Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Climbing into the Women's Dormitory “Go faster! Up that slope—the dormitory building is at the top. We can climb up the drainpipe to the second floor, and then we’ll be safe.” Xu Yi watched the infected and spoke calmly. Ling Yue gritted her teeth and started running. Then Xu Yi grabbed her hand. In the past, how could she ever have allowed a boy to hold her hand like that? Now, she only wanted to thank Xu Yi for not abandoning her and for being willing to pull her along as they fled for their lives. Although Xu Yi looked very thin, his physical fitness was astonishingly good, and he ran extremely fast. Ling Yue no longer had the energy to care what had happened to the people behind them. The two of them sprinted madly and soon reached the dirt slope Xu Yi had mentioned. At that moment, they were no more than five meters from the group of infected ahead of them. If they failed to climb the slope in one go, the infected would catch up. And once they did, the outcome would be having their hearts torn out and their heads smashed to pieces. The thought made Ling Yue shudder. Yet Xu Yi dragged her rapidly up the slope, bringing her to the outside of the dormitory building. There was an iron fence outside. Xu Yi threw the box over it and began climbing. Ling Yue climbed after him. The fence was barely over a meter high and had originally been built more for show than anything else. Xu Yi flipped over it in an instant. “The entrance up ahead may already have been completely sealed off by the people inside. I’m planning to climb straight to the second floor,” Xu Yi said as he searched for a suitable spot. All the first-floor windows had security grilles, while the windows starting from the second floor did not. As long as they reached the second floor, they could enter the dormitory building. Ling Yue picked up the box and followed Xu Yi. She had abandoned all other thoughts and was determined to follow Xu Yi. This cold, masked young man was incredibly strong—definitely the kind of person she could rely on. The world had already entered the Apocalypse, and everything from the past had vanished. Being alive was the greatest happiness there was. To survive in an Apocalypse crawling with monsters, one needed enough combat power. This young man could sever a monster’s neck with a single slash. That alone put him ahead of ninety percent of people. Even if she had to exchange her most precious possessions for his protection, Ling Yue felt she could accept that. Once dead, she would have nothing left—and the process would be excruciating. Ling Yue did not want to die. She wanted to live, even if life was difficult. “Climb up from here. Forget the box for now.” With that, Xu Yi began climbing. Xu Yi moved incredibly quickly because he was very strong. In less than ten seconds, he had successfully climbed to the second floor and jumped into the corridor. When Xu Yi had climbed partway up, Ling Yue tucked her Metal Rod horizontally into the back of her backpack and followed him. But her physical condition was poor, and she had only managed to climb a short distance. “Hurry! The iron fence is about to be pushed down.” Xu Yi glanced back, then turned around to check the dormitory. The door was closed, and no infected had rushed out from inside. Only then did Xu Yi lie down in the corridor and extend a hand toward Ling Yue. Ling Yue had climbed halfway up, while the infected had already pushed down part of the iron fence and were charging toward her. “Don’t panic. Move up a little farther, and I’ll be able to grab you.” Xu Yi glanced at the approaching infected, feeling somewhat worried. Could they climb? If they could, then the dorm rooms on the first floor, with their security grilles, would be the safe ones! Ling Yue summoned every bit of strength she had, inching upward little by little. The main reason was that she had gone several days without eating and was seriously lacking in strength. Under normal circumstances, she definitely could have climbed to the second floor quickly. After all, Ling Yue exercised regularly, and her physical fitness was much better than that of ordinary girls. “I’ve got you.” Xu Yi grabbed Ling Yue’s backpack and pulled her upward. With Xu Yi’s help, Ling Yue found it much easier and quickly climbed to the second floor. After Xu Yi dragged Ling Yue into the corridor, she immediately collapsed onto the floor. Xu Yi watched the infected below. Seeing them only able to crane their necks and reach upward in impotent fury, he let out a sigh of relief. They couldn’t climb walls. For the time being, he was safe. “We’re safe for now. Eat something. I’ll go check the dorm rooms.” This was a girls’ dormitory building. Girls generally liked to keep snacks around, so there might be a stockpile in the rooms. Although Xu Yi had filled a backpack, those snacks would not last more than a few days. To stay alive, maintaining combat strength was the most basic requirement. And to maintain combat strength, one had to eat one’s fill at every meal. Food was the key to survival. Therefore, gathering food was extremely important. Xu Yi entered cautiously and quickly surveyed the room. It was a four-person room. Xu Yi climbed up the ladder to take a look, wanting to confirm whether anyone lived there. None of the four beds were occupied, so Xu Yi climbed back down. At last, he would have a bed to sleep in that night. “They came in too. They ran to the dormitory building across from us.” Ling Yue had seen the movements of several of her former companions from the corridor and immediately reported it to Xu Yi. She knew those people must hate her terribly by now. If she encountered them again, they would certainly take revenge. Ling Yue understood the ugliness of human nature all too well. If she had not continually won over the other girls these past few days, she would have been abused by those men long ago. With the Apocalypse’s arrival, order had collapsed. Without restraints, all of the evil thoughts in people’s hearts would be magnified. In the past, morality and the law had restrained them. Now, there was nothing left. People had no scruples and dared to do anything. “As long as they don’t come looking for trouble, it’s fine.” After replying, Xu Yi began searching for food. Ling Yue stuffed potato chips into her mouth as she walked farther inside. By then, Xu Yi had already found a bag of steamed sponge cakes. They were excellent—filling and satisfying. Xu Yi also found several bars of chocolate and some spicy strips. “My name is Ling Yue. What’s your name?” Ling Yue asked curiously, introducing herself as well. “Xu Yi.” Xu Yi moved to another spot and continued searching. So cold? Ling Yue wondered: Wasn’t she the campus belle, with a pretty good reputation at school? Yet he actually seemed to dislike her? However, when she saw her reflection in the makeup mirror, she immediately understood. She had not eaten a proper meal in seven days and had become painfully gaunt. Where would she have any charm left? To protect herself, she had not bathed once during those seven days. Her entire body reeked. Under those circumstances, it would have been strange if he had not disliked her. After realizing this, Ling Yue couldn’t help smiling. Soon, the two of them finished searching all four sections of the room. Xu Yi found a bag of steamed sponge cakes, six bars of chocolate, half a jar of soft tangerine candies, a bag of spicy strips, and a pack of Blue Liqun cigarettes. Ling Yue found five apples, a pack of roasted seaweed, a box of chocolate pies, and a box of condoms.