Chapter 14: When the Gunshot Rang Out, Everyone Fell Silent

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Wu Changle was terrified, his legs gave way beneath him. He collapsed onto the cold floor, unable to support himself. His knees trembled uncontrollably, banging against each other. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, racing toward two hundred beats per minute. A hot rush surged uncontrollably from below, spreading a pungent, metallic stench instantly. He had urinated himself, breaking out in a cold sweat, his lips pale. Anyone who had experienced true terror would understand exactly how Wu Changle felt at that moment. Cold sweat soaked through the fabric on his back, sticking clammy and cold to his skin.

After what felt like an eternity—perhaps minutes, perhaps a lifetime—his unfocused pupils finally regained clarity, recovering a shred of his own wits.

The balcony.

Suddenly, he remembered the three corpses of his roommates lying there. Moments ago, they had been loudly mocking, and now they were nothing but shattered flesh and bone. This dormitory was no longer safe to live in.

“Waaah, oh my God!”

Using all his limbs, Wu Changle scrambled toward the door, tumbling and crawling as he fled the room, staggering toward the student leader of the male dormitory, Wang Zi’s room—406.

“It’s bad, Qin Feng has a gun! Qin Feng has a gun! Waaah!”

Wu Changle burst through the door of Wang Zi’s room, his legs buckled, and he collapsed face down onto the floor with a thud.

Inside room 406, the glow of computer screens illuminated four young faces smiling brightly, the intense sounds of a heated game and rapid keyboard clicks filling the air. Wang Zi and his three roommates were teamed up playing jungle roles, the atmosphere lively and competitive.

Seeing Wu Changle’s tear-streaked, disheveled appearance, they burst into laughter.

“Get up, why are you kneeling?”

“Hey, my boy, no need for formalities.”

“Bro, no need for such grand gestures, I can't handle it.”

Wang Zi frowned slightly, pausing his game to look at Wu Changle on the floor.

“Changle, if there’s something serious, just say it. Who’s bullying you? Get up and tell us.”

Wu Changle stammered for a long time before managing to explain.

“Qin... Qin Feng... has a gun... He’s on the other side… shooting… killed Zheng Hao, Cheng Pengfei, and Lu Zeyan.”

Laughter continued inside the room; Wang Zi’s three roommates laughed heartily.

“What a joke, Qin Feng has a gun? A toy gun, right?”

“Yeah, and he killed three people? Are you filming a movie?”

“No one’s allowed to have firearms here. Who would actually have a gun?”

Wu Changle suddenly looked up, his face filled with terror as he shouted, “If you don’t believe me, go check my dorm!”

His voice trembled with despair, clearly not lying.

Wang Zi stood, his imposing 1.85-meter frame radiating authority.

“Lead the way, I’ll take a look.”

Wang Zi followed Wu Changle back to the dormitory that had become a crime scene.

As the door opened, a thick stench of blood mixed with a faint smell of gunpowder hit them. Wang Zi’s pupils contracted sharply. On the balcony lay three bodies in pools of blood, twisted unnaturally.

Each head looked like a watermelon crushed by a heavy hammer, red and white splattered everywhere—on the walls, floor, even the ceiling—leaving horrifying marks.

This was not the work of a toy gun.

Only a genuine military-grade rifle could cause such carnage.

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Even Wang Zi, who prided himself on being worldly, felt a chill run down his spine.

Wu Changle could no longer hold it in, clutching Wang Zi’s leg and sobbing loudly:

“Bro, avenge our brothers! Qin Feng has a gun; he lives alone in the girls’ dorm and he’s going wild! My girlfriend Lin Yuwei is still in the girls’ dorm, and your campus queen girlfriend Tang Tang is there too! What if Qin Feng gets crazy late at night and uses the gun to threaten our girlfriends?

“Bro, gather some guys, let’s storm the girls’ dorm and kill Qin Feng! Then we can bring our girlfriends back safely. That way, the girls won’t keep fighting over supplies like mad dogs! Several girls were just pushed off the roof and died—you saw it yourself! You can’t just ignore this.”

Wang Zi listened to Wu Changle’s cries, his eyes growing colder and more calculating. His cunning mind began racing.

Revenge?

How? For whom? Why should I avenge you? Your roommates aren’t my brothers.

Secondly, gathering the guys to go downstairs? Crossing streets swarming with zombies? Heading to the girls’ dorm across the way?

Those zombies alone were a formidable threat.

And Qin Feng has a gun. What do we have? Throwing eggs at rocks?

Charging over would be a death sentence, no chance of victory.

The risk was too great, the reward zero.

As for the safety of the girlfriends…

Wang Zi knew very well that his girlfriend Tang Tang was sensible and level-headed. Since the apocalypse began, she hadn’t left the dorm, had her snacks meticulously rationed, and the door was locked tight—safer than anyone.

Tang Tang’s three female roommates had died; she remained unharmed.

As for Wu Changle’s girlfriend Lin Yuwei—that was Wu Changle’s own problem.

If your girlfriend got herself into trouble by asking Qin Feng to help move her luggage, she had no one to blame but herself... Sometimes it’s easier to invite trouble than to send it away.

After a moment’s thought, Wang Zi patted Wu Changle on the back and spoke calmly:

“Here’s the deal: I’ve met Qin Feng before. He’s not a bad guy. Your three roommates must have pushed him too far, crossed his line, which made him lose control and shoot.

“I’ll try diplomacy first. I’ll send him a long message, try to talk him down and test his limits.

“If that doesn’t work, then we’ll consider going over together.

“But think it through. It’s very dangerous and should only be a last resort.”

Wu Changle looked up through tear-filled eyes at Wang Zi’s tall, handsome figure, as if clutching a final lifeline, and nodded weakly: “Alright.”

Wang Zi pulled out his phone and quickly typed on the screen.

After a moment, the long message was ready.

“Hello Qin Feng,

“This is Wang Zi from the dorm opposite yours.

“I saw that you shot and killed Zheng Hao, Cheng Pengfei, and Lu Zeyan.

“As a friend, I want to remind you that in this post-apocalyptic world, revenge is understandable.

“But the best way to survive is by uniting.

“I don’t want to moralize, but I hope you can be a kind person and do your best to protect the girls around you.

“I, Wang Zi, will be grateful, and after this apocalypse, we can still be friends.”

He hit send.

Ding.

Qin Feng’s phone in the girls’ dorm lit up.

He opened it to see the message from Wang Zi.

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Qin Feng read the long message carefully.

In fact, Qin Feng and Wang Zi were sort of acquaintances.

Wang Zi was a senior, a student council officer, and the basketball team captain—very handsome.

Qin Feng was a sophomore, not a council officer but also on the basketball team, and also good-looking.

On the court, Wang Zi as captain often organized practices, encouraged the team, and frequently passed the ball to Qin Feng for the final, game-winning shot.

Any guy who’s played basketball knows the camaraderie formed by teammates sharing rebounds and assists runs deeper than most romantic relationships.

Qin Feng respected and felt a bond with Wang Zi.

So he replied simply:

“If no one provokes me, I won’t provoke anyone. But if someone provokes me, I’ll kill them.”

Wang Zi smiled slightly after reading Qin Feng’s message.

He showed it to Wu Changle: “See? It’s nothing serious.”

Wu Changle cried even harder, “No, Qin Feng’s attitude is wrong!”

Wang Zi patted Wu Changle’s shoulder reassuringly:

“Relax, I know Qin Feng. He’s not a bad person. He wouldn’t harm your girlfriend. Your roommates insulted him badly—I even heard it myself.

“Let’s leave it for now. Qin Feng won’t force your girlfriend.

“Tell your girlfriend to stay in the dorm and not wander around; she’ll be safe.

“My girlfriend Tang Tang has been obediently staying inside, locking the door tight.”

Wu Changle: “...............”

So you’re saying my girlfriend Lin Yuwei went running into Qin Feng’s room on her own? Damn.

Wu Changle dared not argue. He feared Wang Zi and certainly feared Qin Feng with the gun.

He could only send Lin Yuwei a message:

“Yuwei, how are you? Don’t provoke Qin Feng—he has a gun. He just shot and killed Zheng Hao, Cheng Pengfei, and Lu Zeyan. You must not leave the dorm; it’s too dangerous. If Qin Feng knocks, don’t open the door!”

It was already 12:34 a.m.

Lin Yuwei had long since eaten and fallen asleep.

Her phone vibrated; she saw the message from Wu Changle, read it, replied with an “Oh,” and slowly closed her heavy eyelids.

The third day of the apocalypse, early morning.

The university campus remained eerily quiet.

The usual bustling eight o’clock classes were gone; only deathly silence prevailed.

Everyone was sleeping in, hiding behind their bedsheets.

The only sounds were occasional zombie growls and the rare dog bark.

Many stomachs rumbled, but they only sneaked a bite of their stored apples.

Qin Feng slept soundly on his single bed in the space, gently awakened in the morning by the AI stewardess Xiaoqing with a soft kiss.