Chapter 31: A Well-Calculated Scheme

"We are employees here," the woman whispered, leaning close to Meng Ran's ear. "At first, things were fine after the snow started, but then Xu Zhuoqun awakened his ability. He used it to threaten us, giving us only a tiny bit of food each day. If we wanted anything more, we had to serve them."

She fought back tears. Before the apocalypse, they could never have imagined such a thing. Xu Zhuoqun’s power was truly formidable, and with no other choice, they had been forced to submit. Seeing Meng Ran and her companions arrive felt like a glimmer of hope. Taking advantage of a moment when Xu was away, the bolder ones among them had come to seek Meng Ran out.

Looking at her, Meng Ran knew that getting them out would not be easy, but there might be other ways. "I will think of a plan. Go back for now." The woman looked back repeatedly as she walked away, lacking confidence in Meng Ran’s words. Yet, given the circumstances, they had waited so long, and Meng Ran was the only one they had found. Seeing how Meng Ran had stood up for her in front of Zhang Zhi, perhaps there really was a chance.

"Are you really going to save them?" Chang Yan asked, chewing on a piece of beef jerky while sitting beside Meng Ran. "There are five of them, and only three of us. They have quite a few people on their side. What are you planning to do?"

Their conversation was drowned out by the surrounding whispers and sobs. After speaking with Chang Yan, Meng Ran nudged Chang Xingwen. "You take the first watch. We’ll switch in the second half of the night." She didn't trust Xu Zhuoqun and needed someone to keep an eye on him.

Chang Xingwen groaned, complaining that he was always the one who ended up pulling the full shift despite what was agreed.

"Let me take the first few hours," Meng Ran offered. "I can’t sleep anyway. You two should rest." Being well-rested was essential to dealing with Xu Zhuoqun’s schemes tomorrow.

Chang Xingwen lay down immediately. "Don't worry, I’ll definitely wake up for the second half." Chang Yan stopped arguing; they had both exhausted their physical and mental strength today and needed the rest.

Meanwhile, Zhang Zhi found Xu Zhuoqun by the restrooms. Xu was smoking. "What is it?" Zhang Zhi recounted how Meng Ran had stood up for the woman earlier.

Xu Zhuoqun exhaled a cloud of smoke and gave a cold sneer. "So what if they know what we’ve done? If those three are smart, they won't meddle in our business."

Peng Zucong stepped forward. "Brother Xu, are we really going to give those three supplies when we go out tomorrow?" The mall was well-stocked, and he was reluctant to part with any of it. With no end to the apocalypse in sight, every bit was a guarantee of survival.

"As if," Zhang Zhi replied with a cold laugh.

Xu Zhuoqun’s eyes glimmered with calculation. "They’re nothing more than pathfinders. Once their mental energy is drained, we’ll just kill them." This way, he would preserve his own strength while securing the mall's resources. Having three people work for him for free was a rare stroke of luck. "Brother Xu is right."

As the men finalized their plans, Meng Ran noticed Xu had not yet returned. She stood up and slipped a scrap of paper to the woman from earlier. In the dim light, the woman carefully deciphered the handwriting; it was a guide on how to dispose of bodies and a list of the zombies' weaknesses. Though she didn't know why Meng Ran was giving her this, she swallowed the paper and waited to see what Meng Ran would do.

Meng Ran leaned against the wall for her watch, her gloved fingers tracing her ring. Niannian was already asleep; it had been hard for the child to stay inside for the past two days. Once tomorrow’s events concluded, Meng Ran would find time to check on her.

At dawn, Meng Ran woke up. Her internal clock had become precise enough that she no longer needed an alarm. Chang Yan and Chang Xingwen were squatting nearby, yawning, as Xu Zhuoqun approached. "Let’s wash up quickly and grab some food before we head out."

Meng Ran nodded. After freshening up, she began discussing the day's logistics with Xu. "You need to bring some of your people."

Xu frowned. "Five or six should be enough."

"Not enough," Meng Ran said seriously. "It’s quite a distance to the central district, and we need people to clear the path to save time. Plus, the mall might already be occupied. A few people won't cut it."

Xu only had about a dozen people and certainly didn't want to bring them all. "Leave two people here to guard the place and lock the doors. No one will come by for a while. If you bring the others, we can get there and back quickly."

Meng Ran’s tone was earnest. Xu realized she was right; the mall was likely guarded, and that was exactly what he was worried about. "Fine. Zhang Zhi, you and one other stay here. We’ll be back as soon as we can."

In the current climate, aside from the stubborn Meng Ran and Chang Yan, no one dared to venture outside. After a quick meal, the group set off. Meng Ran glanced at the woman from the night before; with five of them against two, she had managed to lure away most of Xu’s men. The rest was up to them. The notes she had written were clear enough; they should understand what to do.

The group left the supermarket and locked the door behind them. The cold outside was biting, and Meng Ran wrapped her coat tighter.

Peng Zucong hurriedly put on his ear muffs and rubbed his hands together. "This cursed weather—when will it ever get warmer?"

There was some fresh snow on the road from the previous day, though it was less deep now that the snowfall had lessened. Wearing a mask, Meng Ran could still feel the freezing wind cutting at her skin like a blade. She touched the exposed skin on her face and bowed her head.

The men Xu brought along used snow shovels to clear a path. Peng Zucong looked dissatisfied. "Enough, let’s get on with it," Xu urged, counting on the three of them to handle any zombies and the people in the mall. He planned to wait like a mantis stalking a cicada, only to be the oriole behind it.

Chang Yan curled her lip. "So that really is his plan." Xu’s intentions were too obvious; none of them were fools.

Chang Xingwen rubbed his eyes. He didn't want to expend his energy scouting for Xu’s group, so he held back. Still, he looked around. "Sister, do you think there are zombies here?" The surroundings were so quiet it felt as if every inhabitant had perished—there wasn't a trace of the living.

Chang Yan, too cold to speak, simply rolled her eyes at him.

Xu Zhuoqun, however, explained with a grin, "Zombies are drawn to the scent of the living, and after all this time, plenty of people must have died here."

Meng Ran walked through the snow with her pack, scanning the surroundings vigilantly. This area near the residential complex had been crowded before the apocalypse; the current silence felt unsettling. "I remember there being quite a few people around here, aren't there?" Chang Yan looked up at the tightly drawn curtains.

Xu Zhuoqun was observing as well. They had come out once before and had run straight into zombies. Because this place had been densely populated, there were plenty of them.

Just as he thought this, two zombies appeared around a corner. One hand rested against the wall, and their dull, gray eyes stared directly at the group.

"They're here," Xu said, his body tensing.

Peng Zucong swallowed hard. No matter how many times he saw these monsters, he couldn't help but feel a chill.