"Little one, you said that on purpose earlier, didn't you?" Nie Yizhou asked with a smile.
"Mm-hmm. Now that young lady should be able to see through that family's true colors completely. It's better to break away from such family members as soon as possible."
"Then why didn't we just take her away earlier?"
"What we're asked to do and what we actually want to do are two different things."
Besides, why should they bother escorting those scumbags to Rongsheng Base?
They weren't just sitting around with nothing better to do.
The four of them continued upwards.
They cleared the way as they went, finally reaching the top floor just as the sky was beginning to darken.
"Only this floor and the rooftop left, then this building will be cleared," Nie Yizhou said, stretching lazily.
"Are we going to continue clearing other floors after this?"
"Not today. It's almost dark, and it won't be safe fumbling around in the pitch black. We'll continue tomorrow morning when it's light."
"Alright, let's hurry up and finish so we can rest."
Lu Chen and Xiao Feng went to the rooftop.
Yun Xiaoxiao stayed on the top floor with Nie Yizhou and Little Cutie.
They quickly cleared the zombies from one of the rooms.
Now, only the last apartment remained.
Nie Yizhou knocked on the door.
There was no response from inside.
Just as Yun Xiaoxiao was about to pull out a wire to pick the lock, the door opened from the inside.
Standing in the doorway was an old man with graying hair.
He looked to be nearly sixty years old.
He glanced at Yun Xiaoxiao and Nie Yizhou.
"Can I help you?"
"Grandpa, we want to check if there are any zombies inside," Yun Xiaoxiao said.
Hearing her words, a flicker passed through the old man's eyes.
"There aren't any."
He was about to close the door.
But Yun Xiaoxiao wedged her small foot in the doorway to stop it.
"Grandpa, you're lying."
She had clearly seen the flash of panic in his eyes earlier.
"Old timer, if there really are zombies inside, let us in to help you clear them out," Nie Yizhou said.
"No, my wife isn't a zombie! She's just... just sick."
Hearing this, Yun Xiaoxiao understood what was going on.
"Grandpa, this isn't an illness. They've completely lost their consciousness and turned into creatures only interested in blood and fresh meat..."
"Get out! You're not welcome here!" the old man angrily interrupted before Yun Xiaoxiao could finish.
"If you truly love your wife, you should let her pass on peacefully. She's not living now, she's suffering. Without fresh meat, she'll be in a state of extreme hunger every day. Slowly, she'll waste away until she's nothing but bones, neither human nor ghost. Is that what you want for her?"
The old man looked at Yun Xiaoxiao, his eyes trembling violently.
Then, he closed the door.
This time, Yun Xiaoxiao didn't stop him.
"Little one, are we really not going to deal with this? Didn't you say all the zombies in the complex had to be eliminated before we're done?"
Yun Xiaoxiao looked at the closed door and shrugged.
"Let's wait here. Maybe the door will open soon."
She leaned against the wall and actually started to wait.
Nie Yizhou raised an eyebrow. "Will it? The old man seemed deeply attached to his wife. He definitely won't want us to touch her."
"You never know," Yun Xiaoxiao said with a smile.
Then she fixed Nie Yizhou with a mischievous gaze.
"Want to make a bet?"
"What kind of bet?" Nie Yizhou's interest was piqued.
Yun Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. "If the old grandfather doesn't open the door, you win. I'll be responsible for massaging your calves and shoulders tonight. But if he does open the door, I win, and you have to give me a massage."
"Alright, it's a deal," Nie Yizhou agreed confidently.
After a while, Lu Chen and Xiao Feng came down.
"Let's go."
"Wait a moment."
"Wait for what?"
Just as Lu Chen finished speaking, the tightly closed door opened from the inside.
The old grandfather looked at the four of them. "Come in."
Nie Yizhou was very surprised. Hadn't he been trying to drive them away? Why did he suddenly change his mind?
"Little one, you're amazing!"
He gave Yun Xiaoxiao a thumbs up, marveling at her foresight.
But then, realizing he was about to become a leg-massaging lackey, his face fell in regret.
The old grandfather led the four of them inside to a room.
In that room, an old lady with gray hair, a wrinkled face, and dull gray eyes was tied to a bed.
Hearing the commotion at the door, the old lady moved slightly.
But because she was tied up, her movements were limited.
"Old timer, weren't you trying to drive us away earlier? Why did you suddenly change your mind?" Nie Yizhou asked curiously.
The old grandfather looked at the old lady on the bed and sighed deeply.
"The little girl was right earlier. I've been keeping her here with me out of my own selfish desires. She craves meat now, but I can't provide it for her. She must be in so much pain. I never wanted her to suffer. Rather than letting her endure this torment day and night, it's better to give her a quick end. But I couldn't bring myself to do it, so I had to ask for your help."
"Grandpa, do you need to step out?" Yun Xiaoxiao kindly reminded him.
The old man turned his back.
"I'll do it," Nie Yizhou said.
He stepped forward, raised his knife, and swiftly plunged it into the confused old lady's head.
The sounds in the room immediately stopped.
The old grandfather, seeming to sense something, turned back around after Nie Yizhou withdrew the knife.
At this moment, he appeared to feel a sense of relief.
"Thank you all."
"I have some food at home. Let me get it for you. You've been killing zombies since the lower floors, you must be exhausted. Eat something and rest a bit."
"No need, we have our own food," Nie Yizhou said with a smile, refusing.
How could they eat what little the old man had left?
But the old grandfather ignored his words.
He walked into the kitchen.
After a short while, he came out carrying a plate of walnuts and cookies.
He smiled, "We live high up, and it's not convenient for us to go out often, so we're in the habit of stocking up on things at home. Who knew it would come in handy after the outbreak?"
"You eat first, I'll go tidy up inside a bit."
Saying this, he turned and went back into the kitchen.
"Should we eat?" Nie Yizhou asked.
Yun Xiaoxiao replied, "Let's eat. The old grandfather is being so hospitable, we shouldn't hurt his feelings. We can give him some other food in return later."
"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony."
Nie Yizhou immediately picked up a walnut.
"Clang!"
"Bang!"
Just then, two loud sounds erupted from the kitchen.
The four of them changed expressions and immediately rushed over.
They saw the old grandfather lying on the cold floor of the kitchen.
There was a deep cut on his neck.
Blood was gushing from the wound, spreading across the floor in a crimson pool...
