[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-zombie-apocalypse-creation":3,"chapter-zombie-apocalypse-creation-zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-787":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Zombie Apocalypse: Creation",{"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},1887635,2510,"Chapter 787: Romance or War","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-787",787,"\u003Cp>As Houqin caught up to Xiaoyun, her eyes widened in shock when their hands suddenly intertwined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiaoyun, you—?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There are a lot of people ahead. Hold tight, okay? I don’t want to lose you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strange flutter in her chest shifted into something warmer as his hand tightened around hers, guiding her through the packed streets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each accidental brush from the packed street only pushed them closer together, making Houqin’s pulse climb even higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, the movie theater’s inside this mall, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun asked, tapping someone on the shoulder as he suddenly noticed the other line to some sort of large building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The line to the movie is over at that big building. You’re lining up in the wrong place.\" The man replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning around, Xiaoyun froze. A massive queue snaked out from the far side, easily twice as long as the one they had just endured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve got to be kidding me...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sigh, he started nudging through the crowd, his hand still holding even tighter onto Houqin’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry, excuse us—trying to get to the other side.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xiaoyun cleared a path with brute force and his intimidating gun holster strapped to his waist, Houqin felt the crowd’s eyes following them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiaoyun, w-we don’t have to watch the movie.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What? I can’t hear you—Sorry, coming through!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Houqin fell silent, letting him pull her along until they finally spilled out of the entrance and reached the correct line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whew. Made it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why is this mall so packed anyway? Are there seriously no other theaters in the city?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His rambling faded into the background. Houqin barely heard a word as her thoughts still tangled around the warmth of his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Houqin, what kind of movies do you want to watch?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning over to the side, Xiaoyun sees her looking a little zoned out as she robotically walks forward with his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Houqin? You there? Hello?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"S-Sorry, what did you say?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I said, what movie do you want to watch? We can pick the ones from the wall over there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xiaoyun pointed towards the wall, she could see five different movie posters, ranging from a war movie to a comedy to a horror movie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um... How about the romance movie?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After waiting for half an hour, the line finally began to move once again as people started coming out of the buildings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Finally, it’s our turn.\" A man in front of them murmured as the security guard started letting people inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone, please take out your tickets! We’ll be scanning it before you’re allowed inside.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiaoyun, you have the tickets, right?\" Houqin asked as the security guards started going down the lines with ticket scanners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um... Shit. I thought they would offer the option to buy the tickets inside. Wait, I have an idea.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean you forgot to buy a ticket?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ticket, please... You—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the two security guards freaked out over the gun holster, Xiaoyun immediately lunged toward them, pulling them over to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I forgot to buy a ticket. But I’m currently investigating a man who’s in this theater... Here’s my ID as a Special Intelligence Officer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You really are an intelligence officer?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The security guard on the left questioned as Xiaoyun handed the ID to the other security guard on the right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who else would be allowed to walk in the open with a gun strapped to their waist? This mission is private, please keep this to yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the left security guard looked over to his fellow coworker, he had already handed it back with two new tickets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’ll keep our mouths shut. Please enjoy the movie, sir.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun quickly grabbed onto Houqin’s hand, walking into the movie theater together as the security guards moved aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What did you tell them?\" Houqin curiously asked, as all she saw was him pulling them over to the side and taking out his wallet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Top secret. Anyway, let’s go see the movie we lined up for.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment they stepped into the theater lobby, the suffocating mass dissolved into smaller lines beneath glowing digital posters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Air-conditioning hummed overhead, with cool currents slipping under their clothes and stealing away the sticky heat from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You want to get popcorn and drinks?\" Xiaoyun asked as he noticed the concession stand in the middle of the lobby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m good... I’m still a little full.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay then. I’ll be right back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Houqin could respond, he had already stepped away, weaving into the concession line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Xiaoyun finally returned, he was carrying a bucket nearly the size of his head and a drink to match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’re still not inside yet?\" Xiaoyun questioned, looking a little surprised by her still standing at the romance line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The workers need to clean up first—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry, there are way too many people watching the romance movie. We’ll offer refunds if you don’t want to watch the other movies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the theater staff cut the line in half, Xiaoyun and Houqin were out of luck as they were just four people behind it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You can’t be serious. We waited all this just to be turned away?\" One of the people behind them yelled in anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When you bought the ticket, the contract specifically stated that the movie screenings are first-come, first-served.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We can only guarantee you’ll be reserved a space for a movie. There’s nothing about what particular movie you’ll get to watch.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staff’s counterargument made the angry man swallow his anger as he headed over to the other lines in the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Houqin, do you still want to watch a movie? We can go do something else if you want.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’re already here, we might as well watch something... Can’t waste all that time standing outside for nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them eventually ended up at the war movie. Inside the auditorium, they were a little surprised to see it almost completely empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe we should watch something else. We can still go to the other—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun’s suggestion was interrupted as the projector began to play the movie intro, with the exit closing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s just take a seat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Xiaoyun didn’t try to persuade her again. They sat down in the middle aisle as the movie title appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Eight Hundred, huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the end credits rolled, Houqin was already in tears. Xiaoyun silently handed her a third wad of tissues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why did it have to end like that, Xiaoyun? Why did they charge in like that? Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There were no prisoners of war. It was either them or us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun couldn’t say anything else. The battle scene replayed in his mind, each explosion echoing in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the back rows came muttered curses as more and more people in their seats agreed with their statement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fuck those Japanese!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seats creaked. Footsteps shuffled. One by one, people filed out of the auditorium, their anger trailing behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xiaoyun and Houqin stayed, watching the credits scroll in silence as Houqin’s sobbing slowly died down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You feeling better?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah... a little.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, Houqin spoke up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey Xiaoyun, am I too old to cry over something like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course not. It just means you cared... Anyone would react to something that real would have cried.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thanks...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Houqin quietly whispered, her face looking a little embarrassed as she thought back to how much she was crying earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No problem... Ahem, we should probably go before the staff kicks us out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun stood and offered his hand. She took it, letting him pull her up just as theater employees began entering with trash bags and cleaning carts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the lobby, they turned a corner to head towards the exit, only to have two children slam straight into them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oof\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before either of them could react, the kids had already bolted away, laughter echoing as they disappeared in the hallways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, have you seen two kids nearby?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man asked out loud as he ran out from the romance movie section, along with an older woman running behind, face full of panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They just bumped into me and ran in that direction,\" Xiaoyun answered as he pointed toward one of the hallways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thanks!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the two parents ran off into the distance, Xiaoyun and Houqin had no choice but to swallow their frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What a bunch of asshole. Do those parent not teach their kids manners? They didn’t even apologize for them either.\" Houqin complained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who knows—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m never coming to a movie theater again. So many damn kids talking. Should had just watched it at home.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why isn’t a romance movie restricted to adults only? Who thought kids should be allowed to see a movie with a kissing scene?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the complaints from the other moviegoer, both Xiaoyun and Houqin let out a chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Looks like we dodged a bullet,\" Xiaoyun murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they stepped out of the theater together, the sun was already setting on the horizon, with the streets illuminated in an orange light.\u003C\u002Fp>",1506,"2026-06-10T06:59:54.885Z",1,"novelbin.me","871fa073a12e86036b3fb4cbdb113d54851824123c3adfb682786f349d244ada","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-543","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-542",829,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fzombie-apocalypse-creation-cover.jpg"]