Roar...
Jiang Xing tightly gripped the stick, turning just in time to see the blue-shirted zombie lunging at her.
Her vision blurred, and it felt as though she had lost all her senses. She could no longer hear anything but the snarling of the approaching zombie.
As the zombie grabbed her, Jiang Xing was overwhelmed by shock and fear. She had just saved that man, and now he was going to push her into danger...
When facing death, the ability to think disappears, and everything goes blank as if frozen.
But Jiang Xing wasn't ready to die. She was terrified, but her body reacted on instinct. In a flash of desperation, she summoned every ounce of strength to fling herself to the side, miraculously escaping the zombie's grip.
Lin Xiwang and Xiao Jin used their sticks to fend off another zombie, and the three of them rushed headlong into the convenience store, barely making it inside.
The man, who had entered first, quickly slammed the door shut, pushing a counter to block it. The store was shielded by the glass walls, and the door was barricaded tightly.
Smash! Smash!
The zombies repeatedly slammed into the glass, creating a network of cracks, but fortunately, the glass was strong enough to hold off the initial wave of assaults.
The shrieks and chaotic pounding continued, but the zombies didn't manage to break through, giving everyone inside a moment to breathe. They collapsed to the floor in the corner of the store.
"We're safe, right?" Yue Zhihao said breathlessly, turning to his friend.
"Yes, yes..." Zhao Jingyi replied, shaking her head, her face still covered in sweat. She leaned against Jiang Xing, who had moved to the side, observing the others.
Jiang Xing crashed into a shelf as she stumbled into the store, still feeling the rush of adrenaline and fear. Xiao Jin quickly rushed over to check on her, but before he could say anything, the strange man stepped forward and punched him in the shoulder.
But the man was not a friendly sort. He glanced at Xiao Jin, then suddenly swung his fist, landing a punch squarely on Xiao Jin's face and knocking him down.
"What do you think you're doing?" Luo Jian shouted, alarmed by the man's aggressive behavior. He quickly stepped in front of Xiao Jin, blocking the man from approaching further.
"Idiot," the man sneered, not even sparing Xiao Jin a second glance.
"Why are you calling people names? Can't you explain yourself?" Luo Jian pressed, trying to maintain his composure but still standing firmly between Xiao Jin and the man.
"Him!" Lin Xiwang stood up, trembling with anger as she pointed at the man. "He almost got Jiang Xing killed!"
Luo Jian turned to Lin Xiwang, confused. "What? What are you talking about? You need to make sense, Lin Xiwang. Don't make random accusations!"
"I'm not lying. Xiao Jin and I both saw it! When the zombies came at us, he grabbed Jiang Xing and pushed her right toward the zombie. If she hadn't reacted quickly, she would have been bitten!"
"Is that true, Xiao Jin?" Luo Jian turned to Jiang Xing, who was still panting with frustration. "Xiao Jiang, is it true?"
"Yes, it is." Jiang Xing nodded, lifting her head to glare at the man. "Why did you do that?"
"Why?" the man chuckled, "Because I didn't want to die."
He glanced at the group, his tone light but his words chilling. "If a zombie lunges at you, and you push someone else in its way, you'll survive. Isn't that exactly what any of you would do if it meant saving your own life?"
"Who gave you the right to treat people like that!" Lin Xiwang stepped forward and shoved him.
The man smirked, raising his hand as if he was about to slap her, but Jiang Xing quickly grabbed his wrist and pulled him away from Lin Xiwang.
"That's enough."
Jiang Xing held onto Lin Xiwang's arm, trying to calm her down. "Alright, I'm fine."
Jiang Xing helped Xiao Jin up and asked Lin Xiwang to find some medicine. Since this was the company's convenience store, it had more than just snacks; there were also some basic supplies, including first aid kits and pain relievers.
"Tch." The man saw them rummaging around but didn't bother saying anything. He lazily found a corner to lean against, distancing himself from the group.
Everyone else kept their distance from him, avoiding eye contact, clearly not wanting to provoke him.
"Jiang Xing, are you just going to let him off?" Lin Xiwang asked, still looking upset.
"Of course not," Jiang Xing replied calmly as she applied some ointment to Xiao Jin's bruise, pressing a bit harder than necessary.
"Ouch—hey, don't take your anger out on me!" Xiao Jin winced in pain, trying to lighten the mood.
"Stop whining." Jiang Xing grabbed a wet tissue and rubbed at the man's bloodstained shirt, crumpling it up afterward. "He's not our friend, but right now, it's best not to antagonize him."
"Why?" Lin Xiwang didn't understand.
"That guy isn't an ordinary person, or at least, he's not from our company."
"Huh, how did you figure that out?"
"Think about it. Everyone else here, whether regular employees or even interns, has been assigned to a department. Even those who joined today know where they belong. There's no way someone could be unaware," Jiang Xing explained.
Xiao Jin thought back carefully and realized she was right.
"Plus, he looks like someone who isn't just fit, but who has had training. You saw how easily he handled those zombies earlier. I have a feeling that, even if all of us teamed up, we wouldn't be able to beat him."
Jiang Xing added with a serious tone, "And most importantly, he has a knife."
When she said this, Xiao Jin visibly shuddered. After all, that man had already shown he wasn't afraid to use it, and facing off against him would be dangerous.
Lin Xiwang still felt uneasy. Apart from Jiang Xing, she was the one who had the most confrontations with the man. "So what do we do? Just let it slide? He'll probably cause trouble sooner or later."
"Of course, we can't just let it slide." Jiang Xing picked up a pack of pastries and milk from the floor, unwrapped them, and took a bite, speaking casually, "Why don't you all eat something first? Hungry?"
She was trying to lighten the mood, and it worked. The tension in the air lessened a bit. Hunger started to creep up, and the others began to eat from the store's supplies as well.
Jiang Xing's suggestion was well-timed. As soon as she said it, the other two also realized they were hungry and slowly began to eat.
The zombies outside had disappeared at some point, seemingly lured away by other sounds. Now, the convenience store was filled with the quiet noises of people eating and the muffled howling of the wind outside.
It was the peak of typhoon season, and G City's first wave in June was usually intense, with strong enough winds to blow over small animals.
So the noise from outside, resembling the sound of soldiers marching, could very well have been what drew the zombies away.
Jiang Xing finished her pastry, got up to look for more food, and found a rack filled with various items. She grabbed a bag of instant noodles she liked and noticed that the opposite rack hadn't been disturbed. Turning around, she saw the man leaning against it.
He stood with his back to the shelf, staring at something, but it was hard to tell what he was looking at. Strangely, it seemed as if he was focused on the empty air in front of him.
Jiang Xing curiously moved closer to get a better look, but as she approached, she suddenly felt a cold, clammy hand grasp her shoulder.