C6 Calm and Coldblooded!

After lingering outside for a bit longer, Lee Kai was reassured to hear the ongoing commotion inside. If there had been zombies, they surely would have attacked by now. He doubted they could have maintained an ambush for so long.

Feeling more at ease, he had intended to experiment with his summoning circle once more. Yet, at that moment, Zhu Ying emerged from the room and fixed her gaze on him. "Aren't you coming in?" she asked. Weighing her words, Lee Kai grabbed his shotgun and entered the house.

Inside, Lee Chao was busy rummaging through the place. They had already turned a bedroom upside down without finding anything noteworthy. The two had planned to give the rest stop a thorough search, but the sudden appearance of birds had given them pause. "Exactly, what if we run into trouble?" Lee Chao mused. "Should we just surrender without a fight?" This prompted him to send Zhu Ying to invite Lee Kai inside, while he wasted no time continuing his search for more firearms, convinced there had to be more than one gun in the vicinity.

Lee Kai bypassed the bedroom and headed straight for the bar, beginning his search there. The other two glanced over; they had already given the area a cursory search and, finding no firearms, had moved on.

After a fruitless search, Lee Kai took a seat on a bar stool, observing the others as they continued their search. He held onto his gun with one hand while the other began to trace beneath the bar once again.

Finishing his drawing, he looked down to find the basic summoning circle inactive. "Why did it work before but not now? Could the platform be imposing restrictions?" he wondered. Despite his persistence, a second attempt proved futile.

"It seems that the platform might be imposing limits, or perhaps there was a fluke earlier," he thought. Deciding to leave it be for the moment, he reasoned that it wasn't wise to go back and sift through the dilapidated car he had previously used. It was better to wait and see.

The other two had also grown weary from their search, so they took a seat on the nearby chairs to catch their breath. The previously bustling noise subsided into silence. After a short break, Lee Kai spoke up, "Check the doors and windows. If we can, let's block off any unnecessary exits. It'll help us sleep more soundly tonight."

"I think he's making a good point," Zhu Ying chimed in, turning to Lee Chao.

Lee Chao pondered for a moment. "Yeah, you're right. You handle things here. Zhu Ying and I will check out the back." With that, he took Zhu Ying's hand and they headed toward the bedroom.

Lee Kai watched them go, a slight smirk crossing his face before he went back to work. He sealed off most of the entrances, leaving only fist-sized holes for ventilation. Then he returned to his seat and closed his eyes to rest once more.

Meanwhile, Lee Chao and Zhu Ying were still bustling about. The rest stop had many rooms, and even after Lee Kai had settled down to rest, they were still at it. Finally finished, they sat on a bed coated with a thick layer of dust. "Why didn't we get him to help? Right now, we only have one gun between us. Shouldn't we be trying to win him over?" Zhu Ying asked the arrogant fool before her.

Lee Chao chuckled, then casually opened his coat to reveal a bright silver revolver to Zhu Ying's astonished eyes.

"What's that?" she asked, taken aback.

"Just a revolver. Let's keep it between us for now," Lee Chao replied with a smug grin.

"But why keep it a secret? Wouldn't it be better to have two guns? We'd be stronger together, right?"

"You're too kind-hearted. He's only bossing us around because he's the one with the gun. Why else do you think we had to block all those exits while he just sat up front? This gun is our ace in the hole. When he runs out of bullets, he won't be able to throw his weight around anymore," Lee Chao explained, then stashed the revolver away and pulled out some food from his clothing.

"Here, take this. I found it earlier. That guy's a fool; after killing the zombies, he didn't bother to search the place. So now, he gets nothing. Food is in short supply, and since he's already got a weapon, that should suffice, right?" Zhu Ying nodded in agreement to his selfish rationale. The food was quickly consumed, as there wasn't much to begin with.

There's an old saying that goes, "With warmth and full bellies come desires." Lee Chao found himself in a secure rest stop, his energy barely replenished by the food they had. It wasn't long before unsavory thoughts began to creep into his mind. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed Zhu Ying's hand, chuckling, "Looks like it's getting late. How about we call it a night?"

Zhu Ying was no stranger to the glint in Lee Chao's eyes; after all, she was a seasoned celebrity in the entertainment industry. A flicker of understanding crossed her eyes as she blushed, "Isn't it a bit early? Look, it's still light outside." Light still seeped through the gaps in the door, not fully sealed. But Lee Chao, already overwhelmed by his desires, couldn't contain himself any longer.

"It's just the twilight glow, nothing to worry about. It'll be dark soon, and we need to conserve our energy for tomorrow. We should get some rest now, don't you think?" After he spoke, he gazed at Zhu Ying, who, despite her shy blush, gave a slow, tentative nod. Joy lit up his eyes as he embraced her, aiming to steal a kiss.

"No, take off your clothes first," Zhu Ying said, deflecting his kiss and beginning to unbutton her own. Witnessing this, Lee Chao lost all restraint and frantically stripped off his clothes, carelessly tossing his pistol onto the pile.

As Zhu Ying watched Lee Chao hastily shed his pants, she remained composed, moving her hand from her chest to the gun he'd carelessly laid on the bed. With practiced ease, she spun it in her hand and calmly aimed the barrel at the forehead of Lee Chao, who had just finished undressing and was looking up in surprise.

"Huh? What are you doing?" Lee Chao was momentarily taken aback, but he didn't take it seriously. He was, after all, a timid man at heart. Even his previous threats to kill Lee Kai were just talk; he likely lacked the courage to act. So, in this moment, he assumed Zhu Ying was just introducing some role-play into the mix. The idea that she might actually want to end his life had never crossed his mind.

"How vicious. Is she planning to kill this guy?" A new voice suddenly broke into their conversation. Lee Chao instinctively glanced over and caught sight of Lee Kai casually leaning against the doorframe.

"Ah, you noticed too? This guy is nothing but a nuisance. Wouldn't it be better to get rid of him? I see no advantage in keeping someone around who's consumed by jealousy, who resents the success of others, and who's driven by lust. Don't you agree that he should be eliminated?"

Lee Chao was taken aback by these words. Was this the same beautiful girl who had been so affectionate with him earlier? She sounded like a cold-hearted femme fatale, her words chilling enough to freeze someone solid.

"You make a valid point. Go ahead and finish him off. Don't worry about wasting bullets; this room is secure. As long as nothing unexpected happens, we'll both make it out alive. Don't risk your own life just to save on ammunition." Lee Kai's response was even more ruthless, as if Lee Chao's life held no value at all. He fully endorsed Zhu Ying's intent and, fearing complications, even encouraged her to use her gun without hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Lee Chao couldn't afford to ponder any longer. One thought dominated his mind: "Find cover quickly, duck down now, and you might dodge the incoming bullets."

But thoughts are always quicker than actions. Although Lee Chao's intention was sound, his reaction was too slow. As blood burst from the back of his head, Lee Kai shook his head. "That's the price for not controlling your desires."

"What's the matter? Do you think I'm wrong? Why else would you shake your head?" Zhu Ying, having just shot Lee Chao dead, turned to face Lee Kai. Noticing his slight head shake, she questioned him.

"No, it's not that. I just think that if this guy were in the normal world, his crimes wouldn't warrant death, right?" She spoke as she lowered the shotgun she had been holding and slung it over her shoulder. To signal she posed no threat, Zhu Ying tossed the revolver to the far side of the bed.

As she followed Lee Kai inside, her curiosity piqued. "Who are you? Why do you seem so familiar? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before, but you're definitely not from the entertainment industry, so I'm quite puzzled," she remarked. After speaking, she watched as Lee Kai drew a dagger from his thigh holster and methodically severed Lee Chao's head. He then re-sheathed the dagger and casually wiped his bloodstained hands on Lee Chao's clothes.

Lee Kai's demeanor was chilling, bordering on the sadistic. It's not common for someone to decapitate another after taking their life. Such gruesome acts are typically the hallmark of those with a penchant for killing, individuals who likely have long since lost their grip on sanity.