Edge of the Apocalypse
Chapter 15 - 13: The Apocalypse Arrives

Chapter 15: Chapter 13: The Apocalypse Arrives

"If you’re all in a hurry, you can take the elevator down to the underground passage. I’ll raise the gate on that side so you can come and go through there for now."

Hearing that property management had a solution, the residents, though still grumbling and cursing, went about their business.

After all, it wasn’t like they were completely trapped. It would be foolish to just wait around for maintenance.

’They said an hour... but it’ll be a miracle if they fix it in three.’

Just then, a lean, tattooed man returned.

"Goddammit! Who the hell locked the main gate to Building One! I just stepped out for a bit, and now I can’t get back in my own damn home!"

"Huh?"

Sister Zhang, not expecting more trouble, quickly tried to placate him. "How about you go through Building Two and cut across the underground garage?"

"Through the garage, my ass! I’m gonna find out which son of a bitch did this. You guys have security cameras, right? The main gate is on video, isn’t it? Let me see who it was. When I get my hands on them, I’ll beat the shit out of them, then shove it in their mouth and make them swallow!"

Cursing, Jiang Xupeng started dragging Sister Zhang toward the property management office to pull up the security footage.

"Um... we need a manager’s approval to review the footage. Let’s just wait for him to get here."

"I’m already pissed off. Don’t make me slap you!"

Jiang Xupeng’s eyes flashed with menace. Sister Zhang recalled his reputation... and shuddered in fear. He then dragged her to the office to pull up the footage.

On the way, she quickly called Liang Mian.

"Liang, get back here, quick! There’s trouble at the complex!"

If anyone was causing a scene, Liang Mian was the only one who could get them under control.

Yu Dong lowered his binoculars.

’A bit of a commotion.’

The time was 6:40. Only twenty minutes remained until the S-virus outbreak.

Yu Dong’s phone began to ring.

Huang Zhiqiang: "Hey, Dongzi, where are you? I’m here. How come I don’t see you?"

The senior from 4003: "Dongzi, are you almost here? Call me if you can’t find the building."

Yu Dong told them both he was almost there and hung up.

Now, he had to observe. Meticulously.

He needed to see exactly what would happen when the S-virus outbreak began.

’Will there really be no warning signs?’

After a period of shouting and Sister Zhang’s reassurances, the crowd at the gate had thinned out. People either went back home or left through the underground garage.

Only the biggest troublemaker, Jiang Xupeng, was still shouting over by the management office.

Yu Dong saw him.

Or rather... Yu Dong had noticed him a long time ago.

’Jiang Xupeng, tenant of Apartment 703 in Building One. Unemployed. Been in the detention center several times for fighting. Likes to hire prostitutes. Keeps erratic hours, source of income unknown...’

With just a few inquiries, anyone from property management or the long-time residents would know about a guy like that.

During his investigation, Yu Dong had discovered that Jiang Xupeng also lived in Building One, so he had decided to do whatever he could to keep him isolated outside the building.

Whether Jiang Xupeng turned into a zombie or not, he was a threat to Yu Dong.

Just moments ago, when he was sealing off Building One, he had managed to lock Jiang Xupeng out.

This was undoubtedly good news for Yu Dong.

Time passed. A few more property management staff returned to calm the residents, but the maintenance technician still hadn’t arrived...

At 6:57, Liang Mian returned on his electric scooter.

He parked the scooter at the base of the perimeter wall, used it as a springboard, and launched himself upward. He grabbed the top of the three-meter-high wall, performed a flawless muscle-up to pull himself over, and then leaped down into the residential complex.

The whole sequence was incredibly fluid.

Yu Dong: ’...An athlete-turned-zombie.’

’Suddenly, the third floor doesn’t feel so safe anymore. The fourth floor is a better bet... Thank you, fate. And thank you, Liu Ye’ye.’

"What happened? Who did this?"

Liang Mian asked as he ran into the property management office.

"We found him. Look! It’s someone in a hat and a mask. Does anyone recognize him?" Sister Zhang said, pointing at the ’masked man’ on the monitor.

No one else recognized anything about the figure.

Liang Mian narrowed his eyes. He thought the figure... looked a little familiar.

"Sister Zhang, it looks like... I’m not really sure, but it could be... Never mind, I can’t tell."

’I must be mistaken,’ Liang Mian thought. ’After all, how could a well-behaved college student like him do something so malicious?’

But then, suddenly, everything went quiet. A faint, metallic scent of blood drifted through the air.

DRIP.

A stream of dark, purplish-red blood trickled from Sister Zhang’s nose, dripping onto the floor.

"Sister Zhang? Sister Zhang, your nose is bleeding!"

Liang Mian gently shook her and pulled out a tissue to offer her.

Sister Zhang snapped her head up, revealing a savage, blood-smeared face as she lunged at Liang Mian.

"AHHH!"

’It’s 7 o’clock.’

Yu Dong glanced at his watch.

Just then, most of the people still outside in the complex suddenly froze. Blood dripped from their noses as their bodies began to contort. Then, they lunged at the living!

Piercing screams erupted from the complex, the streets, and the nearby seashore.

The stench of blood erupted from every corner of Yanhai City, mingling in the air to form a single, nauseating miasma.

The apocalypse had arrived.