Who was this handsome young man in front of her? Was he a soldier? Lin Zijin couldn't help but wonder about Fang Chen's identity as she observed him closely.
Her thoughts were interrupted abruptly when a zombie lunged towards the car window, startling Lin Zijin. Instinctively, she shrunk into Fang Chen's arms.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here," Fang Chen assured her, holding her slender waist protectively. Memories of his past life flooded his mind—he had once been surrounded by zombies, but she had saved him.
Now, with her trembling in his embrace, Fang Chen felt a deep satisfaction in fulfilling his protective instinct.
As more zombies approached, Fang Chen swiftly retrieved a gun from his concealed stash, hidden from Lin Zijin's sight, and efficiently dispatched the approaching threats.
Lin Zijin was both surprised and comforted by Fang Chen's swift action with the firearm. The sight of him handling the danger with such skill reassured her in this terrifying new world.
Meanwhile, upstairs in the dormitory, Li Nana heard the gunshots and peeked out the window. Her eyes widened at the sight of a massive armored vehicle bathed in a stark white glow parked below.
"It's the military!" Li Nana exclaimed excitedly. "Someone's here to rescue us!"
"We're finally saved, this is fantastic!" another voice chimed in.
"If only we hadn't pushed Lin Zijin out," another complained callously. "It was her bad luck, not ours."
Li Nana pursed her lips, her eyes gleaming with newfound hope as she leaned against the armored vehicle. In this perilous moment, the armored vehicle offered the only semblance of security.
After a tense ten minutes, Fang Chen had eliminated all immediate threats, leaving the ground strewn with severed limbs and debris.
Lin Zijin glanced at the gruesome scene and felt a wave of nausea. "This will become a common sight in the future," Fang Chen remarked calmly, patting her back.
Lin Zijin nodded weakly, her thoughts clouded with worry. "Will the world ever return to normal?"
"Who knows," Fang Chen replied somberly. "At least not for the next few years."
"A few years!" Lin Zijin gasped, her concern deepening. How long would it take to find and save her sister in this chaotic world?
"Thank you," Lin Zijin finally spoke after a moment. "You saved me."
"There's no need to thank me," Fang Chen smiled softly, remembering her act of bravery in their past lives. Saving her now felt like the right thing to do.
Curious, Fang Chen turned to Lin Zijin. "Why did you decide to jump from upstairs?"
Lin Zijin hesitated briefly before recounting the events that led her to make that desperate leap, her expression filled with sadness.
She had trusted her roommates, even considered them friends. But their betrayal cut deeper than she had imagined.
"There they are!" Suddenly, the commotion outside the car drew their attention.
Three girls, each with their own reactions, were running towards them. "Are you military?" they called out as they reached the car, knocking on the window in agitation.
"Why did it take you so long?" one complained loudly. "I thought I was going to die out there!"
"Hurry and open the door, it's scorching hot!" another urged anxiously. "We're all terrified after seeing those corpses. It's traumatizing!"
"You're too slow! Do you realize we almost got eaten by zombies?" the third added, her frustration evident.
Fang Chen inwardly scoffed at their entitlement. It seemed these girls hadn't fully grasped the severity of the apocalypse, still expecting swift rescues and normalcy.
He wondered what gave them such confidence to speak so boldly to him, especially after witnessing his decisive handling of the zombie threat.
As he pondered, Fang Chen noticed Lin Zijin's distressed expression—a mix of fear and anger.
"Did they push you out?" Fang Chen asked, a realization dawning on him.
"Yes," Lin Zijin nodded quietly, casting a wary glance at her former roommates. Their mistreatment of her had been clear for a while—they treated her like a servant, spreading rumors behind her back, even in this dire situation.
"Would you like revenge? I can help you," Fang Chen offered solemnly. He owed her for saving his life in their previous existence and was determined to repay that debt.
"Huh?" Lin Zijin looked at him in surprise. While part of her wanted justice, the idea of resorting to violence still shocked her.
Without hesitation, Fang Chen opened the car door and stepped out, fixing a cold gaze on the three girls standing before him.
"Why did you open the door just now? Didn't you hear us?" the shortest girl demanded angrily, hands on her hips.
Her unkempt appearance and foul odor made Fang Chen grimace. "Filthy," he muttered under his breath, regretting not using his foot instead of his hand.
Quickly retrieving a bottle of mineral water, he cleansed his hands as the other two girls watched in stunned silence.
"Fang Chen?" one of them finally exclaimed, recognizing him. "From the hotel?"
Fang Chen's gaze hardened imperceptibly. It was her—Li Nana. In his previous life, she had caused him trouble, exploiting his kindness and eventually endangering him during a zombie attack.
But now, seeing her here, ungrateful and entitled, stirred a flicker of anger within him.
Li Nana approached him with a coy smile, deliberately clinging to his arm. "Fang Chen, did you come just for me? Are you here to take me away?"
Fang Chen remained impassive, though inside, he seethed. He knew her true nature—manipulative and deceitful. She had used him before and was likely doing the same now, seeing his resources as a ticket to survival and dominance in this chaotic world.