[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times":3,"chapter-the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-53":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Fiercest Man in the End Times",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2319291,4536,"Chapter 53: I Paid Cash for This Apartment","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-53",53,"\u003Cp>“Su-ge, that special police officer is talking to us!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan also noticed the situation across the way, but the environment was too noisy for her to make out what they were saying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su frowned tightly, glancing downstairs—the massive explosion had drawn the zombies around them, and the confused undead were surging toward Building Two; curled flames had already engulfed the fourth and fifth floors, and with the wind feeding the fire, it wouldn’t be long before it reached their side!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Want to run?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course not…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su had already planned ahead, packing portable supplies, intending to exhaust all non-portable resources before leaving the compound; in his plan, by then, the three of them would have developed solid combat skills and Moqi , better equipped to face the harsh environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But plans can’t keep up with changes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su gave a firm nod to the opposite side, then turned to Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan: “Grab your bags—we’re leaving!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? This, this this…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu immediately panicked, pacing in a tight circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew they’d eventually have to leave, but such suddenness still caught her off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan was better off than Zheng Xinyu—she didn’t even live in this compound, so her sense of belonging was limited; ever since Zhang Su said they’d leave, she’d been mentally preparing, making her far more accepting than Zheng Xinyu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Xinyu, hurry and get ready!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Zheng Xinyu flustered, Zhong Xiaoshan grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the bedroom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before this, Zhang Su had already stored as much gear as possible into the bags—so if an emergency arose, like now, they could just grab and go!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, six bulging backpacks were carried into the living room, each packed full of supplies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su pried open the box under the bed holding weapons; only the finest dog-leg knife remained—he slung the scabbard over his waist, an absolute Liqi  in close combat!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grab the crowbar and the fire axe—they’ll come in handy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weapons are absolutely critical resources—even more vital than food!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two women knew there was no time to waste; they clenched their lips, grabbed whatever weapons they could, and strapped them to their packs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No time—go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su ran back to the window and glanced out—the fire raged fiercely, already consuming the seventh floor of the adjacent building; due to wind direction, smoke was now rising from the base of their own building!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without firefighters, the whole building was likely doomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu suddenly cried out urgently: “Arm guards! We haven’t put on our arm guards!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of the cold weather, everyone had layered their clothing, causing them to forget about the arm guards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arm guards were indispensable protection; they hastily slipped on the modified versions—which weren’t just for arms, but covered their calves too, making them look like ice hockey players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go, go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three donned their armor, strapped heavy packs to their chests and backs, gripped their preferred weapons, and rushed swiftly to the main door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su turned back and spotted a case of water in the corner; he gritted his teeth, ran back, and grabbed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Su-ge, we’ve got enough water—let’s go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan stood at the door, waving frantically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I paid cash for this apartment, damn it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su reached the door, cast one last lingering glance, slammed the door shut with a bang, then pointed to the emergency stairwell: “Go down!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rapid footsteps echoed through the stairwell; Zhang Su led the way, nearly leaping down the stairs; Zheng Xinyu followed close behind, mimicking him—leaping forward, gripping the railing, swinging her body down, landing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan had it hardest—her legs were still weak from stair-jumping training, and now burdened with heavy gear, she clearly couldn’t keep pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said nothing, teeth clenched, eyes locked on the steps below, steadily descending—yes, slower, but only by one floor’s difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reaching the fourth floor, Zhang Su suddenly stopped, his gaze sharpening as he looked down—nothing visible, but the rapid footsteps didn’t lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone’s there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Definitely survivors from lower floors—great!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu flashed a brief smile; in her view, meeting a living person now was better than facing zombies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su said nothing, his gaze hardening as he continued down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conditions in the stairwell were grim—scattered debris and parked electric bikes slowed them down, but thankfully, no zombies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom-thud…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reaching the second floor, all three heard a heavy thump below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn, the plastic windows must’ve burned through!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su kept moving, exclaiming in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two women weren’t as calm—he didn’t have time to speak, lips tightly sealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, they reached the first floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu followed closely behind Zhang Su, assuming he’d head for the building exit—only to see him keep going downward!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su slowed his pace, gestured for them to follow, adjusted his breathing, and waited until both Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan were behind him; then he whispered: “Those two people didn’t leave the building.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, they’d also come down to the parking lot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you said the parking lot’s full of zombies!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu whispered, heart still pounding from exertion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the first day of the disaster, Zhang Su and Zheng Xinyu had deduced from various reports that the zombie outbreak occurred around 7 a.m.—peak commuting hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sheng Qin Jiayuan used a vehicle-pedestrian separation design; owners who drove out would retrieve their cars from the underground parking—meaning far more people were belowground than above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su crept slowly down the wall, nodding: “Yes, that was true then—but not necessarily now. Besides, we need a car to break out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Road conditions were unknown, but vehicles still passed daily, proving it wasn’t completely impassable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In zombie-dense areas, trying to cross on foot was nearly impossible; vehicles offered unmatched mobility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Halanda is parked near the building…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan forced her breath steady as she spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su nodded—his van was even closer, just the second spot to the left after exiting the stairwell door; owning the apartment outright gave him priority in choosing parking spots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three moved quietly; as they descended, the light dimmed—all lighting had failed due to power loss—but a faint glow glimmered at the final stairwell turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su raised an eyebrow, signaled silence to the two behind him, tilted his head, and listened intently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bro, there must be eighty or a hundred zombies in the parking lot—can’t we take another route?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint, trembling voice whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stay calm, Xiao Hai!” came a deep voice: “I’ve tested it—if we move slowly enough, those things won’t notice us. Don’t panic, stick close, remember—absolutely, absolutely, absolutely don’t make a sound!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deep voice repeated the warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bro, I’m still scared—what if the zombies spot us?” The timid voice spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry—we’ve got weapons. If they spot us, attack. I’ve confirmed your theory: destroy their brains. Aim for the head—stab right there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deep voice remained patient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the timid voice fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newbie protection period is about to end…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1173,"2026-06-20T15:15:14.526Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","043badead40edfa751b0853beb85509533acf9f1ca883323d6b04e5beb2204e9","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-54","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-52",694,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-cover.jpg"]