Chapter 44: Always Have to Prove Something

Several people turned back and entered the apartment, hearing the man outside still babbling on.

“Yù Māomāo, you’re surely worried I’m a bad person, right? Don’t be afraid—I came here specially to deliver something to you. I live in Building 2, Unit 2… but it’s smart of you to be cautious. I’ll just leave the bag at the door and go. Remember to pick it up later.”

At the door, Chōngzi spoke with heartfelt sincerity, then truly took off his backpack and placed it at the threshold, smiling at the peephole and waving his hand: “If you’re scared, you can come find me at Unit 2, Room 602. I’m leaving now—stay safe.”

Chōngzi left through the security door.

???

Zheng Xinyu turned back to Zhang Su with a confused expression.

After days of close daily interaction, she had developed a strange trust in Zhang Su, yet now his judgment had proven wrong.

Zhang Su, keeping one ear on the sounds behind the security door, shrugged and said: “I still say he’s no good. Don’t believe me? Go ahead and test it.”

“But he left the thing right at the door—how could he possibly do anything bad?”

Seeing Zheng Xinyu hadn’t thought at all, Zhang Su tilted his chin and said: “Then why don’t you go pick it up and test it?”

“Hehe… he couldn’t possibly have stuffed a bomb in the bag.”

Zheng Xinyu felt this time Zhang Su was being overly cautious and had wrongly accused an innocent man.

“Some people won’t learn unless they get hurt. I’m telling you—if you open the door and take that bag today, something bad will happen. Do you believe me?”

While talking to Zheng Xinyu, Zhang Su had already heard Chōngzi and Xiangge’s plan clearly through his ears.

“But… we have to go out eventually, and leaving the bag at the door is just an obstruction,” Zheng Xinyu said, utterly unable to understand why a simple bag warranted such tension.

“Do you believe that man is hiding right behind the security door, waiting for you to open it so he can rush out and kill you?”

Zhang Su made a fearsome expression and whispered low.

Zheng Xinyu was startled by Zhang Su’s gaze, but her stubborn nature flared up—she stuck out her neck and snapped: “If he really comes out like you say, I’ll smash his head with a bat!”

“Oh wow, I really underestimated our Yù Māomāo—that’s a living person, not a zombie. You’d really go through with it?”

Zhang Su goaded her with a sneer.

“Why not? Anyone who tries to ambush me counts as a zombie—smash them all!”

Zheng Xinyu felt a surge of anger—she resented how Zhang Su always looked down on her.

“Then go ahead and get it.”

Suddenly, Zhang Su’s strange expression vanished—he raised his hand and gestured for Zheng Xinyu to open the door and retrieve the item.

“Fine, I’ll get it!”

Zheng Xinyu decided this door had to open today.

Either prove her fans’ sincere devotion, or prove her own bravery—she had to prove something.

Click. The lock opened.

Zhang Su rotated his wrist gripping the axe, slightly shifted his stance, and gave Zhong Xiaoshan a glance—tell her to step back…

Zheng Xinyu didn’t notice Zhang Su’s movements. She gently pushed the door open—the bag on the threshold toppled over. She reached for it but couldn’t grab it, so she pouted and pushed further. Just as she crouched and leaned out, the security door slammed open.

A burly figure lunged toward the door with lightning speed, his fire axe stabbing like a spear toward the gap of Apartment 801—if the axe jammed in the doorframe, closing it would be impossible, and the intruder would storm in!

But a flash of cold light moved faster than the giant’s charge…

Zhang Su had already known Xiangge’s plan and prepared in advance—he’d aimed before the security door fully opened. As Xiangge dashed into the eighth-floor corridor, Zhang Su’s axe-hammer shot through the door gap with terrifying speed!

Zheng Xinyu, crouched low, had no idea a sharp axe had just flown over her head.

“No!”

Xiangge’s senses were sharp—he felt danger strike and his heart clenched instantly. But in the split second, there was no time to change his move, block, brake, or dodge—he could only watch helplessly as the axe hurtled straight at his face, as if in slow motion.

He had the illusion that the axe had anticipated his movement, waiting perfectly in place.

His brain knew to dodge—but his body couldn’t keep up!

Thud!

Zhang Su’s force was merciless—a reckless, full-power thrown axe. Whether the blade sliced into Xiangge or the hammer crushed his skull, he was dead on the spot.

Clang…

Xiangge collapsed backward, his head slamming into the wall tiles, blood spurting across the bricks. His fire axe clattered to the floor with a sharp ring.

“Ahh!”

Two terrified screams rang out—one from confused Zheng Xinyu, the other from Chōngzi, one foot already across the security door.

Both stared at Xiangge’s twitching body on the ground—a sharp axe had split his cheek, embedded deep into bone, trembling with each spasm, blood pouring from the wound down his face and onto the tiles—he was clearly dead.

Zhong Xiaoshan darted to Zheng Xinyu’s side, clamping a hand over her mouth, shaking her head frantically—don’t scream.

Rule One: Never scream no matter what you see.

“Killing, killing, someone’s killing—”

“Shut up!”

Chōngzi, screaming hysterically, saw a tall man step out of the apartment—his voice choked in his throat, his whole body trembling, terror almost visible in his eyes.

“We’ll settle your screaming later—first, check out your loyal fan, your dear family, who came to visit you with a big man and a fire axe!”

Zhang Su said coldly to Zheng Xinyu.

Zheng Xinyu now realized: wanting to swing a baseball bat and actually doing it were two completely different things.

When real danger struck, her muscles couldn’t move fast enough—she was completely stunned, frozen.

Swallow.

Zheng Xinyu swallowed hard, stole another glance at Xiangge’s motionless body, and felt a storm of emotions.

“Brother Su, I’m sorry… it’s my fault—I made you kill him…”

Zheng Xinyu pointed weakly at Xiangge’s body, knowing she was wrong—and her admiration for Zhang Su deepened.

Zhang Su’s blood churned—he’d injured many before, but this was his first time taking a life. If Li Ge the zombie counted as another kind of humanoid, then this was his second.

But remembering these men’s plan—and the current situation—he felt relief. Those who seek to harm him and his companions deserve no mercy.

“This is the second debt. Remember—it’s all yours. You know how to deal with this skinny monkey, right?”

Seeing the tall man called Brother Su gesture toward him, Chōngzi nearly wet himself—he dropped to his knees with a thud.

“Brother, big big big brother, I was forced! Xiangge made me do it! I’m innocent! Don’t kill me, don’t kill me!”

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Chōngzi wept dramatically, banging his head on the floor.

He’d thought he was grabbing a soft persimmon—turns out he’d grabbed a landmine. Now he regretted every single step.

First kill secured.

Looking at recent comments, some readers are confused about the military—let me clarify the setting…

70% indiscriminate infection. In military barracks with dense living conditions—or group activities like 1,000 soldiers lining up for morning drills—700 instantly get infected and attack the remaining 300 healthy ones. Fewer than a handful of those 300 survive, and since weapons aren’t carried at all times, survival chances are under 5%.

Immediate counterattack is only possible from a god’s-eye view—even the most advanced weapons need someone to give orders. And there’s no one left…

(End of Chapter)