Chapter 145: Your Doomsday Has Arrived (28)

Ling Qiong sat miserably inside the ventilation duct. “Can we open it?”

The elevator on this floor was empty—the cabin had fallen all the way to the bottom.

Those zombies had climbed up through the elevator shaft.

Jiang Xunchu shook his head. “No, it’s welded shut.”

He hadn’t expected it to be welded—without tools, there was no way to pry it open.

Mu Chen sat at the back, his face darkening as he stared at the zombies scurrying through the corridor below, his fists clenching tighter by the second.

The zombies had appeared suddenly, moving fast.

Only a few seconds had passed.

There was no time to save anyone.

Ling Qiong propped her arm on a nearby box, thinking for a moment. “Can we go back to the previous floor?”

“The one with the red elevator?”

“Yeah.”

“It should be possible,” Jiang Xunchu thought for a moment, “but it’s dangerous.”

The meteorite was right below.

There were probably even more zombies down there.

“Fortune favors the bold; when all paths are blocked, a new chance emerges.” Dad is a paying player, after all!

“??? Can those two sayings even be used together?”

…

3:13 a.m.

Outside the Third Research Institute in H City.

The street was completely swarmed with zombies, swarming like ants.

If someone stood high above and looked down, they would see an unbroken sea of zombies, encircling the institute with no gaps.

A scene straight out of a movie.

The zombies stood outside, motionless and silent, like telephone poles standing in the dark.

The eerie stillness gave an inexplicable sense of dread.

An Changjing crouched under a car, clutching his head, trembling.

No one knew where these zombies had come from.

He hadn’t even had time to run—he was trapped inside.

An Changjing dared not breathe hard, pressing against the window to watch.

As time passed, unease grew in his heart.

Had those others abandoned him and escaped through another exit?

How was he supposed to survive surrounded by so many zombies?

He couldn’t do it!

Just then, a loud explosion shattered the silence, bathing the scene in firelight.

A black mushroom cloud rose into the sky.

An Changjing: “...Why did it explode?”

He looked toward the Third Research Institute—part of the ground had collapsed, and the flames came from the collapsed area.

The people inside…

An Changjing’s heart sank.

What on earth were they doing in there?

Outside, the zombies toppled with a thud, then like dominoes, began falling one after another.

…

An Changjing: “...”

An Changjing: “???”

He swallowed hard and pinched his thigh fiercely.

This wasn’t a dream...

At that moment, a figure seemed to move atop the rubble. An Changjing quickly grabbed his binoculars to look.

Jiang Xunchu was easy to spot—he was bent over, pulling Ling Qiong out.

The little girl stumbled into Jiang Xunchu’s arms. He held her close, reaching down to pull up Mu Chen.

Only after all three were in the car did An Changjing come back to his senses.

“You guys… you…”

“Enough with the questions, start the car,” Ling Qiong urged. “If you don’t want to become zombie bait.”

The zombies lying on the ground slowly returned to normal.

One by one, they climbed back up.

An Changjing shivered in fright and quickly drove off, weaving through the zombie horde with driving skills rivaling the legendary drivers of Akina Mountain.

…

As they drove, it felt like all the zombies in H City were gathered here.

They rose from the ground in all sorts of twisted postures.

Seeing such a scene in the dead of night was terrifying.

Ling Qiong nestled closer to Jiang Xunchu, her voice barely a whisper: “Brother, I’m scared.”

Her voice was breathy and soft, full of hurt. Had he not been so close, he might not have heard it.

But…

What was she scared of?

Who was it that insisted on blowing up that meteorite?

Who had said with certainty that they were a professional and would plant the explosives?

And who had set off the blast?

And now you’re scared…

Jiang Xunchu swallowed his words, gathering her into his arms and soothingly stroking her hair. “I’m here.”

[Darling, you're being very...] Shanshan couldn’t hold back and bubbled up.

What now?

[Sassily bratty.] Shanshan had no fear.

Ling Qiong rolled her eyes inwardly. Mind your own business—I’ll have my happy ending with my darling however I want.

You can mind the heavens and the money, but you want to control Dad too?

[As long as you’re happy.] Shanshan unleashed her trump card.

Hmph!

Ling Qiong nestled contentedly in Jiang Xunchu’s arms.

He stroked her soft, fuzzy hair and kissed the top of her head.

The gestures were so natural, without a second thought.

When he finished, Jiang Xunchu suddenly snapped out of it, quickly lowering his hand and staring out the window.

Ling Qiong moved up closer.

He felt her lips brush against his earlobe.

“Brother, your heart rate is 135—are you beating for me?”

Jiang Xunchu: “...”

Suddenly, he wished the others would speak.

Sadly, Mu Chen was lost in his own thoughts, and An Changjing was busy weaving through the zombies—no one had time to pay attention to them.

Jiang Xunchu changed the subject: “You should rest a bit.”

Ling Qiong curled up and pressed against his chest, listening for a while, then suddenly kissed him through his shirt.

His thin clothing couldn’t block the warmth she sent through.

In that instant, it was as if electricity surged through his entire body, striking his heart.

Jiang Xunchu seemed to hear the sound of his heart’s walls crumbling.

He thought, this is it.

His heartbeat spiraled out of control.

He heard the soft, melting voice of the little girl whispering in his ear, rolling over the ruins of his broken heart, crashing into his chest, and spreading warmth through his veins.

“Brother, I hope it keeps beating for me forever.”

…

Having just escaped death, Jiang Xunchu had already forgotten what that feeling was.

Now, all he could think about was what to do with the person in his arms.

Of course, in the end, he didn’t come up with an answer.

Everyone was exhausted, and Jiang Xunchu soon drifted off to sleep.

An Changjing drove carefully.

…

Ling Qiong was awakened by sunlight.

She sat up, covering her arms. The car was stuffy, and she was alone.

She moved to a spot out of the sun and peered out the window.

Jiang Xunchu stood about two meters away; An Changjing and Mu Chen were nowhere to be seen.

Ling Qiong tapped on the window.

Jiang Xunchu heard the sound and turned to look.

Ling Qiong rolled down the window, and Jiang Xunchu’s voice came through. “Awake?”

Ling Qiong rested her hands on the window frame, her chin on her hands, looking like an adorable little creature.

She sniffled and scanned the surroundings, her voice hoarse from just waking. “Where are they?”

“Mu Chen went to find his companions; An Changjing went to the bathroom.”

“Oh.”

Ling Qiong realized they had stopped near a mall. Her eyes lit up instantly, and her energy surged as she opened the car door to get out.

“Brother, are we going shopping?”

Jiang Xunchu: “???” Was she still half-asleep?

He grabbed some water and a towel from the front, dampened the towel, and handed it to her. “Wash your face.”

Ling Qiong: “…”

Cold!

Heartless!

———End of Chapter———

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