Chapter 640 – A Winter Melon Lying Sideways
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Despite the rage boiling in his heart, Scarface Ai Feng’s expression remained eerily calm as he initiated action.
He was ascending the main staircase, flanked by several members of his crew.
“Boss, should we split up? The place is too big,” a member suggested softly.
Ai Feng replied with a cold face, “Let the others scatter. We keep formation like this. Once they respond, we can rush to support immediately.”
The other, finding his suggestion brushed off, could only cough awkwardly and exchanged a helpless look with the person beside him.
Without even turning his head, Ai Feng continued, “Don’t be thinking about grabbing credit at this time! Didn’t you see what happened to Shen Le? Someone who can barge into our branch territory and take out both Shen Le and that freak from headquarters isn’t going to be easy to deal with. This isn’t some ordinary survivor. Put away that arrogant att.i.tude!”
The members were taken aback, exchanging glances.
“Forget about gaining merits now. Think about how we’re going to explain this to headquarters, or we’re all in trouble,” Ai Feng said, his voice laced with contained anger. “Got it?”
“Understood…”
Their replies were half-hearted, but indeed, their steps became lighter and their eyes more focused.
Since Ai Feng had put it that way, caution was necessary…
Meanwhile, the members dispersed throughout the mall searching were also moving through the darkness with utmost care.
“Leading the charge in dangerous situations is always left to us lower ranks…”
In a corridor, a man muttered under his breath as he looked around.
The dead silence around him, filled with shadows, made his barely audible soliloquy a source of courage.
“But this could also be an opportunity. If I’m the first to find them, even if I don’t lay a hand on them, just shouting out will count as a merit,” the man took a deep breath, a glint of desire flickering in his eyes.
Earning merits meant a promotion, better treatment, and no longer needing to lead the charge…
Maybe, he thought, there might even be a chance for a little romance!
“Heh, don’t blame me when the time comes. I’m just trying to stay alive. If I can’t beat the zombies, can’t I at least outfight you guys?”
The man approached a door, cautiously sidestepping, then slowly pushed it open.
Creak—
Before he could hold his breath and peer into the darkness, a shadow flashed before his eyes, followed by a hand grabbing onto his foot.
“Ah, ah, ah…”
The man couldn’t help but let out a low scream, frantically swinging his knife downward.
It took a good ten seconds before he finally calmed down, gasping for air and glancing at the shadow at his feet.
The hand remained on his foot, but it was clearly rotten.
Beneath the mess of hacked clothing lay a corpse, unidentifiable as to its gender.
“d.a.m.n, just a dead body… Can’t tell if it’s a zombie or a person.” The man grimaced in disgust, carefully stepping over the corpse and entering the room.
After a brief search of the modest room yielded nothing, he spat out in disappointment, expelling the dust that had lodged in his throat, and moved back towards the doorway.
As he turned around, a shadow abruptly appeared at the entrance.
His head swung just in time to meet the gaze of the other.
It was a stunningly beautiful girl. He just opened his mouth to shout, but froze completely.
“Beaut… beautiful!”
But before he could fully recover, those slightly bewildered eyes suddenly closed gently.
When they opened again, the man saw only a shade of blood red…
“Swis.h.!.+”
Nails sharp as knives swiftly sliced across the man’s throat. Clutching his neck, he tried in vain to make a sound, collapsing against the door frame, falling atop the corpse.
As he lay on the ground, staring at the dim corridor, the last thing he saw was the faint silhouette of the girl slowly moving away…
“Gurgle…”
The man’s lips moved, but a flow of fresh blood spilled forth, and his eyes gradually dimmed…
Meanwhile, in another corner of the mall, a man holding a knife suddenly turned his head sharply.
But as soon as he turned, a shadow flashed behind him.
“Who’s there!”
He immediately whipped his head around, but this time, the shadow darted past his side.
His eyes quickly followed, catching a glimpse of a graceful figure in the corner of his vision.
“Girl, trying to play tricks on me…” the man raised the cleaver, his eyes darting left and right.
Suddenly the figure flashed again, and this time the man reacted quickly, spinning around and slas.h.i.+ng down towards the shadow.
In the instant that the blade swept down, the cold light illuminated the shadow’s face.
The distinctly three-dimensional features and the beautiful eyes filled with panic were clear for the man to see.
But instead of fear, a surge of desire flickered in his heart: “A beauty!”
The blade cut straight towards her face, and her expression of terror froze there.
“Heh heh…”
Just as the man let out a satisfied chuckle, he was shocked to find that the figure before him disappeared like a phantom.
At the same time, another figure appeared behind him.
The same face, but with one difference: a smile now played upon the mixed-blood girl’s lips.
The man’s raised knife halted mid-air as his body swayed, blood frothing from his mouth.
And on his neck, a red line slowly spread…
“Tiddly, tiddly, tiddly…”
The mixed-blood girl hummed an upbeat tune, as if it were her own personal soundtrack.
…
“Ling Mo, are they up to the task?” Inside the stairwell, Mu Chen followed behind Ling Mo, asking anxiously.
Ling Mo turned back with an impatient glare: “Relax, they’re naturals at this kind of thing.”
“But…”
“There are no ‘buts’! Shana is to watch Xu Shuhan, while the youngster and Senior Sister take out those who are scattered, and create some distractions. Then we’ll take the opportunity to ambush Ai Feng,” Ling Mo said with a frown, “Isn’t that what we agreed on?”
“Agreed? When did that happen?” Mu Chen hissed angrily, “That was all you! You just declared, ‘It’s decided!’”
“Let’s just go, come on,” Ling Mo interrupted him.
But Mu Chen suddenly grabbed Ling Mo, his expression complex, “You do realize I can only provide some intelligence, right? The difficulty of ambus.h.i.+ng Ai Feng is obviously greater, yet you don’t want them on that job, instead, you’re dragging me into it…”
Ling Mo glanced at him and said, “As a man, it’s not right to let women take the risks up front.”
“I actually admire that about you.” Mu Chen let go of Ling Mo’s arm, patted his shoulder, and said, “But why drag me into this mess?”
“Where do you think you’re going?” Ling Mo didn’t move a muscle; instead, a tentacle tripped Mu Chen, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Mu Chen got up, covered in dust, only to be pulled back by a force.
“Does Ai Feng have someone with mental abilities with him?” Ling Mo asked quietly.
“Yes…” Mu Chen seemed resigned to his fate.
“Good, that makes things easier,” Ling Mo nodded.
Mu Chen looked at him in surprise, “You have a plan?”
“Ever heard of fis.h.i.+ng?” Ling Mo’s eyes gleamed as he asked.
Mu Chen stared blankly at Ling Mo. Soon, he felt that “rope” on his body tugged slightly, and Ling Mo’s meaningful gaze fixed on him…
“d.a.m.n it!”
Mu Chen’s stifled cry quickly vanished into the darkness, while on another staircase, Ai Feng and his group were also moving upwards.
“Thud!”
A shadow suddenly fell from above, rolling down the stairs directly towards them.
The group was startled, but one of them quickly intercepted the tumbling shadow.
Looking down, his expression turned grim as he turned and said, “It’s one of our scouts, dead.”
Another person hurried up the stairs, returning a few seconds later shaking his head, “No one’s there. The blood trail suggests he crawled out and then fell to his death.”
“This is outrageous!” Ai Feng confirmed with a look and exclaimed in anger.
“Really tricky, if they were just scared into running, we’d have a much better chance. Now they’re hidden, and we’re exposed…” another member said uneasily.
“Luo Yulong!” Ai Feng suddenly called out.
A short figure immediately stood up, responding in a sharp, nasally voice, “Yes.”
This person was short and stout, like a horizontally placed winter melon.
“Start searching. Also, someone go down and notify the guards at the door to be vigilant, don’t let anyone slip through!” Ai Feng ordered as he turned around.
“I’ll go ask,” the one who had caught the corpse volunteered, “and maybe we should get some gasoline…”
“That’ll just force them to run! You think fire can stop them?” Ai Feng snapped again, “Let’s just keep them here. They want to play? We’ll play with them! Weren’t you all eager for some action just now? Don’t get cold feet; the enemy is just looking for an opportunity! We can’t back down, and we have no room to retreat.”
“Alright…” the man nodded and ran downstairs.
Luo Yulong, who was standing nearby, flinched under Ai Feng’s glare and quickly nodded, “I’m on it.”
After saying that, he took a deep breath, and his gaze became focused.
“Right,” Ai Feng said, “and connect with Number 0.”
Luo Yulong nodded. As his mental power extended outward, invisible to the naked eye, countless signal-like bands appeared in his other “eyes.”
These were the bioelectrical signals Luo Yulong “saw,” possibly brain waves, though even he wasn’t entirely clear on the specifics.
But by following these “signals,” he could locate the group…
“Okay, hurry, I can only maintain this for so long,” Luo Yulong said anxiously.
A snicker came from behind, “You never last long anyway.”
But in such a moment, no one joined in the laughter; instead, they all frowned and shot disapproving looks back at him.