Chapter 26: Those Who Defy Orders Have No Way Out

“Shengsheng, it’s not possible right now—there are too many zombies, we can’t get in at all.” Jiang Miaomiao whispered close to Qin Sheng’s ear.

Qin Sheng pressed her lips into a thin line, her gaze fixed intently on the besieged cafeteria.

This shouldn’t be happening. Why are there so many zombies here? Why have they all gathered today, almost as if they were summoned?

Qin Sheng couldn’t make sense of it. Such a scene was rare even in her previous life, and the ability to gather zombies simply didn’t exist. It was impossible.

Unless—

A sense of foreboding crept over her. If her own rebirth was possible, then perhaps the emergence of a power to summon zombies wasn’t out of the question either. The world had become even more dangerous, and its mysteries only deepened.

“Lin Xing, Xingyu, the two of you go in from the side in a moment. Our main objective is to find a girl named Xia Tian.” Qin Sheng spoke in a low voice to Lin Xing and Chu Xingyu behind her.

Chu Xingyu and Lin Xing exchanged a glance, then nodded.

“Do you remember the spot where I went in last time?” Qin Sheng continued, looking at Lin Xing.

“I do, but I’m not sure if there are zombies over there now,” Lin Xing replied honestly, voicing her concern.

“We’ll scout it out first. If there are a lot of zombies, leave immediately—don’t hesitate.”

Lin Xing and Chu Xingyu picked up a few things, gripping their daggers tightly. Under Qin Sheng’s watchful eye, they slipped quietly toward their destination.

Qin Sheng and Jiang Miaomiao stayed where they were, keeping a close watch on the cafeteria.

“We probably can’t get in through the main entrance. If Lin Xing’s side is clear, we can try going in there,” Jiang Miaomiao added.

Qin Sheng had considered the same. All they could do now was hope for a chance on Lin Xing and Chu Xingyu’s end.

It wasn’t long before zombies poured in through a breach in the cafeteria, and the rescue team split between those who charged bravely and those who hesitated, too timid to advance. Only in the face of danger could one truly judge who was worthy of trust.

Within ten minutes, Chu Xingyu and Lin Xing hurried back.

“How was it?” Qin Sheng asked anxiously.

“There are only a few zombies for now—we have to go quickly, or we’ll lose our chance,” Lin Xing said urgently.

Qin Sheng nodded, and she, Jiang Miaomiao, Lin Xing, and Chu Xingyu grabbed their gear and quietly crept to the small window on the cafeteria’s side.

Just as Lin Xing had said, there were only a few zombies.

Qin Sheng didn’t hesitate, drawing her Tang sword and swiftly dispatching the isolated zombies. The zombies barely had time to react; even Lin Xing and Chu Xingyu, who had just caught up, were stunned to see several zombie heads rolling on the ground.

Thankfully, breakfast had mostly digested by now; otherwise, such a scene might have made them retch.

Qin Sheng sheathed her sword and glanced back at the others. With a leap, she sprang up to the window, leaving Jiang Miaomiao and the others gaping below.

Lin Xing, ever the pragmatist, crouched down to let Chu Xingyu and Jiang Miaomiao step on his back, helping them up one by one.

In the end, Lin Xing was left at the bottom, a bit at a loss—he couldn’t manage the height himself.

Just as Lin Xing was getting flustered, Qin Sheng landed steadily beside him. In the next moment, she lifted him easily and helped him up through the window.

Lin Xing looked down at Qin Sheng, his heart pounding, then patted his chest and jumped inside. It wasn’t the height that had startled him, but the suddenness—she’d tossed him up as if he weighed nothing. It was hard to imagine how strong she really was.

Qin Sheng herself couldn’t explain why she’d suddenly grown so much stronger. In the end, she chalked it up to eating better lately.

She pushed off the wall and landed nimbly at the window, stepping inside and closing it firmly behind her.

They now found themselves in Li Chengbin’s office. With the crisis outside, Li Chengbin and Qin Mengchun were likely out searching for a better escape route.

“The girl’s name is Xia Tian. She’s under 1.6 meters tall. Once we find her, we leave immediately—don’t linger. Let’s split into two groups: Xingyu with Lin Xing, Miaomiao with me,” Qin Sheng repeated the mission, and the four split up at once.

“Let’s go,” Jiang Miaomiao said, patting the dagger at her waist as she followed Qin Sheng’s lead out of the room.

No sooner had they stepped outside than they ran into members of the rescue team, frantically escaping with armfuls of supplies. None of them spared a glance for the two emerging from Li Chengbin’s office, bolting down the nearest path without a second thought.

Qin Sheng had seen plenty like this in her previous life and didn’t waste energy on them.

Jiang Miaomiao, who had been through her share of hardships, could barely hold back curses for those who did nothing but flee in the face of danger.

When they reached the ground floor cafeteria, Jiang Miaomiao finally saw what chaos truly looked like.

Some rescue members tried to control the panic by blocking potential escape routes, while a frantic crowd screamed on one side and a relentless horde of zombies pressed in on the other.

A few of the rescue team had some strength, managing to put down the zombies that broke through, but it was a losing battle. There were too many zombies, and every one of them fought with brutal strength—far beyond what ordinary people could handle.

“Wang Yu, what do we do? Some of us can’t hold out much longer!”

At the front lines, leading the team against the zombies, was Wang Yu—the one who had parted ways with Qin Sheng and the others only days before.

“Where’s Li Chengbin? Where did our captain go?!” Wang Yu was already spent, running on sheer willpower. The mounting pressure had stripped away his usual patience—he no longer cared where his composure had gone.

“I don’t know, we haven’t seen him at all today…”

Wang Yu swore, snatched a shovel from the cafeteria, and brought it crashing down on a zombie’s head. The impact sent the head flying—it was clear just how furious he was.

“Damn it, Li Chengbin isn’t fit to be a captain! Running off in the heat of battle—what a coward!” Wang Yu cursed as he fought, his breath coming harsher and harsher.

He wasn’t alone; almost every member of the rescue team was exhausted, their movements slowing. It wasn’t long before one of them was bitten on the arm by a zombie.

“Li Ming!” Wang Yu shouted, smashing the offending zombie’s head to bits and rushing to support his comrade.

The zombie virus was not so easily shrugged off. Li Ming immediately felt the change, his eyes beginning to glaze over, his limbs twitching uncontrollably.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Wang Yu tried to comfort him, but watching his brother’s consciousness slip away filled him with grief and helplessness, clouding his mind.

“Wang Yu… throw me out, or we’ll all die…” Li Ming clung to Wang Yu’s hand, pleading with him almost desperately.

“How can I let you face this alone?” Tears welled in Wang Yu’s eyes.

“Wang Yu! If you don’t, we’ll all die!”

“Wang Yu! Get a hold of yourself!” The other rescue members shouted, desperate for Wang Yu to come to his senses—to let Li Ming go, to spare the rest of them.

“Have you all forgotten how good Li Ming was to us?” Wang Yu couldn’t understand why a man like Li Chengbin got to live while someone as good as Li Ming was left to face this fate.

“They’re right… let me go, finish it. I don’t want to die in a zombie’s jaws…” Li Ming forced the words out, his grip on Wang Yu’s hand weakening, his voice fading.

“But…” Wang Yu hesitated, unable to bear it.

“He’s beyond saving. Would you rather everyone died here, or would you rather protect more people?” Qin Sheng’s icy voice rang out behind Wang Yu, who whipped around, hope flaring in his eyes.

“With all these zombies, you should know I can’t save everyone,” Qin Sheng said plainly.

“So, grant him his wish.”

Trembling, Wang Yu fought back his tears, raised his weapon, and, eyes squeezed shut, brought it down.

Li Ming smiled faintly as his eyes closed for the last time, his breath stilled.

“In our next life, we’ll still be brothers…” Wang Yu murmured, clutching Li Ming’s hand and carrying him to lay him gently in a corner.

Qin Sheng nodded to Jiang Miaomiao, drew her Tang sword, and in a flash cut down several zombies that were still charging forward.

Jiang Miaomiao quickly followed, taking out several more.

The rescue team stood transfixed, momentarily forgetting the dire situation, watching as Qin Sheng swept through the zombies with her sword, their heads rolling at her feet one after another, as if it were a performance.

“Find a way out, or we’re all dead,” Qin Sheng said, her sword slicing through the tension that gripped the cafeteria.

“Yes, find a way out!” Wang Yu muttered, pacing anxiously until an idea struck him. He rushed to the cafeteria staff. “There really isn’t another way out?”

The old man, terrified and trembling, shook his head vigorously. “No, no way out, but there’s a basement in the back kitchen—the door’s reinforced, they shouldn’t be able to break through.”

Hope surged in Wang Yu and he hurried to relay the news to Qin Sheng. “There’s a basement in the kitchen—we can hide there.”

Qin Sheng nodded. “Send the women and elderly in first. The stronger men stay and cover us.”

Wang Yu set about organizing the group, but in such a crisis, few were willing to listen. When they heard that the women and elderly would go in first, many began to protest.

“Why?! There are so many zombies out there—who guarantees our safety?!”

“Exactly! I don’t care, I’m going in!”

As Wang Yu racked his brain for how to persuade them, he felt a chill behind him without realizing that Qin Sheng’s cold presence was right at his side.

“Anyone who doesn’t follow orders dies.” With just those words, the protests fell silent. Or perhaps it wasn’t silence, but fear.

Everyone had witnessed her earlier, the way she’d dispatched zombies with her Tang sword.

“I don’t mind personally sending any of you to the zombies.”