Seducing and Flirting with Boss O While Stockpiling in the Apocalypse (GL) - Chapter 43

The sound of the explosion similarly jolted everyone in 1501 awake. Luo Sheng rolled off the sofa and ran to the window to assess the situation. Thick black smoke, blown by the wind, drifted toward their direction, gradually rising and scattering against the building’s windows like a fog, making it impossible to see the world outside.

Did a fire break out in someone’s home? Luo Sheng couldn’t determine which floor had caused the blast, but she knew for certain that something dire had happened.

She narrowed her eyes, staring at the undulating water not far ahead. It was like a boiling pot, splashing massive plumes of water into the air.

What are those things swarming in there?

It wasn’t until she opened the window and leaned her head out slightly that Luo Sheng finally saw what was swimming in the water. The gale, carrying torrential rain, blew into the room, but her attention was entirely fixed on the zombies. A massive number of zombies from the surrounding buildings were swimming toward them.

Terrified, Luo Sheng hurriedly locked the window, her composure vanishing. The others emerged from the bedrooms and witnessed the scene; each face wore a different expression, but their hearts shared the same dread: What do we do now?

“Why… why are there so many zombies suddenly swimming over?!” Qiao Bai swallowed hard, her voice trembling uncontrollably. The scene was too horrifying; she couldn’t imagine how the few of them could hold off such a massive horde.

Nan Shuwan’s expression was grim, her fingertips turning white from clenching her hands. “The sound of the explosion must have attracted them…”

“What if they all climb up to our floor?” Nan Chu couldn’t help but voice the thought. “There look to be dozens, maybe hundreds. These things are relentless when they hit a door; no matter how thick it is, it might not hold!”

As they spoke, Luo Sheng’s heart grew heavier, but she knew she couldn’t show panic. In times like these, she had to stay calm. Since the others looked to her for direction, she had to set the example.

Seeing Luo Sheng’s silence, Luo Xiaoli finally asked her daughter for a plan. Over the past few days, her hair had grayed further, and new wrinkles of worry had carved themselves into her face.

Having lived more than half her life, Luo Xiaoli felt a sense of powerlessness for the first time. Natural disasters, zombies, the apocalypse… she had experienced all these unheard-of horrors in just a few short months.

“Don’t panic yet,” Luo Sheng said, making her voice as steady as possible. “The explosion is over. That many zombies will inevitably scatter. Besides, with just the few of us hiding in here, they won’t find our exact location immediately.”

She turned back to gather everyone. “We have to prepare ahead of time.”

Luo Sheng no longer hesitated. In front of everyone, she retrieved the self-defense weapons she had bought from the space. There was a full array of gear, which she spread out on the floor. “Put these on. Pick a weapon that feels right. If anything happens… do your best to protect yourselves.”

Nan Shuwan nodded and was the first to put on a bulletproof vest and arm guards. She chose a long iron rod, weighing it in her hand and deciding it suited her well.

She had been exercising daily and eating the nutrient-rich vegetables from Luo Sheng’s space, which had significantly boosted her physical condition. In this crisis, she was capable of defending herself.

Qiao Bai and Yang Suitong were stunned for quite a while. Luo Sheng had never mentioned the spatial ring to them; seeing her retrieve items out of thin air felt like watching a sci-fi movie.

After a long moment, Qiao Bai knelt down to pick out a weapon. She was sensible enough not to ask too many questions; now was not the time to waste minutes on explanations. The others followed suit.

Nan Chu took a long, sharpened blade and a shield. After testing a few moves in the living room, she returned to the window to check the zombies’ positions. As Luo Sheng predicted, some zombies had scattered in the water, swimming off in other directions.

However, the majority had reached the edge of Building 2 and were quickly crawling into the tenth-floor hallway. The floor was filled with thick smoke and a foul stench, which effectively masked the scent of the living residents on the upper floors.

Dozens of zombies hissed and roared as they charged into Ma Shu’s room, biting and pouncing like headless flies. They snapped up the charred remains of the corpse mixed with ash. The smoke didn’t hinder them; these non-humans didn’t rely on sight to find their prey.

On the twelfth floor, a mother and daughter peaked through a crack in their door. Liu Lin let her mother stay inside while she, covering her mouth with a wet towel, crouched in the stairwell to look down.

The bulk of the zombies were concentrated on the two floors below. Previously, she had risked her life on the ninth floor to find a raft. Liu Lin didn’t know Su Rong had dropped it; she had simply brought it home.

Now that the water was rising higher, she and her mother had run out of food. If they stayed, they were doomed. Liu Lin felt that rather than waiting for death, they should take advantage of the zombies being clustered in one spot to escape to a place that might have supplies.

After assessing the situation, Liu Lin retreated into the room. She tied the raft to the window frame on the water’s surface to keep the wind from blowing it away. Fang Qi asked anxiously, “How is it?”

Liu Lin steeled her heart and pulled two raincoats from the cabinet, putting them on. “Mom, we have to go now! We’ll head to that department store I visited before. There’s at least food there. The monsters are below us; we’ll escape by raft from the window!”

Fang Qi was terrified, but there was no other way. The two hadn’t eaten in nearly three days, surviving only on water. Their bodies were weakening. If they didn’t flee now, they would starve. It was worth the gamble.

At this, Fang Qi nodded heavily. Having secured her mother’s consent, Liu Lin grabbed a kitchen knife for protection. she used a stool to smash the window, the glass shattering instantly. The water was at the tenth floor; they were on the twelfth. The distance was only a few meters—a simple jump.

After clearing the shards, Liu Lin, wearing a mask, climbed out and took a deep breath, jumping directly onto the raft. She turned and reached out for her mother.

Fang Qi looked at the heavy rain outside. Despite her fear, she grit her teeth and jumped down. Once both were on the raft, they immediately began rowing away.

But heaven seemed intent on keeping them there. A headwind pushed against the current, causing Fang Qi and her daughter to spin in place despite their frantic rowing. The commotion alerted the zombies on the tenth floor.

Several zombies at the hallway entrance spotted them and jumped into the water without hesitation. Liu Lin rowed for her life in terror, but the zombies dived beneath the surface and began biting the raft. The rubber punctured and began to deflate rapidly; the boat tilted, on the verge of sinking.

Two others grabbed the back of the raft, trying to climb aboard. Fang Qi slammed her oar into a zombie’s head, but it did nothing. Instead, she was bitten on the leg. In a burst of desperate strength, she kicked the zombie back into the water.

Liu Lin looked at her mother’s wound. Pale and speechless, tears welled in her eyes and fell in large drops, mixing with the rain—a scene of pure misery and desolation.

She knew what being bitten meant. she had seen the speed of infection through the peephole. Why? Why was heaven doing this to them? She had promised her mother they would go on a trip once her work break started.

But instead, they got a natural disaster, then mutated monsters, and never any rescue… They had been trapped in that tiny room, full of hope and the will to live, saving food and bravely attempting an escape. Yet, in the end, they had reached the worst outcome.

Liu Lin’s lips trembled, her voice breaking. “Mom…”

A look of resignation appeared on Fang Qi’s face. She knew she wouldn’t survive the bite. With red-rimmed eyes, she stood at the other end of the raft and used her weathered hand to stroke her daughter’s face. A wave of bitterness rose in her heart, but they didn’t even have time for a final goodbye. While she was still conscious, she had to give her daughter a chance to live. “Xiao Lin, you must live well.”

With those words, Fang Qi resolutely jumped into the water. She swung the oar wildly, swimming in the opposite direction while shouting, “Come on, you lot! Come for these old bones!!”

Her voice was loud, and it successfully drew the zombies’ attention. More jumped from the hallway, and those in the water swam toward Fang Qi. Liu Lin knelt on the raft, crying hysterically, but she had to move.

The zombies caught up, pouncing on Fang Qi. Her flesh was torn and shared by the pack, her blood staining that small patch of water. Sinking into the depths, her heart went cold; she could no longer feel the pain. Finally, she closed her eyes tightly.

Liu Lin barely made it a few steps before the raft completely lost air, causing her to flip into the water. The zombies were distracted by the scent of blood in Fang Qi’s direction.

With nowhere else to go, Liu Lin wept as she used her last ounce of strength to climb back to the edge of the building. The rope tied to the raft still hung there.

She didn’t dare enter through the hallway, so she stepped onto the outdoor AC units, bracing herself against the wall to climb from the tenth floor back to the twelfth. She crawled back into her home through the broken window.

As she entered, her elbow was sliced by a glass shard. Blood flowed down her forearm, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the agony in her heart. She sat on the floor and wailed until she nearly fainted.

Losing her mother left Liu Lin in total despair, seeing no hope. But if she didn’t cherish her life, wouldn’t her mother have died for nothing?

At this thought, Liu Lin wiped her tears. Looking back at the window, she was horrified to see three zombies learning from her, climbing up the rope. They were already at the eleventh floor.

Liu Lin wanted to cut the hemp rope with a knife, but there wasn’t enough time. Seeing the zombies about to reach her window, she didn’t think—she immediately charged out of the front door.