Chapter 398: A Life to Be Envious Of

"Hey, hey!"

Zhou Le and Xiao Lin hurried up to the fifth floor.

The layout of the fifth floor wasn't complicated; the large buffet hall had been divided into four units. Liao Youzhi and his several wives occupied the second-largest unit, while the largest unit was the Alliance's laboratory—clearly, Liao Youzhi understood the importance of scientific research.

Gong Chengming lived alone in the smallest unit; even the smallest was over a hundred square meters, and there was also a dedicated meeting room.

Along the two-meter-wide corridor, energy-saving lamps glowed every other one, and the faint hum of a generator drifted from deeper within. The temperature on the fifth floor had risen noticeably from the fourth, reaching a very comfortable fourteen to fifteen degrees. The hygiene was also excellent—no unpleasant odors at all, only a faint, pleasant fragrance.

The partition walls weren't ordinary movable rooms; no one knew where the Survivors' Alliance had found such soundproof partitions—they were elegant and thick, adorned not only with energy-saving lamps but also with murals and greenery.

Someone unfamiliar might assume the greenery was plastic, but get close enough and you'd see the potted plants and succulents were alive, bursting with vibrant green in the fifteen-degree air, adding life to the post-apocalyptic world and no longer feeling as lifeless as the floors below.

"This place is truly paradise…"

Xiao Lin gazed at the tranquil surroundings and couldn't help sighing. His third-floor quarters, though far better than the second floor, were nothing compared to this—plainly a slum.

"Stop blabbering. Come on, wait over there…"

Zhou Le had been to the fifth floor before and knew the layout; he led Xiao Lin toward the meeting room, where a broad figure appeared around the corner.

"Vice Leader, good day."

The man was none other than Gong Chengming, Vice Leader of the Survivors' Alliance and Commander of the Vanguard Unit.

"Ah, it's little Zhou and little Lin. Are you here to see Leader Liao?"

Gong Chengming leaned one hand on his hip and asked.

"Yes, yes. Today we discovered a horde of corpses on North Second Ring Road—three or four thousand strong. We suspect someone deliberately lured the zombies toward our territory, so we came to report it to the Leader."

Zhou Le bowed respectfully. Though he claimed he was reporting to the Leader, he relayed most of the details directly to Gong Chengming. Compared to Liao Youzhi, he preferred this hands-on Vice Leader and would rather report to Gong Chengming if possible.

"Another horde?"

Gong Chengming frowned, recalling the last incident—about a week ago—that had caused great trouble. Why now again?

"Yes, Vice Leader. While we were scavenging in the village, I clearly heard car engines driving along North Second Ring Road. When we came out, the road was blocked by the horde!"

Xiao Lin spoke eagerly, seizing the chance to impress. Since this wasn't the first occurrence, their report carried higher credibility.

"Hmm…"

Gong Chengming rubbed his chin, frowning in thought. Countless ideas flashed through his mind, then one struck him—he pointed toward the Leader's residence and said, "This matter is critical. You must report the full details to the Leader as soon as possible. He's already returned—don't go to the meeting room!"

"Yes, yes, thank you, Vice Leader. We'll go now."

"Go."

Gong Chengming waved them off and turned away without pause, heading swiftly toward the stairs, his pace even quicker than before.

Zhou Le and Xiao Lin noticed nothing unusual about Gong Chengming. They turned down the corridor and saw two Elite Guard members standing guard at the mansion's entrance.

As Leader of the Survivors' Alliance, his residence naturally had its own prestige. The ornate double doors, salvaged from somewhere, were exquisite, and two tall, fully armed guards stood rigidly before them.

Many believed the two guards were purely for show—if the lower floors' defenses had been breached, these two wouldn't matter. They existed only to highlight the Leader's special status. But Zhou Le had no say in such matters. He bowed deeply, walked to the door, and voluntarily placed his weapon in a nearby storage bag. "Gentlemen, thank you for your service. We have urgent business to report to the Leader—please announce us."

One guard glanced at Zhou Le with cold, bureaucratic indifference, turned, and knocked three times on the door. When the lock clicked, he opened the door and stepped inside.

As the door opened, Zhou Le felt a wave of heat rush over his face. Though the corridor was already fifteen degrees, the temperature difference inside was unmistakable—the room must have been at least twenty-five degrees. He couldn't help thinking: Isn't that too hot?

Along with the heat came beautiful music—a graceful, melodic piano piece.

Zhou Le and Xiao Lin exchanged glances, filled with envy. They couldn't help marveling at the Leader's luxurious life—and how excellent the soundproofing was.

Thinking of the Leader and his wives enjoying nightly revelry, if the soundproofing were poor, even Vice Leader Gong Chengming would suffer.

As he daydreamed, the door opened again. The guard stepped out, gestured toward the door with his head, said nothing at all—truly sparing every word.

Zhou Le and Xiao Lin dared not complain. They bowed deeply and squeezed through the doorway.

As they entered, the music stopped. Only then did they realize the music wasn't from equipment—it came from a woman in a qipao, slender and graceful, seated at the piano in the corner, playing.

Her smooth legs extended from the qipao's slit, bare feet resting on the sustain pedal, pink soles smooth and delicate. Just one glance sent blood rushing—making one yearn to spend a night at a pleasure house.

Seeing them enter, the woman paused her fingers, closed the piano lid, slipped on small slippers, walked to Liao Youzhi's side, kissed him lightly, then turned and walked toward the inner room, leaving only a seductive back view.

The room was already warm; seeing that sultry figure made it even hotter.

For many in the Survivors' Alliance, one mystery remained: the source of the heat.

Anyone who'd been to the fifth floor noticed the temperature decreased floor by floor downward—clearly, the heat originated on the fifth floor. But if it came from high-power heating equipment, not only would the electricity be questionable, there'd be loud noise. Yet no one had heard any.

If it were from fire, the signs would be obvious—but there were none. Many were puzzled, but no one dared investigate further.

"You two, stand by the door. Speak. What's the matter?"

On the living room sofa, Liao Youzhi sat with a beautiful woman in his arms, wiping a finely crafted rifle. His face still wore the black mask as usual, but the woman beside him was adjusting it—clearly, he'd put it on just for Zhou Le and Xiao Lin.

Naturally—who'd wear a mask at home unless necessary?

On the coffee table lay an open box of bullets, gleaming brass bright. Beside an open bottle of wine stood three wine glasses. A fruit platter held rare fruits—though merely apples and oranges, the most common before the disaster, in this environment, eating fruit already placed Liao Youzhi above 99.99% of the world's population.

Zhou Le and Xiao Lin trembled. Liao Youzhi radiated a chilling aura—even the tender woman in his arms couldn't soften his lethal presence.

"Leader, today while scavenging on North Second Ring Road, we encountered a horde of corpses. It looked…"

"What?" Liao Youzhi cut him off mid-sentence, glaring furiously. "Again? Tell me—what happened?"

Zhou Le jumped, thinking: You didn't even let me finish…

"The zombies… about four or five thousand strong…"

As Zhou Le nervously reported to Liao Youzhi, Gong Chengming had already gathered the Vanguard Unit's First Squad and reached the underground garage. Without a word, they drove away from the Survivors' Alliance headquarters.

The Alliance headquarters was too crowded with eyes—he needed a private place to speak.

(End of Chapter)