."
Mina quickly replied to the teacher's message: "Teacher, there are no awakened students in our dormitory."
In Beijing, at the Zhang Family Estate
In the luxurious courtyard, the old housekeeper, Li Qiang, hurriedly entered the hall, panic evident on his face. "Master, Madam, terrible news! The young master has been killed!"
"What!" The middle-aged man in the hall roared in fury, his expression darkening with rage.
Beside him, a woman trembled, her voice breaking into sobs. "My Kui'er!"
Zhang Kui was their only son.
The middle-aged man, Zhang Bafeng, was well-connected in Beijing. The woman, Liu Panpan, was equally influential. They had both doted on Zhang Kui, allowing him to become arrogant and domineering at school.
Zhang Bafeng glared at the old housekeeper and demanded, "Who killed Kui'er? Li Qiang, tell me everything!"
Li Qiang took a deep breath and reported, "Master, I just received a call from A-Dong, a friend of the young master. He said that Zhang Kui was killed by a young man named Yuto Saito at noon today."
He continued, "There was a black mist that swept through the school, turning some people into zombies. The classroom was in chaos. The young master saw a girl who seemed to be turning into a zombie—she was sweating profusely and looked terrified. He picked up a chair, planning to kill her before she could turn."
"But Yuto Saito, who turns out to be an awakened, controlled the chair with his power and smashed it into the young master, killing him instantly."
As the housekeeper finished his report, Zhang Bafeng's face grew even darker, his anger boiling over. "Yuto Saito! I, Zhang Bafeng, will never forgive you!"
Liu Panpan cried out, "That girl was clearly about to become a zombie! What did Kui'er do wrong? That Yuto Saito had no right to kill him. This is outright murder!"
Li Qiang added, "Master, it's said that the girl was very beautiful, and the young master had tried to pursue her before, but she rejected him."
Liu Panpan's eyes flashed with venom. "A femme fatale! That girl must be in cahoots with Yuto Saito. What's her name?"
Li Qiang replied, "According to A-Dong, her name is Ni Shuang."
Liu Panpan's voice was cold as ice. "Yuto Saito, Ni Shuang, you killed my son. I will make you pay with your lives!"
Zhang Bafeng turned to the housekeeper, "Contact every killer organization and bounty hunter you can find. Spare no expense. I want revenge for Kui'er!"
Li Qiang bowed deeply, "Yes, Master!"