Chapter 16: Defense

【System Prompt: Zhao Kai's team has upgraded their weaponry, and their hostility has exceeded the critical threshold. It is recommended to initiate emergency defense protocols.】

Lin Chen stared through the peephole. Zhao Kai's smile looked painted on, and the cloth bag in his hand was bulging, its contents unknown. Behind him, two men held guns, their muzzles aimed at the door panel, their knuckles white from the pressure.

What chilled him more was a hunched figure in the snow behind Zhao Kai, wrapped in an oversized cotton-padded jacket. Its head hung low, and it clutched a rusted iron rod, swaying in the snow.

"Lin Chen, don't play dead!" Zhao Kai struck the door with his gun butt.

"I saw Su Qing's shadow. Hand her over, and we're still brothers."

Lin Chen didn't respond. He looked back at the space under the bed. Su Qing was curled up there, her breathing shallow, her frozen body still shivering slightly. Xia Nuan gripped his arm, her palms slick with sweat: "What do we do?"

【System Prompt: The unidentified figure in the snow has weak vital signs. Its movement pattern resembles a low-tier zombie. Threat level: 30%.】

"Shut up," Lin Chen whispered, his gaze returning to the peephole. The figure suddenly moved, shuffling toward the villa. Its gait was unsteady, and the hem of the cotton jacket swept across the snow, revealing a blackened corner of clothing underneath. Lin Chen's heart tightened—this posture was too much like a zombie in the early stages of infection.

"Listen up, those inside! If you don't open the door, we're forcing our way in!" Zhao Kai's companion shouted, the sound of a bolt being pulled back clearly audible. Lin Chen took a deep breath, threw the door open, and swung his hunting rifle up, aiming at the approaching figure.

"Watch out!" Xia Nuan shrieked.

The figure seemed startled by the sound of the gun and suddenly accelerated, lunging forward with a muffled, guttural growl.

Lin Chen didn't have time to think; he pulled the trigger—Bang!

The gunshot exploded in the snow, ringing in his ears. The figure swayed, a spray of blood erupting from its chest like a rotting plum blossom, and it collapsed face-first into the snow. The iron rod clattered away.

Zhao Kai and his companions were stunned, staring at the corpse on the ground. Lin Chen also froze in the doorway, the smell of gunpowder stinging his throat—in that split second, he had caught a glimpse of a silver necklace hanging from the figure's neck. It was the one Zhao Kai had bought for his younger brother, Zhao Feng, for his birthday last year.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" Zhao Kai suddenly roared, aiming his gun at Lin Chen, his eyes bloodshot. "That's Zhao Feng! My brother!"

Lin Chen's mind went blank, as if struck by a heavy hammer. Zhao Feng... the little kid who always followed behind them, calling him "Brother Chen," the one who would secretly give his pocket money to Su Qing to buy candy. How could he be here? How could he have become like this?

【System Prompt: Friendly-affiliated character killed by mistake. Sin points +80. Favorability with certain survivor factions permanently decreased.】

A violent commotion erupted from under the bed. Su Qing had crawled out at some point, stumbling toward the door and peering out. When she saw the face of the corpse in the snow, she let out a shrill, piercing scream, like a cat being strangled.

"Feng... Feng..." Su Qing scrambled out the door, throwing herself onto Zhao Feng's body. Her fingers trembled as she checked for a pulse, then felt for his carotid artery, finally clutching the bloody hole in his chest, her fingernails caked with blood.

"You killed him... You killed him!" She turned back, her hair disheveled and plastered to her face, tears mixing with snow as they streamed down. "He was here to save me! He said he was going to take me out of the province! Why did you kill him!"

Lin Chen gripped the gun, his hands trembling uncontrollably. He wanted to explain, to say he had mistaken him for a zombie, but the words died in his throat. The necklace on Zhao Feng's neck was still swaying; the pendant was a tiny character "Feng," carved by Su Qing's own hand.

"Are you done crying?" Lin Chen suddenly spoke, his voice cold as ice.

"The way he was walking—how was that any different from a zombie?"

Su Qing didn't answer. She just hugged Zhao Feng's cooling body, calling his name over and over. Her sobbing grew louder, eventually turning into a silent, choked gasp, her shoulders shaking like leaves in an autumn gale.

Zhao Kai's companion already had his gun aimed at Lin Chen's head. With a single word from Zhao Kai, he could turn Lin Chen into a sieve.

"You're looking for death!" Zhao Kai's teeth ground together, his chest heaving.

"Lin Chen, I'm going to blow your brains out today!"

"Try it." Lin Chen calmed down instead, his muzzle slowly rising to aim at Zhao Kai.

"If you kill me, who's going to find you the anti-virus serum? Who's going to help you take down the Iron Hand Group's base?"

Zhao Kai's movements stiffened, the rage in his eyes fading into a struggling crimson. He knew Lin Chen was telling the truth—in the apocalypse, there wasn't a second person like Lin Chen, who could fight, knew the ropes, and held so many secrets.

【System Prompt: Zhao Kai's killing intent has dropped to 50%. Negotiation success rate increased to 60%.】

"Put the gun down," Zhao Kai gritted out. Lin Chen didn't move: "You put yours down first."

They stood in a standoff. The snow fell harder, piling up on the gun barrels. Su Qing was still kneeling in the snow, holding Zhao Feng like an ice sculpture that wouldn't move.

"He was fine..." Xia Nuan suddenly whispered.

"He was hiding in the flower bed downstairs just a moment ago, saying he was waiting for Su Qing..."

Lin Chen's heart sank. So Zhao Feng had been here all along, waiting downstairs, not daring to come up. It was his own shot that had startled him out of the flower bed.

【System Prompt: Su Qing's mental state is on the verge of collapse. Virus activity in her body has risen by 15% due to emotional volatility.】

"Enough." Lin Chen suddenly put his gun away and turned to walk inside.

"If you want to talk, come in. If not, get lost."

Zhao Kai stared at his back, then at his younger brother in the snow, before slamming a fist into his own thigh. He signaled his companion, followed him into the house, and slammed the door shut behind them.

Su Qing was left outside, ignored. Xia Nuan wanted to reach out to her, but Lin Chen grabbed her wrist: "Leave her be."

He pointed to the sofa: "Sit."

Zhao Kai didn't sit. He stood in the center of the room, his gaze sweeping over the bloodstains on the floor and the scattered shell casings, finally landing on the bandage on Lin Chen's lower back—the blood was seeping through again.

"You're hurt?" Zhao Kai's voice was complicated. Lin Chen didn't answer.

He pulled half a bottle of vodka from his pack and tossed it to him: "Want a drink?"

Zhao Kai caught the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and took a long swig. The spicy liquid burned his throat, but it couldn't suppress the redness in his eyes.

"My brother..." Zhao Kai's voice was hoarse. "He was just beaten by the Iron Hand Group the day before yesterday. His leg was injured, that's why he walked like that."

Lin Chen remained silent. He knew.

"He said... he saw Su Qing being taken away by you, and he insisted on coming to save her." Zhao Kai looked at the puddle of water on the floor—the water dripping from Su Qing's frozen clothes. "He liked her since he was a kid. Liked her enough to give his life for her..."

Lin Chen remembered their childhood—Zhao Feng always saving the best cookies for Su Qing while he chewed on moldy bread; he remembered high school, when Zhao Feng took the fall for Su Qing's cheating and got a disciplinary mark; he remembered the day the apocalypse broke out, when Zhao Feng shoved his last piece of compressed biscuit to Su Qing before charging into a horde of zombies...

【System Prompt: Detected an uneaten food item in Zhao Feng's pocket: a strawberry-flavored canned fruit, Su Qing's favorite.】

The silence outside was absolute. Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat. He walked to the window and pulled back a corner of the curtain—

In the snow, a dozen dark figures were walking toward the villa. Their gait was just like Zhao Feng's, but stiffer, faster, and they were emitting guttural growls.

It was a zombie horde.

"If you kill me, who will find the antiviral serum for you? Who will help you take down the Iron Hand Group's base?"

Zhao Kai's movements froze, the rage in his eyes slowly fading, replaced by a struggling redness.

He knew Lin Chen was telling the truth—in this doomsday, someone like Lin Chen, who could fight, knew the ropes,

and possessed so many secrets, could not be found a second time.

【System Prompt: Zhao Kai's hostility value has dropped to 50%, negotiation success rate has increased to 60%】

"Put the gun down," Zhao Kai said through gritted teeth. Lin Chen didn't move: "You put yours down first."

The two stood in a standoff; snow fell heavier, landing on the gun barrels and quickly accumulating into a layer of white.

Su Qing was still kneeling in the snow, holding Zhao Feng in her arms like an immobile ice sculpture.

"He was perfectly fine..." Xia Nuan suddenly whispered,

"Just a moment ago, he was hiding in the flower bed downstairs, saying he was waiting for Su Qing..."

Lin Chen's heart sank. It turned out Zhao Feng had arrived long ago, waiting downstairs all this time, not daring to come up.

It was his own gunshot just now that had startled him out of the flower bed.

【System Prompt: Su Qing's mental state is on the verge of collapse, the virus activity in her body has risen by 15% due to emotional fluctuations】

"Enough." Lin Chen suddenly put away his gun and walked toward the house,

"If you want to come in and talk, then come in. If not, get lost."

Zhao Kai stared at his back, then looked at his brother in the snow, finally smashing a fist into his own thigh with all his might,

signaled to his companions, followed him into the house, and slammed the door shut behind him.

Su Qing was still outside, ignored by everyone. Xia Nuan wanted to pull her in, but Lin Chen grabbed her wrist: "Let her stay there."

He pointed to the sofa: "Sit."

Zhao Kai didn't sit; he stood in the center of the room, his gaze sweeping over the bloodstains on the floor, the scattered shell casings,

and finally landing on the wound on Lin Chen's lower back—the gauze there was soaked through with blood again.

"You're hurt?" Zhao Kai's voice was complex. Lin Chen didn't answer,

fished half a bottle of vodka from his backpack, and tossed it to him: "Want a drink?"

Zhao Kai caught the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and took a large gulp; the spicy liquid burned his throat,

but couldn't suppress the redness in his eyes.

"My brother..." Zhao Kai's voice was hoarse, "He was just beaten by the Iron Hand Group the day before yesterday,

his leg was injured, which is why he walked like that."

Lin Chen remained silent. He knew.

"He said... he saw Su Qing being taken away by you, and he insisted on coming to save her." Zhao Kai looked at the puddle of water on the floor,

the water dripping from Su Qing's frozen clothes, "He liked Su Qing since he was a kid,

liked her so much he could give his life for her..."

Lin Chen remembered childhood, how Zhao Feng always saved the best biscuits for Su Qing while gnawing on moldy bread himself;

remembered high school, how Zhao Feng took the fall for Su Qing's cheating and received a major disciplinary action from the school;

remembered the day the apocalypse broke out, how Zhao Feng shoved the last piece of compressed biscuit to Su Qing before charging into the zombie horde...

【System Prompt: Detected an uneaten food item in Zhao Feng's pocket, it is a strawberry-flavored canned fruit that Su Qing loves】

Outside, it suddenly went quiet. Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat; he walked to the window and pulled back the curtain—

Su Qing was still kneeling in the snow, but her head was bowed even lower, and Zhao Feng was covered by a thin layer of snow,

like he was wrapped in a white quilt. Zhao Kai leaned over to look, his face turning ash-gray instantly.

"What do you want?" Lin Chen asked. Zhao Kai took a swig of alcohol and smashed the bottle against the floor;

glass shards splattered everywhere: "Lin Chen, I'll remember this debt. As for Su Qing, I won't fight for her anymore,

you're on your own."

With that, he took his companions and turned to leave; when he opened the door, he didn't even glance at Su Qing or Zhao Feng in the snow,

and disappeared into the wind and snow without looking back.

The door "banged" shut, leaving only Lin Chen and Xia Nuan in the room. Xia Nuan walked to the window, looked at Su Qing outside,

and whispered: "Won't she... freeze stiff?"

Lin Chen didn't speak; he walked to the door and yanked it open. Su Qing flinched as if pricked by a needle,

and slowly raised her head. Her face was covered in thin ice, her tears long since dried, leaving only a numb emptiness,

and upon seeing Lin Chen, she suddenly tugged at the corners of her mouth, revealing a smile uglier than crying.

"Are you satisfied?" Su Qing's voice was light, like a snowflake with no weight,

"Another one dead... Lin Chen, do you think everyone is supposed to die for you?"

Lin Chen's heart felt like it was being squeezed hard by something, making it hard to breathe. He wanted to curse her,

wanted to interrogate her about why she betrayed him back then, but the words turned into: "Get in."

Su Qing didn't move, just stared at Zhao Feng's face, her eyes unfocused. Lin Chen frowned, bent down, and dragged her up.

Her body was as light as a feather, offering no resistance as he dragged her into the house and tossed her into the corner.

"Cry again, and you'll stand in the snow for 24 hours." Lin Chen's voice was cold, but he didn't look at her.

Su Qing didn't make another sound; she just huddled in the corner, arms wrapped around her knees, burying her face,

like an abandoned cat.

Xia Nuan looked at her, then at Lin Chen, opened her mouth to say something, but ultimately swallowed the words.

The snow outside was still falling, covering the bloodstains and Zhao Feng's small body.

Lin Chen walked to the door, looking at the reinforced security door—he had specifically hired someone to modify it;

the steel plate was thick enough to stop bullets, and the lock core was custom-made; no one could open it except for the key in his hand.

Let alone people, even a zombie tide wouldn't be able to break through it.

【System Prompt: Zhao Kai's team has retreated to 500 meters away, no immediate threat, suggest reinforcing door and window defenses】

He leaned against the door panel and closed his eyes. The look in Zhao Feng's eyes when he looked at Su Qing was like a needle, pricking his brain.

He took out the last half-pack of cigarettes, wanting to light one, only to find the lighter had run out of fuel long ago.

Just then, the villa's alarm suddenly went off—it was the infrared alarm he had installed on the courtyard wall,

triggered whenever any living thing approached.

"Is someone coming again?" Xia Nuan's voice carried a sob. Lin Chen opened his eyes immediately and walked to the window,

carefully pulling back a corner of the curtain.

In the snow, a dozen dark figures were walking toward the villa, their posture much like Zhao Feng's just now,

yet stiffer, faster, and emitting "ho-ho" roars from their throats.

It was a zombie horde.