020 You Guys Really Know How to Have Fun (Please vote, please keep reading~)
Zhang Su watched Zheng Xinyu scurry away, fully aware of what she was thinking. She lacked a mind of her own, so she didn't offer opinions—which was fine by him.
Zhong Xiaoshan, kneeling on the floor, stared intently at Zhang Su. She had grasped the situation completely; the man before her was her only lifeline.
"Brother, handsome!" Zhong Xiaoshan shuffled forward to clutch Zhang Su’s leg. Looking up at him with a pitiful expression, she pleaded, "Handsome, save me! As long as you give me something to eat, I’ll agree to anything. I can even sleep with you!"
Zhang Su felt a silent sense of resignation. You could say she had no bottom line, having abandoned almost everything for a bite to eat, yet you could also say she had some sense of propriety, knowing to wait until others were absent to make such an offer.
"In this situation, do you really think I’m in the mood for that? Get up. Take me to your place and let me look around. If there’s anything worth trading, I might give you some food."
Zhang Su pulled the woman to her feet and gestured for her to lead the way. He liked women, and he wasn't exactly monogamous, but after experiencing so much, their allure was limited, especially in this desperate apocalypse.
"Oh, okay, alright then."
Upon hearing that Zhang Su was going to her place, Zhong Xiaoshan’s expression turned strange. Her eyes darted around as if she wanted to refuse, but she swallowed her words and began walking slowly toward the front door.
"Xinyu, I’m going across the hall to see if there’s anything useful. Open the door for me in a bit," Zhang Su said, pushing open the door to Zheng Xinyu’s bedroom.
"Ah... wait, don't! I’ll go with you!"
Zheng Xinyu, who had been sitting on the floor unwrapping some strange gifts mailed to her by fans, jumped up at Zhang Su’s words. Being left alone in the room was far too terrifying!
Zhang Su shrugged, non-committal. "Bring a weapon."
Upon learning that Zheng Xinyu was coming along, Zhong Xiaoshan’s expression soured further. Looking deeply conflicted, she waved her hands repeatedly. "Um, beauty, you... you don't need to come. There’s really nothing there. Just let the handsome guy go alone."
Zhang Su’s brow twitched. He mused that this woman was clearly trying to get rid of Zheng Xinyu. Was she planning to give him some kind of "special care" once they reached 802? And if she did, would he accept it, accept it, or... accept it?
Coincidentally, Zheng Xinyu thought the same. She also felt that this flirtatious woman had ill intentions. She snuck a glance at Zhang Su to gauge his reaction, only to find him appearing dazed and unresponsive.
Her heart sank. She cursed silently: *Men really are animals who think with their lower halves.* "You guys go ahead," she said dejectedly. "I won't go."
"Come back, we’re going together!"
Zhang Su grabbed Zheng Xinyu as she prepared to return to her room. "Why are you listening to her? Listen to me, understood?"
This "spineless" girl was easily led astray, he noted. He needed to be careful; it was important to constantly reinforce the idea of "listen to me."
"Oh, oh, okay!"
Zheng Xinyu’s heart, which had just plummeted, lifted slightly. She flashed a rare smile, nodded, and hurriedly grabbed her baseball bat to follow along. Although they were discussing the same thing, the two of them were completely out of sync.
The three left 801, and after Zhang Su confirmed the keys were with him, he gently pulled the door shut. The distance was short, but as they passed the corpse of the zombie, Zhang Su felt Zheng Xinyu’s hand tighten. She hadn't fully adapted yet. What surprised him, however, was Zhong Xiaoshan; as she walked in front, she showed no signs of discomfort.
Zhong Xiaoshan hadn't closed her door when she left, so the group stepped inside and pulled it shut behind them.
"You were scared to death when it was alive, screaming so loudly I bet the three floors above and below could hear you. Now that it’s been smashed into a bloody pulp, you aren't afraid anymore?" Zhang Su asked as they entered.
"I... I really was a nurse. I’ve seen plenty of gruesome accidents and injuries in the hospital, some even worse than the one at the door. Like you said, handsome, when it was alive, it was a man-eating monster, so of course I was scared. Now that it’s just a corpse, it’s actually safer..."
Zhang Su found her reasoning sound. Hospitals were always full of people missing limbs, heads cracked open—she was long since desensitized.
Zhong Xiaoshan gestured to the room. "You two, take a look. Take whatever you need. I just... I just want something to eat."
"This place is truly pathetic..."
Zheng Xinyu looked around curiously. "Empty as a pauper's house" was the most accurate description. The entryway where a shoe cabinet should have been was bare, save for a pair of shoes, and the electrical panel was exposed. In the living room, two chairs leaned against the wall topped with miscellaneous clutter. A broom and dustpan stood in the corner, and the curtains were drawn tight.
"Damn it, even a thief would leave five bucks behind just out of pity..."
Zhang Su didn't bother lingering in the living room and headed straight for the kitchen. The situation was no different. More absurdly, the gas wasn't even connected. There were no cabinets, no storage—it was practically a shell of a room. To put it bluntly, even the cockroaches wouldn't bother with this place.
"The... the things are in the bedroom..."
Seeing Zhang Su emerge from the kitchen with a dark expression, Zhong Xiaoshan pointed toward the only room with a door.
"You guys are too realistic. Even if you were just using this as a 'care room,' you should have at least decorated it. What the hell..."
Zhang Su complained as he walked toward the direction she pointed. The open door revealed everything inside, and even Zhang Su, a veteran of many "battlefields," couldn't help but gasp.
"You guys really know how to play!"
The entire apartment had only been renovated in that one bedroom. A peach-colored theme teased the senses. A large circular bed sat in the center, and the ceiling was adorned with not only ornate lighting but several hooks.
A swing and a mesh net hung from the ceiling. Inside the net were various "care" props, still in their packaging, with patterns on the labels that were particularly eye-opening. A good-sized vanity stood in the corner, piled with handbags, water, and keys.
Zheng Xinyu, hearing Zhang Su’s exclamation, hurried over. When she saw the room's decor and the eighteen varieties of "weaponry" scattered on the floor, even she, who often cracked dirty jokes, blushed deeply.
"Too... too intense!"
Zheng Xinyu covered her mouth, looking at Zhong Xiaoshan with a strange expression.
"Director Hu had some... physical difficulties. He decorated it this way for 'care and treatment' to help with his recovery. But before he could even start, he..."
Zhong Xiaoshan had anticipated their reaction to the room, so she explained with an embarrassed smile.
"Stimulating physical therapy, huh? Impressive. But I don't care about that. If I can't find anything useful here, then I’m afraid I’ll be disappointed."
Zhang Su walked into the room and turned on the light. Unbidden, scenes from the computer files he’d seen in Wu Lue’s room flashed through his mind, sparking a heat in his lower abdomen. But then, thinking of the chaotic swarm of zombies downstairs, his desires were instantly extinguished.