Chapter 19: The Peril of Carelessness-No Apocalipse, Posso Me Conectar com a Realidade(HR de elite)

After killing four zombies—one male and three females—Qin Zhong felt a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. A surge of confidence and a sense of accomplishment filled his heart, bolstering his resolve to survive and continue growing stronger.

Beyond the bookstore lay a music tea bar. The adjacent shops were connected by interior doors, allowing him to bypass the external corridor. Qin Zhong walked to the entrance. The tea bar was not particularly large, but the tables were clean and the decor was elegant. A beautiful glass cabinet was filled with exquisite tea snacks and biscuits, though after more than half a year, they had long since molded and spoiled.

Looking at these delicate treats, Qin Zhong licked his lips. Before the apocalypse, sweets had been his favorite, but now, he could no longer indulge in the food he loved as he once had. At this thought, he instinctively patted the phone hidden against his chest. With this device, once a thunderstorm arrived and Sun Xiaoyan sent over the supplies she had prepared, perhaps he would no longer need to worry about provisions.

The tea bar was visible at a glance; no zombies lingered there. Next to the tea bar was a Western-style restaurant, which, like the tea bar, was empty, with not a "soul" in sight. Beyond that, the shops were primarily dining establishments. He fought his way forward, taking down another seven or eight zombies. Although he had not encountered many, the constant need to maintain high mental tension while searching each storefront left Qin Zhong feeling mentally exhausted.

By noon, Qin Zhong reached a roast duck restaurant. It was quite spacious, with the front half serving as a main hall filled with a dozen long tables, while the back hinted at a row of private rooms. The sunlight filtering through the mall’s skylights was dimmed here; the rear of the shop was murky, creating a hazy, indistinct atmosphere. Feeling weary from his search thus far, Qin Zhong decided to finish checking the restaurant and then stop to rest and eat.

Entering the restaurant, he couldn't be bothered to hunt for zombies. He struck the tables with the back of his blade, hoping the sound would draw them out. Zombies lacked intelligence; usually, they would come charging with guttural groans at the slightest noise. However, after he tapped for a while, the shop remained deathly silent. No zombies emerged, which let Qin Zhong breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed safe.

Seeing no immediate danger, he carried his Miao dao casually, strolling inside to see if there was any untainted roast duck. He hadn't eaten meat in days, and he knew his body wouldn't hold up much longer if he continued this way.

As he reached the back rooms, he pushed open the door to one of them. Unexpectedly, a dark shadow lunged out. Because he had assumed the shop was empty, his guard had slipped. Startled, he stumbled backward, only to slip on a discarded soda can. With a thud, he fell flat on his back. Seeing the zombie pouncing on him, Qin Zhong, no longer a novice, instinctively thrust his blade into the creature's chest.

However, a wound that would be fatal to a human had little effect on a zombie. The creature, using hands like steel claws, pinned Qin Zhong’s shoulders and opened its mouth, revealing a set of jagged teeth as it snapped down. Seeing those fangs inches from his face, Qin Zhong’s expression shifted. He let go of the blade, grabbed the zombie by the throat with both hands, and pushed with all his might. His palms felt clammy, and the scent of blood filled his nose.

Only then did he realize this zombie seemed to be a mute; it didn't emit the usual guttural groans, and being trapped in the room had caught him off guard. Qin Zhong pushed with every ounce of strength, desperate to keep the foul, black-blood-dripping mouth away. As they struggled, his arms began to go numb, and the effort became increasingly difficult.

*This won't do,* he thought. *If this continues, I'm going to lose.*

While straining to keep the zombie at bay, he scanned the floor and saw his flashlight lying nearby. He forced one hand free, grabbed the light, and shone it directly into the zombie's eyes. To his disappointment, the trick didn't work this time. The zombie, sensing only one hand resisting it, pushed its white, jagged teeth an inch closer, causing the bones in his other arm to creak under the pressure.

The terror of death fueled his will to live. He jammed the flashlight directly into the zombie's mouth, then, summoning his remaining strength, kicked the creature away and rolled to the side.

The zombie wobbled as it stood up. He didn't know how they possessed such strength or why they were so hard to kill—like resilient pests. Unless you struck the head directly, even severe wounds barely hindered them. Although Qin Zhong had temporarily escaped, his arms were too sore to lift. He had to circle the long tables in the hall to keep his distance. Fortunately, the zombie’s movements were clumsy. After circling a dozen times, the numbness in his arms began to fade.

As his strength returned, Qin Zhong stood his ground, picked up his blade, and waited with full focus. As the zombie lunged, he swung his arm in a wide arc and brought the blade down with a vicious chop.

*Thud!*

A head rolled to the floor. Qin Zhong leaned on his sword, catching his breath. Once recovered, he went to the kitchen, lit the gas stove, and cooked a pot of rice. Finding several vacuum-sealed ducks in the kitchen, he opened one, smelled that it was still fresh, and grilled it on another burner.

After a hearty lunch, Qin Zhong felt tired. He grabbed two cans of Red Bull from the counter, reclined on a sofa in one of the private rooms, and sipped his drink while reflecting on the day. He had searched twelve shops, killed nearly twenty zombies, and most importantly, his mastery of the blade had improved significantly. After all, with so many opportunities for real combat, anyone who wasn't a fool would show improvement.

Deep in thought, he drifted off to sleep. Perhaps it was the mental exhaustion from the morning and the physical strain that caused him to sleep until dusk.

Qin Zhong sat up and rubbed his eyes. Looking through the skylight, he saw thick fog outside; even the stars were hidden. He wondered if there would be a thunderstorm tonight. As night fell, mournful, shrill howls echoed through the empty hall. The crushing loneliness and helplessness weighed on him like a heavy stone.

After a meager dinner of leftovers, he returned to the private room, lay on the sofa, and began dialing Sun Xiaoyan’s number repeatedly. Ever since he discovered the phone could connect to reality, he tried whenever he had a spare moment. Even though the previous two connections had occurred during thunderstorms, he figured there might be a chance. In his view, he had nothing to lose—and if it worked, it would be a massive gain.

"Beep... beep... beep..."

"Hello? Qin Zhong?"

Just as he was drifting off, the phone screen lit up. A familiar female voice came through the receiver—it was Sun Xiaoyan. Qin Zhong was instantly wide awake. He instinctively opened the room door and stepped out, looking up at the skylight. He realized that, at some point, the sky had become thick with dark clouds, and it had begun to rain.