Yue glanced at the floor, her brows furrowed as she pointed at the scattered furniture and overturned bedding. "There are signs of a struggle here… Could your sister have already…"
"Shut up! Absolutely impossible!" Yang Fan snapped, his voice sharp with tension.
Mu Yi climbed onto the top bunk and picked up a phone lying there. She held it up. "Yang Fan, there's a mobile phone here!"
He turned, his eyes widening. "This is Qingxue's phone!"
As he grabbed it, he noticed a video still playing in the background, the screen displaying the message "Bluetooth Disconnected." His grip on the device tightened. "She couldn't have gone far." His voice was firm. "Let's split up and search for her!"
Seventh Floor Activity Room
A dim, sickly light illuminated the room. The air was thick with the scent of sweat and something metallic. Bodies of unconscious girls lay sprawled across the floor—naked, unmoving, their expressions frozen in horror. Blood trickled from the corners of their lips.
At the center of the room, four girls sat bound to chairs, their faces pale and streaked with tears. Among them was Yang Qingxue.
A man stood before them, his rough fingers lifting the chin of a trembling girl. His lips curled into a grin. "Let Uncle see which of you is the softest... Let's have some fun before sending you off."
The other men in the room laughed, their hands groping at the helpless girls. One of them approached Qingxue, his fingers trailing up her thigh. "Damn, your skin is so smooth. In times like these, who would've thought we'd get to enjoy such fresh young students?"
Qingxue shuddered, panic flashing in her teary eyes. She struggled against the restraints. "Get away! You bastards better let me go! Otherwise, my brother will kill you!"
The man snickered. "Your brother?" He pressed his palm against her stomach and slowly slid it upwards. "Little girl, your brother isn't here. No one is coming to save you."
"No… No!" Qingxue shut her eyes tight, tears spilling down her cheeks. 'Brother… I should've listened to you. I should never have opened the door for these monsters…'
Just as the man's hand reached her chest—
BANG!
The door slammed open with a violent kick.
"STOP!"
A familiar voice thundered through the room.
Qingxue's eyes flew open. Relief flooded her face. "Brother!!"
The man turned, his smug expression twisting into surprised. "What the—?!"
Yang Fan stood in the doorway, his hand clenched around the hilt of his sword. His face was dark with rage, veins bulging at his temples. His grip on the weapon tightened, his knuckles turning white.
"Take your filthy hands off her."
Without another word, he lunged forward, his sword flashing in a deadly arc.
"Go to hell!"
The steel sliced clean through the man's body. He didn't even have time to scream before his torso split apart, blood spraying across the room.
The remaining men recoiled, fear flashing in their eyes.
"Shit! This guy just killed our boss!"
"You bastard, you're dead meat!"
Ignoring their threats, Yang Fan took a step forward. His eyes locked onto his sister.
"Qingxue, don't be afraid," he said, his voice steady. "I won't let a single one of these scumbags walk out of here alive."
The men lunged at him.
His sword swung.
SLASH!
A man clutched his stomach, eyes wide in shock as his torso split open. His body collapsed to the ground.
One of the thugs tried to attack from behind.
"Die, you psycho!"
A silver blade flashed through the air—
THUNK!
A knife embedded itself in the back of the man's skull. He crumpled instantly.
Yang Fan turned toward the direction the knife had come from.
Yue stood there, her hand still outstretched from the throw. Her face was pale, lips pressed together.
"Thanks," Yang Fan said simply.
Yue nodded but looked down at her hands, a strange look in her eyes.
"...Is he really dead?" she muttered. "I saw him coming at you, and I just threw the knife without thinking..."
Yang Fan grabbed her shoulder, his grip firm. "Don't feel guilty. This is the end of the world. If you don't kill them, they'll kill you."
Yue took a deep breath, then nodded.
Yang Fan turned back to his sister, cutting her ropes loose. The moment the restraints snapped, Qingxue threw herself into his arms, sobbing.
"Brother! I was so scared!"
He wrapped his arms around her protectively. "I'm sorry I was late. It's okay now. It's over."
The other three freed girls approached hesitantly.
"Thank you… Thank you for saving us," one of them whispered. "Please, let us come with you. We'll follow you from now on."
"Yeah," another added desperately. "Our safety depends on you!"
Yang Fan didn't even hesitate.
"Rejected."
The girls' faces froze.
He gestured to the window, where the dark, ominous sky loomed overhead. His voice was cold.
"This is the end of the world. I'm not here to take care of deadweight."
He swept his hand across the room, gesturing at the lifeless bodies of the other girls who hadn't survived.
"If you're weak, you'll end up just like them."
The room fell silent.
Mu Yi finally stepped inside, her hands covering her mouth as she took in the grisly scene. Her face paled, her knees slightly shaky. "Ugh… Yang Fan, did you find your sister?"
"Yeah," he said. "Let's go."
As the group turned toward the door, one of the girls behind them scowled.
"Tch. He only rejected us because we're not as pretty as those two following him."
The other girl whispered bitterly, "So those three… aren't considered 'deadweight,' huh?"
Outside the Dormitory
Yang Fan stood by the window, looking down at the horde of zombies swarming beneath them. His grip tightened on his sword.
"So many zombies followed us…" he muttered. Then, his lips curled into a smirk.
"I'll go down and clear them out first. You all come after me."
Without another word, he leaped from the second floor.
Yue gasped. "Wait—!"
Qingxue's eyes sparkled. "Wow! Brother, you're so cool!"
Yang Fan landed gracefully, lifting his sword. He cracked his neck and exhaled.
"Come on, you rotting bastards!"
The first zombie lunged at him—
SHING!
Its head flew clean off.
Another swiped at him—
He twisted, slicing through its waist, the two halves falling apart in a heap.
One after another, he slaughtered them. Heads rolled, bodies collapsed, and blood splattered across the pavement.
The girls on the second floor watched in stunned silence.
"He's... terrifying," Yue whispered.
"Yeah," Mu Yi agreed.
Qingxue, on the other hand, grinned. "My brother is the best!"
After a few more moments, Yang Fan looked up and called out, "All clear! Come down!"
Yue exhaled, nodding. "Alright, we're coming."
And with that, the group descended into the blood-soaked streets.