Edge of the Apocalypse
Chapter 37 - 35: Zhao Yun Ran Away

Chapter 37: Chapter 35: Zhao Yun Ran Away

「Day 14 of the Apocalypse.」

When Yu Dong woke up and looked outside, he saw two new, unfamiliar zombies down in the residential complex.

It wasn’t many, and they were just your average, run-of-the-mill zombies.

Yu Dong and Zhou lured them over and stabbed them to death through the door.

The smell outside had gotten worse.

A foul stench had completely enveloped Building 1.

Yu Dong and the others, living on the third floor, didn’t even dare to open their windows anymore.

"I can’t take this. If this keeps up, it’s going to be unbearable. Why don’t we go out and move the bodies?"

The stench made Zhou’s eyes water. This was even more nauseating than the chemical gases he used to work with.

Their battleground had become a source of putrid decay.

The three of them returned to the second floor, but the foul odor clung to them, making Yu Dong want to take a shower first thing in the morning.

"No rush," Yu Dong said. "Liangzi’s group must be low on food. They’ll either have to search another building or help us move the bodies in exchange for something to eat."

Yu Dong figured today was about the day Liangzi would come to accept their terms.

’It’s a mutually beneficial partnership,’ Yu Dong thought. ’Both sides are contributing something of equal value.’

’You provide the labor, I provide the food.’

’It’s a fair trade.’

Yu Dong took out his slingshot and once again fired steel balls at the main entrance of Building 3.

Another zombie stumbled out.

Wearing several layers of masks, Zhou managed to stab it to death through the crack in the first-floor door before scrambling back up to the second floor to catch his breath.

Yu Dong shot another twenty steel balls, all of which landed accurately on the door of Building 3, but no more zombies emerged.

Seeing this, Zhou said, "I can’t take it anymore, Dongzi. I’m heading up to the fifth floor. If you need anything, just shout for me in the stairwell and I’ll come down."

"Alright, go on."

Beside them, Liu Ye’ye called out, "Brother Zhou, I was supposed to teach you how to use the drone today!"

"Tomorrow! We’ll talk about it tomorrow. I’m almost done with my project."

Zhou eagerly hurried up to the fifth floor.

Overwhelmed by the stench, Liu Ye’ye slipped back into her bedroom to hug her plush teddy bear and watch her tablet.

Yu Dong raised his binoculars to look at apartment 503 in Building 3 and found Shen Xinyi looking right back at him.

The two of them were staring at each other through their binoculars.

Shen Xinyi’s face flushed slightly, and then she made a heart shape with her hands for Yu Dong.

The sun was out today and the temperature had risen. Inside her apartment, Shen Xinyi was wearing only a pair of shorts. Her devastatingly long legs were crossed as she sat on the bay window, her delicate, fair feet propped up, looking so slender you could hold one in a single hand.

They were the most beautiful legs Yu Dong had ever seen. Their flawless curves perfectly showcased Shen Xinyi’s sensuality.

Yu Dong awkwardly turned his head away. He felt that Shen Xinyi’s outfits were always a little too... alluring.

In contrast, the younger Liu Ye’ye was much more conservative. One day it was a bear hoodie, the next it was bunny pajamas. She made their apartment feel like a cartoon theme park.

Across the way, Shen Xinyi saw Yu Dong get flustered and a smug little expression appeared on her face.

It wasn’t for nothing that she spent half the morning rummaging through her closet every day.

She had even used the rainwater she’d collected to specially wash her feet and legs.

As Yu Dong’s gaze swept around, he suddenly noticed... the door to the property management office had opened.

Three men came out and ran toward Building 3.

They quickly entered Building 3 and disappeared from view.

’Liangzi and his men went into Building 3?’

Yu Dong mulled it over for a moment, and then it dawned on him.

’They saw us clearing out the zombies from Building 3, so... they assumed the stairwell is clear and went in to scavenge for food?’

Yu Dong had to admit, it was a smart move.

’Looks like either Jiang Xupeng or Lin Xiaojun is a keen observer... They seized the perfect opportunity.’

Yu Dong didn’t think Liangzi had made the decision. He didn’t seem like the detail-oriented type.

Jiang Xupeng had an arrogant personality, but it was hard to say if he was meticulous or not. As for Lin Xiaojun... Yu Dong knew almost nothing about him, other than that he was a man of few words.

’But for our plan... this isn’t a bad thing.’

Yu Dong’s group was planning to rescue Shen Xinyi. The biggest problem at the moment was the fear of hidden zombies inside Building 3 that might bite her on her way out.

The trio’s entry served as a perfect way to scout the path for Shen Xinyi.

If they could retreat safely, it would prove that the stairwell in Building 3 was secure, and Shen Xinyi could run out today!

Shen Xinyi had also noticed the three men from the property management office.

’Huh? Aren’t those the three guys who showed up that rainy day... Are they here to rescue me?’ she wondered.

Shen Xinyi looked toward Yu Dong and held up her small whiteboard.

"Should I go out and check?"

"Wait."

Yu Dong signaled for Shen Xinyi not to move. If there were any zombies, the strong-bodied trio of Liangzi and his men could take care of them. There was no need for Shen Xinyi to throw her life away.

She just needed to wait for the three of them to leave, and then make her own escape.

Yu Dong felt that today was the perfect opportunity. He had to keep a close watch.

’But... it’s just too damn smelly on the second floor.’

Yu Dong decided to move to a higher vantage point to see what Liangzi and his men were up to.

Just then, his gaze sharpened and he turned toward the property management office!

Someone else had just run out of it.

A... woman!

And Yu Dong recognized her.

’It’s the property manager... What was she doing in the property management office? Why didn’t Liangzi tell me about her?’

While Yu Dong was still processing this, Zhao Yun had already sprinted to Building 1.

Yu Dong shouted down the stairwell.

"Something’s happening! Get down here!"

Soon, Zhou and Liu Ye’ye came running down, weapons in hand.

Yu Dong stood on the first floor, peering at Zhao Yun through the crack in the door.

The beautiful woman, who was in her early thirties, was still wearing her property manager’s uniform. It was wrinkled and covered in stains.

There were several bright red marks on Zhao Yun’s face and multiple bruises on her neck, shaped like fingerprints.

Yu Dong knew at a glance... She had been beaten, and not just once or twice.

Zhao Yun ran to the entrance of Building 1 and collapsed to her knees amidst the zombie corpses.

"Please, save me! I was... those three... they took turns on me! They’re... they’re not human!"

The three of them were stunned. "!!!"

Then, sobbing, Zhao Yun told Yu Dong everything the three men had done over the past few days, all their monstrous acts... As he listened, Yu Dong’s breathing grew heavy, his grip tightening on his spear.

When Zhao Yun pulled open her clothes, casting aside her shame to show Yu Dong the marks left on her body from where the three men had abused her... Yu Dong could no longer hold back.

"Scum!"

Zhou also cursed in anger, "Animals! They’re complete animals!"

"Dongzi, you were right. Liangzi and his men really are just a self-serving group. They’re all beasts!"

Tears streamed down Zhao Yun’s face as she said, "I didn’t fight back these past few days. I was just waiting... waiting for a chance when they left so I could run. Please, I’m begging you, save me. I don’t want to be tortured by them anymore."

The empathetic Liu Ye’ye was already crying. She had known Zhao Yun before the apocalypse and had been looked after by her in the complex. Basically, whenever she had a problem at home, a call to Manager Zhao would solve it.

"Manager Zhao, come in, quickly! We’re here. We won’t let them hurt you again!"

Liu Ye’ye opened the door and helped Zhao Yun inside. Yu Dong didn’t stop her.

At the same time, he immediately realized something crucial.

"Ye Ye, signal Shen Xinyi! Tell her to lock her security door tight! No matter what she hears outside, she must not make a sound or open the door!"

With those three men inside, if they discovered Shen Xinyi, her fate would be even more tragic than Zhao Yun’s!

At that moment, Yu Dong’s mind was consumed by an explosive rage.

Even in the apocalypse, Yu Dong still wanted to do his best to maintain order and do what he could. But some people... after just a few days in this new world, had already stopped being human.

"By the way, it’s a good thing you didn’t agree to open the door for Liang Mian last night," Zhao Yun added. "He and Lin Xiaojun had already planned it out. They were going to overpower you the moment they got in, and then they would’ve taken over Building 1..."

Hearing this, Yu Dong’s eyes grew even colder.

’Liang Mian, is this the ’brotherly loyalty’ you were talking about... Good. Very good!’

At that moment, any further tests were unnecessary. Yu Dong now knew that those three were not on the same path as him.

His face was like ice as he stared at Building 3, his gaze as sharp as a knife.

"I’m going to kill those three pieces of scum!"

"No vote needed."