Chapter 204: Zombies and Outing.
Every time she cleared an area, she kept track in her head. It made her feel more in control, and it also let her know how much more work was left. If there were only a few left, then the building would be much safer for the people still hiding inside. That thought alone made the effort worth it. The fewer zombies there were, the less chance there was for someone to get bitten, dragged off, or trapped in a corner with nowhere to go. Bai Li was not saving the world. She was just making the space around her a little more livable. Even that was enough.
When the two of them reached the building entrance, two more zombies suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They must have been wandering near the door or hiding in a blind spot because neither Bai Li nor Yan Cijin had noticed them at first. Bai Li reacted instantly. She raised her knife without a word and slashed at one of the male zombies. Her movement was quick and strong, and she swung the knife horizontally with both hands in one sharp motion. The blade caught the zombie cleanly, and its head flew off at once. The body stood there for one brief second, still trying to move, before collapsing awkwardly to the side.
Bai Li did not slow down after that. She had no habit of dragging things out once she had already decided to kill. She turned immediately toward the female zombie and slashed again. The second attack was just as fast as the first. The female zombie barely got a chance to reach out before it lost its balance and dropped to the ground. Its limbs twitched once, then went still. Bai Li stood between the two bodies with the knife still in hand, expression calm, almost distant, as if this was just another ordinary part of the day. For her, in a way, it was. The world had already become this ugly, and she had no intention of pretending otherwise.
Taking advantage of the fact that there were no other zombies nearby, the two of them quickly rushed into the small supermarket. Yan Cijin moved first this time, hurrying to block the door with chairs and anything else she could grab. She had done this before, so her hands were quick and practiced. A chair scraped against the floor, then another, and soon the entrance was sealed off enough to buy them some time. Only after the door was secured did they finally start packing up the supplies. The supermarket was not large, but in a time like this, even a small place like this could mean a lot. Shelves that once looked ordinary now held food, water, medicine, and little things that could decide whether a person lived comfortably or struggled every single day.
Bai Li moved along the shelves at a measured pace, not rushing, but not wasting time either. She knew exactly what mattered most. Instant food, packaged goods, seasonings, anything with a long shelf life, anything that could stretch their meals a little farther. Yan Cijin stayed close, helping her pull things down and keep them organized. The supermarket had already been visited by other people before, so a lot of the useful things were scattered and messy. Some shelves were half empty, some boxes had been opened, and some items had been knocked to the floor. Even so, there was still plenty left if they were quick enough. Bai Li crouched, checked a lower shelf, then straightened up again with a few more packs in hand. Her face stayed unreadable, but the way she worked showed she was thinking about every item twice. Nothing was being taken just for the sake of taking it. Every choice had a purpose.
Because the residents of Building 9 had been talking about Bai Li going out, many of them were already watching from outside the windows. Some had their faces pressed close to the glass, while others stood a little farther back, watching with fear, curiosity, and that same greedy hope people got when they saw someone bringing back supplies. Bai Li’s actions of killing the zombies had been seen by many of them, and so had the backpacks she and Yan Cijin were carrying. People’s eyes followed them with obvious interest, and more than one person quietly guessed that they had found a lot of things outside. In a world like this, any sign of food or useful supplies could stir up jealousy fast, and Bai Li knew that better than anyone. Even so, she kept moving with the same calm pace, while Yan Cijin worked beside her, both of them quietly preparing to take as much as they could before anyone outside got any dangerous ideas.
Outside the supermarket window, the people of Building 9 kept watching as Bai Li and Yan Cijin moved inside with practiced speed. At first, a lot of them only stared because they were shocked. Then, once they realized the two had really come back with a full haul of supplies, the mood outside changed little by little. Some people looked like they could not believe it. Others looked like they were trying hard not to show how jealous they felt. A few had their mouths pressed into thin lines, clearly unhappy that someone else had the courage and the skill to go out while they themselves had stayed hidden in their rooms, waiting for things to pass by like waiting could somehow make the world better.
There were also people who started talking in low voices, and their words carried a strange mix of sourness and admiration. They had all seen Bai Li cut down zombies outside the building entrance. That kind of speed was not fake, and that kind of calm could not be acted out easily. Even if they wanted to dislike her, they still had to admit she was the real deal.
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Thanks for reading till now.
We have completed more than 200 Chapters which is a huge milestone.
But the journey is nowhere near it’s end.
So, keep sticking until the end.
^>^
To be continued.
