After about ten minutes—just as Zhu Jiu's patience was wearing thin—there was finally some movement behind the heavy meeting room door.
"You can come in, but that man must hand over his weapons first," came a cold, shrill voice.
"Zhu Jiu, I'm sorry about this," Wang Huannian said, stunned but mostly disappointed.
He glanced at the closed door, then turned back to Zhu Jiu. "Let's leave. There's no point dealing with these people anymore."
Zhu Jiu was mildly surprised by Wang's words. He had expected the teacher to try to persuade him to disarm and enter, in which case Zhu Jiu would've left on the spot, cutting ties with him entirely.
It's one thing to be kind-hearted and selfless, but blind loyalty to unworthy people? That's unforgivable.
As the two turned to leave, a sharp, angry voice rang out from inside the room.
"Wang Huannian, what do you think you're doing!?" screeched a woman. "Are you defying me, the director? I told you to bring back food, and not only did you fail, but you brought a stranger here instead! Do you want us all to starve? And now you have the audacity to throw a tantrum?"
The voice was so pompous that Zhu Jiu couldn't help but chuckle coldly. Still playing the role of 'Director' in the apocalypse?
In this world, your title means nothing. Even if you were the principal, so what?
This woman probably thought she was still the center of attention, that the world should revolve around her.
Wang Huannian was visibly angered. "I brought back enough food for 200 people to last several days, but it doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Zhu Jiu. Whether he's willing to share or not is entirely his choice."
"You ungrateful traitor!" the woman snapped, throwing open the door and stepping out. "Don't forget, you're still part of Linshui School! Everything you have today, you owe to the school. And don't forget, I'm your superior. Show some respect!"
The woman, presumably Director Lu, was a striking beauty—oval face, almond-shaped eyes, a figure that radiated both elegance and allure. Yet her words and tone left an entirely different impression: arrogant and self-absorbed.
Wang Huannian struggled to retort. His face flushed with frustration, but he wasn't good at arguing, and his words faltered under her aggressive scolding.
Zhu Jiu gave Director Lu a fleeting glance and continued walking downstairs without a word. She wasn't worth his time.
"Stop right there!" Lu yelled, her voice shrill with authority. "What are you planning to do with those weapons? Put them down this instant!"
Zhu Jiu paused mid-step, turning back. His voice was ice-cold.
"What did you say?"
In a flash, his blade was at her throat, the sharp edge biting into her delicate, pale skin. A thin line of crimson welled up along the blade's path, dripping down to stain her collarbone.
"Say that again. I didn't quite catch it," Zhu Jiu said, his voice low and chilling.
Director Lu froze, her body trembling violently. She was utterly unprepared for this. Her life up to this point had been one of privilege and admiration, where she was fawned over by her peers and superiors alike. She'd never been spoken to harshly, let alone had her life threatened.
Her lips quivered, but no words came out. Her usually confident almond eyes were now wide with fear.
From behind the door, a man's calm voice interrupted.
"Young man, let's not resort to violence. We can talk this out, can't we?"
The voice belonged to a middle-aged man who emerged from the room. He was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, complete with gold-rimmed glasses and a well-groomed mustache—an image of composure even amidst the chaos of the apocalypse.
"I'm Lu Linshui, the school's primary investor and chairman of the board. Surely we can resolve this without bloodshed."
Lu's demeanor was polite, almost disarming. But Zhu Jiu didn't lower his blade.
"Talk? There's nothing to discuss," Zhu Jiu said with a cold laugh. "You people act like parasites. Wang Huannian risked his life to find food while you all stayed holed up in here, reaping the rewards. Why would I trust snakes like you? Collaborating with you would just be asking to get stabbed in the back."
Lu Linshui's pleasant expression stiffened for a moment but quickly returned to normal.
"Well, if that's how you feel, then I won't force it," he said, retreating slightly. "But let's be realistic. If you make enemies of everyone here, there's no way the two of you will make it out alive."
"Oh?" Zhu Jiu chuckled. "You think a hundred starving students count as fighting force? They're nothing but liabilities."
Lu Linshui's bluff was punctured, but he didn't seem fazed. "Fair enough," he admitted with a shrug. "But we do have a handful of capable people—people with abilities. Surely you wouldn't want to test us?"
Zhu Jiu smirked. "Fine, I'll make this simple. Give me the students from Wang Huannian's class, and I'll be on my way. I don't want anything to do with your lot. That woman," he said, tilting his head toward Director Lu, "is just dead weight. Keep her."
Director Lu's face turned bright red with anger, but fear kept her silent.
Lu Linshui's smile widened as though he had won. "Very well, wait here."
A short time later, eight students—five boys and three girls—were escorted out. Their faces lit up with relief when they saw Wang Huannian, as if they had been reunited with family.
Lu Linshui gestured toward the group. "Here are your students. Now, will you kindly release her?"
Zhu Jiu sheathed his blade and stepped back. "Go on," he said to Director Lu.
Director Lu glared at him, her almond eyes brimming with anger, but she dared not say a word. She quickly retreated into the meeting room.
"Take care out there," Lu Linshui called out, his tone warm and sincere. "You're always welcome to return to Linshui School."
Zhu Jiu didn't respond, merely shaking his head with a faint smirk. This man was cunning—still playing politics, even in the apocalypse.
Back at the Classroom
Once Zhu Jiu and the group returned to the classroom, they were greeted by Ruan Qingyan, Fatty, and Zhang Xinyu. The students quickly huddled together, relieved to be among friends again.
Fatty clenched his fists in anger as he listened to the students' stories of what they'd endured under Lu Linshui and his cronies. Meanwhile, Ruan Qingyan's eyes welled with sympathy, and Zhang Xinyu seemed lost in thought, his face darkened with worry.
Zhu Jiu wasted no time. "We don't have the luxury of resting. The second wave of the apocalypse is coming tomorrow. If we're not prepared, none of this will matter."
His voice was steady but commanding, pulling everyone's attention back to the grim reality they faced.