Room 220, second floor of the male dormitory.
This room, the closest to the west side, housed Hong Qi, a seasoned web novelist. With years of experience, Hong Qi had written five novels for a particular fanbase. He had recently started a new book and had been writing passionately, but when the apocalypse struck, his motivation waned. He decided to release the three chapters he had saved up.
As he skimmed the comments section, three comments caught his eye.
The first: "I don't like harem stories. I suggest writing without female protagonists."
The second: "To be honest, this book is really disappointing."
The third: "I'm indifferent to this genre."
Hong Qi was speechless. If you don't like this genre, why not just read something else? he thought. Is it necessary to leave three comments?
He wondered if the commenter was male or female. If it was a female reader, he could understand—female readers often didn't enjoy stories with multiple female leads. But if it was a male reader asking for no female protagonist at all, that was a bit strange. You want no female characters? Should I cater my writing to your personal preferences?
As an author who relied on modest royalties to get by, Hong Qi knew that stories with female protagonists appealed to a larger audience. He suspected the commenter might be a male troll or even someone sent by a rival website to mess with his mindset.
If the commenter was an old fan, though, it would hurt. I work hard to write, and all I get in return is disappointment? Perhaps the reader had high expectations.
Hong Qi thought about responding but decided against it. Readers were smart enough to form their own opinions, and those who enjoyed the book would stay. Those who didn't would leave. It was that simple.
It's the apocalypse anyway, Hong Qi sighed. Does it even matter?
He shut down his computer, stepped out onto the balcony, and breathed in the fresh air. The room had felt stifling, and he needed a break.
Suddenly, he noticed a large figure climbing over the dormitory wall. His heart jumped in fear. That's the fat kid! He was bitten by a demon monkey and turned into a zombie!
Hong Qi rushed back inside and shouted to his roommates, "Guys, run! There's a zombie downstairs!"
One of his roommates, a guy with a buzz cut, chuckled. "Hong Qi, don't scare us. The dorm is locked up tight. How could a zombie get in?"
"I'm serious! The fat kid is a zombie now, and he climbed over the wall!"
"Are you kidding? That fat kid turned into a zombie and climbed the wall?"
"Zombies don't climb walls!"
"Maybe it evolved. The demon monkey might be more dangerous than regular zombies, which could explain why it can climb."
"Yeah, I saw something in the livestream about it being a Tier-1 demon monkey."
"Stop talking and let's get out of here."
"Where are we going?"
"Let's head to the third floor and find Xian Moumou. He's a one-star psychic Awakened One. He should be able to deal with the fat kid."
The four roommates quickly fled Room 220 and headed for the stairs. Just as they reached the landing, screams echoed from below.
Someone had been bitten.
In Room 305, Xian Moumou was feeling better after taking a golden wound medicine given to him by Brother Su. "This stuff is amazing," Xian said, his spirits high. "I only took one pill, and I've fully recovered."
Liang Fu grinned, "Brother Su really looks out for us."
"Of course!" Xian Moumou replied proudly. "He's a true brother!"
Cai Cheng, another roommate, was envious. "Brother Su is living the good life, surrounded by three beautiful women."
Xian Moumou shot him a glare. "Cai Cheng, I warn you—don't even think about touching Brother Su's women, or you'll regret it."
Cai Cheng shuddered, "Master, you misunderstand! I'm just envious. I would never think of doing that."
Xian nodded, satisfied. "Good. Brother Su has earned his blessings. If you work hard and become stronger, you'll find your own girlfriend one day."
Cai Cheng and Liang Fu both nodded, not daring to think otherwise.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Knock knock knock.
"Open up, Brother Xian! Help us!"
Xian Moumou motioned for Liang Fu to open the door.
Liang Fu unlocked the door, revealing the four guys from Hong Qi's dorm.
Zhang Shan, one of the group, anxiously explained, "Brother Xian, the fat kid who was bitten by a demon monkey has turned into a zombie! He was pretending to be dead by the west wall, but now he's climbed it and entered the dormitory."
Li Shi chimed in, "Yeah, we just heard someone screaming from the first floor. I think someone's been bitten."
Wang Wu added, "There are many Awakened Ones in our dorm, but only you and Yuto Saito have one-star combat power. The rest of us are all zero-star. We can't handle the fat kid on our own."
Hong Qi, more concerned, finally spoke, "Brother Xian, are you feeling better?"
Xian Moumou was touched. The others had come straight to him to kill zombies, but only Hong Qi had asked about his health.
With a smile, Xian Moumou reassured them, "I'm feeling much better. Let's go check it out together."