C6 Meeting

A student, completely overwhelmed, suddenly burst out from in front of the dormitory building. After suppressing their fear all day, someone had finally succumbed to the apocalyptic terror and lost control.

As he ran and screamed, he drew nearly all the nearby zombies toward him.

Yan Cheng had no choice but to retreat. He felt helpless, as he hadn't yet secured his own safety.

"Thank you!" Yan Cheng said solemnly. The student's distraction had given him the opportunity he needed to make his way to the girls' dormitory across the way.

Yan Cheng quickly made his way downstairs. Sure enough, the zombies on the ground floor had been drawn away by the commotion. He sprinted towards the girls' dormitory, the short distance of less than a hundred meters feeling incredibly vast.

The girls' dormitory loomed closer and closer as Yan Cheng pushed on.

Meanwhile, Lang Zhe was in the midst of a standoff with several other boys who were against opening the girls' dormitory door.

"What if the zombies get in when you open it?" one challenged.

"Exactly, we can't open it. We can't risk everyone's lives for just one person," another agreed.

"Didn't you notice all the zombies have been drawn away?" Lang Zhe countered.

"And what if there's danger? Who's going to take responsibility then?" a boy retorted, clearly positioning himself as the leader of the group.

"I will take responsibility," Huang Qiu declared. "If you're worried about being eaten by zombies, then hurry back to the top floor and hide. They'll leave after they're done with us."

"Huang Qiu, it's too risky!" the boy protested.

"Zou Feiyun, you're a real disappointment," Huang Qiu said, clearly knowing him.

Zou Feiyun huffed, "My stance remains. You can't drag us all down with you!"

Lang Zhe's voice was firm. "And what if I go ahead and open the door anyway?"

"Then I'm sorry, but I must oppose you," Zou Feiyun replied, as his companions readied their makeshift weapons—a broom and a stool.

Currently, only Lang Zhe and Huang Qiu were in favor of opening the door, with the majority siding with Zou Feiyun, as it was a matter of life and death.

Huang Qiu held back Lang Zhe, who was ready to confront them, and proposed, "What if we give you all our food? Would that change your minds?"

Zou Feiyun narrowed his eyes and said, "Are you that concerned about the kid? Fine, but there's one more condition. If he gets in and you're still alive, you have to share half of whatever food he's found with us. If you agree, open the door. If not, forget it!"

"You!" Lang Zhe was itching to give him a piece of his mind, but Huang Qiu gripped him firmly. Lang Zhe wasn't foolish, though. If he lashed out now, he wouldn't just fail to rescue Yan Cheng; he'd be in deep trouble himself.

"Fine! I agree!" Huang Qiu declared.

"Good, wait for us to go up before you open up," Zou Feiyun stated bluntly, not concerned in the slightest about Lang Zhe backing out. Even with Yan Cheng, they would only have two guys to his seven. He was confident they would comply.

Zou Feiyun led his group back upstairs, and Lang Zhe quickly cleared the debris blocking the dormitory entrance. Meanwhile, Yan Cheng had made it to the female dorm without drawing any zombie attention. Lang Zhe and Huang Qiu swiftly moved the obstructions and opened the door. Yan Cheng dashed inside, and the trio immediately shut the door, restacking the debris to secure it.

"I've finally caught up with the main group!" Yan Cheng whispered in relief.

"Let's head upstairs and talk," Huang Qiu suggested quietly.

They made their way to the top floor.

"Why were you in the female dormitory?" Yan Cheng asked, puzzled.

"I should be asking you why you were in our dorm," Lang Zhe retorted, then recounted the previous day's events in detail.

"Did I miss that much?" Yan Cheng murmured to himself.

"What were you up to yesterday?" Lang Zhe inquired.

"I just went to the bathroom, then back to the dorm to sleep. Woke up to all this chaos," Yan Cheng replied succinctly.

A knock at the door interrupted them.

"Who's there?" Yan Cheng asked cautiously.

"Who else but me!" Zou Feiyun called out. The door swung open to reveal a line of boys waiting outside.

"Why is he here?" Yan Cheng inquired.

"I'm obviously here to reclaim what's mine," Zou Feiyun replied with a smirk.

"What's his?" Yan Cheng's confusion was growing.

"You haven't filled him in, so I'll do the honors!" Zou Feiyun announced. "The deal I struck for them to open the door was that their food would become mine. That includes half of the food you're carrying."

"What?" Yan Cheng exclaimed. Huang Qiu quickly grabbed him, urging, "Just give it to them!"

Yan Cheng squinted at the six armed individuals outside and tossed over the bag of food.

"What about the backpack?" someone from behind Zou Feiyun called out.

Yan Cheng brandished his kitchen knife and declared, "I've given you half already. Push your luck any further, and you'll have me to answer to!" The bloodstains on the knife sent a shiver through the group.

Zou Feiyun realized it wasn't the time to press them further. The bag already contained a substantial amount of food, so he conceded, "We always keep our word. Alright, we're pulling out!"