Yesterday, Di Ping had been terrifying. He slaughtered the mutated dogs with the ease of chopping vegetables, drenched in blood and looking completely insane. The others weren't very familiar with him yet, having only known him for a short time. They saw Di Ping's serious demeanor, especially when he sliced off Wang Delin's hand with a single sword strike. Inwardly, everyone was somewhat afraid of him. They all knew that someone had stood guard last night, so it was impossible for Di Ping to do anything to Yu Shujie. Still, seeing her come out of Di Ping's room was unexpected, and someone joked about it. Li Sheng, in particular, began to show his mischievous side after getting close to Di Ping, and he made a teasing remark.
When the others saw Di Ping in a fluster, sweating and at a loss for words, urgently explaining himself, they realized he was just a big, friendly guy from the neighborhood. This decisive and ruthless young man was not frightening, but rather a bit endearing. The tension lifted, and everyone laughed heartily.
"Ah… you guys are such jerks, actually making fun of me!" Di Ping realized they had been teasing him, and his heart warmed, knowing they truly regarded him as a brother. He thought to himself, "Well, if you guys are ganging up on me, I'll have a little fun with you too." He put on a serious face and declared, "Alright, I've decided to clear the area today. You guys go ahead and lead the way!"
"Ah!" The fat guy, who was eating a steamed bun, dropped it to the table with a loud crash and screamed, then immediately looked at Di Ping, his innocent eyes filled with endless pity. "Di Bro, I'm all yours at over two hundred pounds, please don't feed me to the mutated dogs!"
"You damn fatso, how gross! Alright, alright, stop it! Just eat! If you keep this up, I won't be able to eat anymore!" Cheng Chao scolded, his face full of irritation.
Everyone burst out laughing again. The fat guy was the group's comic relief; his antics always made them laugh, though his attempts at being cute were a bit off-putting. It was always amusing, but at times, a bit irritating.
Soon, Yu Shujie came out of her room holding little Nan. Her expression seemed normal, as if nothing had happened, but the redness in her ears betrayed that she wasn't as calm as she appeared. The others sensed it was time to stop the teasing, so they let the matter rest.
...
"Yu Jie, today we're going out to clear the floors and gather food. You should stay behind and watch over the house with Nan," Di Ping said after everyone had finished eating.
"Alright, I guess I can't be much help," Yu Shujie replied, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"Watching the house is important too. Don't open the door for anyone when we're gone," Di Ping smiled and reassured her.
The fat guy and his three companions had long been ready, holding their weapons and waiting for Di Ping. Di Ping glanced at their weapons with a mix of amusement and disbelief. The fat guy was still holding a steel rod, Li Sheng had a baseball bat, Cheng Chao wielded a long steel pipe over a meter long, and Luo Quan had a shovel with white ash on it, probably from his usual work. Although Di Ping was dissatisfied with their choices, there was little he could do. With the workshop still inactive and no way to forge better weapons, they'd have to make do for now.
As they left the house, Di Ping instructed Yu Shujie to lock the door. His first priority was to clear the building and ensure a safe place for everyone.
The building on this floor only had two apartments—his own and the one on the left. He wasn't sure if anyone was still in the neighboring apartment, as there had been no noise. It was the perfect time to check and clear the area.
The group stood in front of the door, and Di Ping gestured for Cheng Chao to knock. Why Cheng Chao? Among them, Cheng Chao had the most approachable face—he looked upright and had an easy demeanor, so he would make the residents feel more comfortable.
"Knock, knock… Is anyone there?" Cheng Chao nodded and knocked gently.
He knocked for more than ten times, but there was no response. Di Ping listened intently but heard no sound from inside. It seemed no one was there.
"Fat guy, when you were gathering people last time, was this apartment included?" Di Ping asked the fat guy in a low voice.
"Di Bro, last time we knocked, no one answered. I thought no one lived there," the fat guy replied, remembering the incident just a couple of days ago.
"No, someone lives here. I heard noises from this apartment the night before last," Di Ping recalled.
"So what now, Di Bro?" Cheng Chao knocked a few more times but still received no answer. He turned to Di Ping with a helpless expression.
"Step aside!" Di Ping walked up to the door and grabbed the handle. The doors in this community opened outward, making them hard to break down by force, and this design also kept mutated rats and dogs from easily entering.
He gripped the door handle with both hands, pulling gently a few times. The door barely moved, but he noticed some dust falling from the frame. That gave him an idea. He adjusted his stance, took a deep breath, and put all his strength into his shoulders.
"Hi…"
With a sharp exertion, the door creaked violently. The frame groaned as the steel reinforcement bent, and the cement above cracked and fell. Di Ping pushed the door aside, wiped the dust off his hands, and unsheathed his sword.
"Let's go."
He turned to signal the group to enter, but when he looked back, everyone was staring at him, wide-eyed as though they had seen a monster. It wasn't surprising—what kind of strength did it take to pull a door open like that? The steel frame had been bent, and the concrete had shattered. They had seen Di Ping in a berserk state before, but they hadn't imagined he was this strong.
"Di Bro! Are you sure you're not Superman?" The fat guy gulped and reached out to pinch Di Ping's arm, as if checking if he was real.
"I'm human, alright? Enough with the jokes, get in! Stay close, and be careful!" Di Ping slapped the fat guy's hand away and motioned for the others to follow.
The apartment they entered was similar to Di Ping's, but the décor was more luxurious—still a Western style, but the furnishings were extravagant. The room was very neat, with a faint perfume scent lingering in the air. It was obviously a woman's home. Di Ping entered cautiously, sword in hand, feeling a strange sensation about the place. Something felt off.
"Di… Di Bro, there's a dead body!" The fat guy suddenly screamed.
"Quiet!" Di Ping was startled by the scream, but quickly hissed at him to lower his voice.
The body was a woman, dressed in a black leisure nightgown, reclining on a brown leather sofa. Her face was tilted back, her long, dark hair cascading over one side of the sofa. She looked like she was staring at them, her face pale, with her eyes wide open. Bloodstains on her lips had dripped all the way down to her shoulders, dried and blackened.
As Di Ping approached, he noticed her chest was torn open in several places, exposing her white flesh. The area was a bloody mess, as though her chest had been gouged out, with her internal organs spilling onto the sofa. Despite having witnessed the brutality of mutated animals, this sight made even Di Ping's stomach churn.
"Ugh…" The fat guy couldn't hold it in any longer and vomited.
"Ugh!" Di Ping tried to suppress his discomfort, his eyes narrowing as he studied the woman's wounds. "These are scratches from animal claws."
"Be careful, there might be mutated cats here!"
Suddenly, Di Ping's expression shifted. He remembered this woman. She rarely went out, only descending to the supermarket occasionally. He had seen her no more than five times in the two months he had lived here. He recalled her always carrying a small white cat.
Di Ping scanned the room, noticing no broken windows. The cat was likely still inside, hiding somewhere. He hadn't seen a mutated cat before, and he wasn't sure how dangerous it would be. Cats, however, were known for being stealthy hunters, and they could strike quickly when the opportunity arose.
Di Ping felt a surge of unease. He didn't like being watched. He was confident facing powerful opponents, but a cat was a different kind of threat—silent, quick, and deadly.
The others noticed the exaggerated wounds on the woman's body and immediately gripped their weapons, on high alert. The fat guy stopped vomiting, scanning the room nervously.
Di Ping glanced upward, noticing the ceiling was flat. The cat would have no space to hide up there, so he just had to watch the surroundings carefully.
"You guys stay outside and block the door!" Di Ping decided that these people weren't going to be much help in the room, and he needed to focus on keeping them safe.
"Di Bro, we'll stay and help!" The fat guy waved his weapon nervously.
"No need, go outside. That way, I can focus on the cat and make sure it doesn't escape!" Di Ping smiled reassuringly.
"Okay, Di Bro. Stay safe!" The others reluctantly agreed and slowly retreated.
They lifted the door, pushing it back into place while Di Ping stayed by the door, his sharp eyes scanning every corner.
"Close it tight! Hurry!" Di Ping suddenly barked.
He positioned his sword and focused on the study. He had seen a flash of white in the room and knew the cat was smart. It had been watching them, aware of what they were trying to do.
"It's too late!" Di Ping muttered softly.
The white cat had been waiting for an opportunity to escape. It saw that the group was preoccupied with blocking the door, and it knew it had to act quickly.
Without hesitation, the cat leaped into action, hoping to make it out before the door was sealed.