Chapter 23: A Benevolent Deception

"Mom..."

The girl seemed lost in memory. After a long moment, she said, "I... I don't know where my mom went. That day, the shopping mall suddenly fell into chaos, and the loudspeakers were telling everyone to leave immediately."

"Mom grabbed my hand and followed a crowd of adults toward the exit, but there were too many people. Before long, we were separated in the crush. I looked everywhere for her, but I couldn't find her, so I had no choice but to come back to our store..."

"Later, I heard people outside screaming for help, along with those terrifying roars. I... I got so scared that I hid inside this iron cabinet... Do you think my mom will come back for me?"

As she spoke, the girl's voice began to choke with sobs. Although Qin Zhong could not see her clearly in the dark, he knew she must be weeping.

"Don't worry! Your mom definitely doesn't know you're here; she will surely come back to find you."

Faced with a young girl, Qin Zhong truly could not bring himself to pour salt on her wounds, so he told a white lie.

"Really?"

Hearing his words, the girl's voice filled with obvious joy, seemingly unaware that Qin Zhong was merely comforting her.

Qin Zhong sighed silently in the dark but nodded anyway, quickly changing the subject. "By the way, what is your name?"

"My name is Xiao Yingyong," she replied. "Ying for shadow, Yong for chant. My father gave me the name."

Mentioning her father, her eyes seemed to shimmer in the darkness, and her tone carried a hint of pride. "My dad was a soldier! He sacrificed himself to save others."

Qin Zhong nodded and encouraged her, "Then you must live on well. You must be brave, just like your father."

Xiao Yingyong answered firmly, "I will!"

Qin Zhong then introduced himself. "My name is Qin Zhong. You can call me Brother Qin, or just Qin Zhong, whichever you prefer."

Xiao Yingyong whispered an "okay" and then asked, "Brother Qin, have you seen anyone else outside? I don't mean those... kinds of people."

"I have..."

Qin Zhong thought for a moment before adding, "Although the disaster happened very suddenly, many people still survived. However, these survivors have all gone into hiding since the monsters are everywhere out there."

As he finished, a thought occurred to him. "Right, after I entered this place, I saw a woman who said she escaped from the Henglong Building. Perhaps there are survivors there."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yingyong became excited. "Brother Qin, then... let's go to the Henglong Building together, okay? Maybe my mom is there."

Qin Zhong shook his head with a heavy expression. With so many zombies outside, he didn't think it would be easy to reach the Henglong Building. Although it was a place he had to go, he needed to be prepared before taking action.

Just then, Xiao Yingyong asked again, "Brother Qin, why did you stop talking? Is it okay?"

Qin Zhong was startled, then realized that the iron cabinet was like a metal coffin; once closed, it was pitch black inside, and she could not see him shaking his head.

He quickly replied, "The Henglong Building isn't too far from here, but right now, never mind the mall, the streets outside are crawling with zombies..."

"Zombies?!" Xiao Yingyong interrupted, her voice filled with terror.

"Yes, those monsters outside. Have you ever seen Resident Evil? They’re just like the zombies in that movie."

In the darkness, he heard a faint clattering sound—Xiao Yingyong shivering at the mention of the word.

"Don't be afraid."

Qin Zhong comforted her, "Even if we can't go there for now, as long as we keep getting stronger, we will eventually be able to kill all these monsters. Then, we can go whenever we want."

"Sigh," Xiao Yingyong sighed, her tone full of disappointment.

Qin Zhong continued, "Actually, this mall is quite good. It’s well-stocked with supplies. As long as we can clear out the zombies here, the entire mall would be the perfect sanctuary..."

...

"No! I want to go to the Henglong Building! I want to find my mom!"

Before Qin Zhong could finish, Xiao Yingyong suddenly threw a tantrum, her voice rising sharply. In the confined, sealed space of the cabinet, her voice sounded unnaturally loud and hollow.

"Shut up!"

His expression darkening, Qin Zhong couldn't help but snap, "If you yell like that and the zombies hear us, do you want to die? If you die, you'll never see your mother again!"

"Wuwu..."

Scolded by Qin Zhong, Xiao Yingyong realized her mistake. She pulled her knees to her chest and began to sob quietly.

In the darkness, although Qin Zhong couldn't see her face, he could easily imagine her pouting, clenching her fists, and trying her best to suppress her cries.

He sighed. He remembered that if Xiao Yingyong hadn't opened that small door earlier, he might not have survived.

Though it was a minor effort for her, she had saved his life; she was his savior. He couldn't help but regret his harsh tone.

"How about this..."

Qin Zhong pondered for a moment, thinking of the "pentagram" the woman had mentioned. "We'll rest here for now. I'm still injured, so I need to recover. As for the Henglong Building, I will take you there, but..."

He paused, leaving the rest unsaid. In truth, Qin Zhong believed it was highly likely that Xiao Yingyong's mother was already dead.

However, he didn't want to say it. She was still just a child; if she were hit with that kind of trauma, she might lose the will to live.

For now, even if it was self-deception, it at least gave her hope.

"Ugh!"

Just then, a strange, guttural noise erupted right outside the cabinet door. Qin Zhong felt Xiao Yingyong’s body tremble, but she didn't scream—if she hadn't had at least that much composure, she wouldn't have survived until now.

Qin Zhong gripped his Miao Dao. Listening to the sound, there was only one zombie outside. He peeked through the slit between the cabinet doors and was shocked to find a pair of cold, milky-white eyes staring directly back at him.

"Damn it."

Qin Zhong cursed under his breath. He thrust the slender blade through the gap, piercing the zombie's skull.

He pushed the door open, kicked the zombie away, and pulled his blade free. He moved to the kitchen doorway and looked out, faintly hearing the low, distant roars of other zombies.

"We can't stay here anymore."

Qin Zhong turned and reached out to pull Xiao Yingyong up. "Come with me to the upper floors."

To his surprise, Xiao Yingyong shrank back, her voice hesitant. "I won't go. Outside... there are so many zombies!" Her face was full of fear, her eyes fixed on the corpse on the floor, wanting to move but unable to bring herself to do so.

Although she had survived on her own until now, she was still a child. Faced with such a reality, her fear was far more intense than an adult's.

Qin Zhong’s face turned stern. He said expressionlessly, "If you don't come, I'm leaving."

The coldness in his own voice chilled even him. This was a matter of life and death, and he didn't have the time to slowly coax the girl.