Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

Xie Ning wasn’t the least bit envious of people who had farmland in their Spaces.

Her maternal grandparents and mother had always loved to plant this and that, getting creative with cultivating everything from green onions and garlic to all sorts of other vegetables.

But Xie Ning hadn’t inherited their green thumb.

As a city kid through and through, her farming skill was a solid zero.

Forget growing vegetables—back in her artsy-girl phase, she would wash her hands for ages just from peeling a clove of garlic...

She was thankful her Space wasn’t a field, and even more thankful that she didn’t have to deal with chicken and duck manure.

Xie Ning was already immensely grateful to have all the supplies she’d collected from the shopping center to get her through these hard times.

Just past six, the sky had grown completely dark.

The minibus stopped in front of a bathhouse.

Zhou Tong took a few people out first to clear away the handful of First-tier Zombies wandering around the area.

Only then did the others get off the bus one after another.

Huang Shi Yao emerged from the stretched Lincoln, wrapped in a large, star-patterned silk shawl. She delicately waved a slender hand in front of her face, her brow furrowed. ”Why does it stink so much?”

”Yes, it stinks so much. We’re not staying here tonight, are we?” Meng Lanfang also waved her hand, a look of disgust on her face.

Zuo Li, her expression serene, turned to smile at Huang Shi Yao and her entourage. ”If Miss Huang isn’t satisfied, she’s free to find a more luxurious bed elsewhere.”

Huang Shi Yao’s expression darkened, and she turned to scan her surroundings.

This was an old street. The glass storefronts on both sides had long been smashed to pieces and looted clean.

There was a small hotel next door, its sign hanging halfway off the doorframe and stained with dried blood. It looked even less clean than this bathhouse.

This bathhouse looked a bit old. The lobby wasn’t large, but at least it had four floors. There were probably clean suites upstairs where they could rest for the night.

”Let’s just rest here for the night. I’m dead tired. After that bumpy ride, my old bones are about to fall apart!” The one who spoke was an auntie in her fifties or sixties. With a twist of her chubby body, she squeezed past Huang Shi Yao, who was standing at the entrance, and walked straight into the bathhouse.

Huang Shi Yao glared angrily at the chubby auntie’s back. Before she could say anything, she saw the auntie run out screaming again, barreling straight toward her and knocking her off balance.

”Yaoyao!” Meng Lanfang quickly reached out and caught her, saving her from falling to the ground.

”Oh my god! A big zombie!” The auntie snatched a fire axe from someone’s hand, turned, and swung it at the head of the howling zombie that was chasing her.

It was an elderly zombie, missing an eyeball, but its movements were especially agile.

Just as it caught up to the auntie, she, with immense strength and courage, swung the axe three times. With a loud THUD, the old man zombie crashed to the ground.

Gushing blood surged out, not only splattering all over the auntie’s face but also spattering onto Meng Lanfang and Huang Shi Yao, who were standing behind her.

”Ah!” Huang Shi Yao felt droplets of zombie blood land in her hair and let out a piercing shriek.

That sky-piercing shriek was like a signal to all nearby zombies. Many of them crawled out from the shattered storefronts, roaring as they lunged toward the group.

Without a glance back, Xie Ning led her younger sister straight into the bathhouse.

’With so many bodyguards around Miss Huang, there’s no way she’ll be in any real danger.’

So there was no need for Xie Ning and her group to take matters into their own hands and help.

The first floor reeked, likely due to a broken sewage pipe somewhere, as waves of stench drifted up.

Xie Ning led her sister, brother, Cres, and the others to the second floor, quickly clearing out the dozen or so zombies occupying the hallway.

This floor consisted of all sorts of bathing rooms and changing rooms.

Xie Ning couldn’t be bothered to check them room by room. She led everyone straight past the third-floor KTV booths and up to the fourth floor.

In the circular lounge, a dozen or so zombies in white bathrobes were wandering around. Their Ranks weren’t too high, so clearing them out was just a matter of minutes.

Xie Ning glanced down the long corridor. She estimated there were seven or eight suites, which should be enough for her group and Zuo Li’s.

”Go guard the stairwell. We and Captain Zuo’s group will stay here tonight.”

At Xie Ning’s command, Wang Zongxuan and Song Shijun ran to guard the stairwell.

Their orders were to let anyone from Zuo Li’s team pass, but to turn away all others.

Xie Ning had Cres check the rooms for zombies; if there were any, he was to take people in to clear them out.

”There are living people!” Cres’s brow suddenly furrowed, a flicker of interest crossing his brown eyes.

Meanwhile, after helping to clear a small wave of zombies downstairs, Zuo Li and her teammates ran up and were immediately amused by the sight.

’Little sister Xiao Ning is really something, knowing to bring her people up to claim a floor. She picked a good spot.’

It was the same principle as being on a bus tour and having to fight a crowd of strangers for the group meal...

First come, first served. Xie Ning knew this rule by heart.

Zuo Li went to check the suites. They were fully equipped, and the bed linens and utensils looked reasonably clean.

As she pushed open the door and stepped out, she heard a woman’s wail from the end of the hallway.

She looked up to see Xiao Huang Mao dragging a disheveled, long-haired woman out of a room.

Behind them were two men, restrained by Xie Ning’s teammates, struggling furiously with enraged expressions.

”What are you doing? What are you doing?!”

”Ningning?” One of the middle-aged men looked at the slowly approaching Xie Ning, his face filled with shock.

After a moment of stunned silence, his expression turned to one of ecstatic joy. ”Ningning! Kexin? Shijun! What are you guys doing here?”

Housekeeper Youen and Yu Tianfeng, who were holding the man, both froze upon hearing this. Their grips loosened, allowing the man to break free and rush forward a few steps.

”Ningning, Kexin, it’s so great to see you.”

Xie Ning, Song Kexin, and Song Shijun all stared at the man with blank expressions before letting out a cold snort.

”Old Su!” The woman being dragged by Xiao Huang Mao frantically pushed her messy hair out of her face and shrieked, ”Old Su! Old Su!”

Su Tang wrung his hands and smiled. ”Ningning, hurry and tell your companion to let Aunt Hu go. What happened just now was a misunderstanding. You burst in so suddenly, we thought more bad guys had shown up, that’s why we fought back.”

Xie Ning gestured for Xiao Huang Mao to let go.

Frustrated and angry, Hu Pinxiang ran to Su Tang’s side, furiously trying to straighten her messy hair. ”Old Su, who are these people?” she demanded.

Su Tang grabbed Hu Pinxiang and muttered quietly, ”I’ve mentioned them to you before. This is Big Sis’s daughter, Xie Ning. And that’s Song Shijun and Song Kexin.”

”Oh.” Hu Pinxiang looked them over with narrowed, assessing eyes, her gaze darting about. ”You’re... from the nearby base? Came here to my place to scavenge for supplies.”

”You’re not allowed to take a single thing from this bathhouse. I’m the owner here...”

”Tch.” Song Shijun scoffed. ”If you’ve got a screw loose, you should get it fixed. The business license and a photo of the legal owner are hanging in the lobby downstairs. Are you You Sanmei?”

Choked by his words, Hu Pinxiang’s face went deathly pale.

”A foot masseuse, posing as the owner.” Song Kexin chimed in with a sneer. ”The nerve of some people.”

”Old Su!” Hu Pinxiang stomped her foot and tugged on his arm.