Chapter 35: A Beautiful Apocalypse

8th Floor of the Hotel, Room 808.

"Zhang Tie might wake up soon. The person on watch last night saw him move a little," Yu Shihao muttered, his face dark as he stared at the mess on the bed.

"Damn it, stop crying or I'll throw you out to the zombies!" he snapped.

He didn't care much about appearances, often making it seem like he was at odds with Wang Jianguo. Even if Zhang Tie woke up, he would believe Yu Shihao was one of the few who had been willing to help Lin Yi. To maintain this illusion, he hadn't even touched any of the women in Zhang Tie's group.

Wang Jianguo sneered when Yu Shihao remained silent, as if reading his mind.

"Let me tell you something. Zhang Tie has to die. And don't think you'll walk away clean once he wakes up."

"As for safety, don't worry. With my status, I guarantee the higher-ups will come to rescue us in a few days."

Yu Shihao stood up, irritated by Wang Jianguo's repeated claims. Rescue? He had seen the gas leak and the chain explosions at the city center the night before. If any organized system was still functioning, such chaos wouldn't have been allowed.

Before leaving the room, he turned back and said coldly, "Stop talking about your status. This is the apocalypse! I know what you want, and if you really want Zhang Tie dead, fine. But Lin Yi is mine to deal with personally."

"And Wang Ya… she's mine too. I'll help you with the others."

With that, Yu Shihao slammed the door behind him, stuffing some powder into his pocket as he left. He understood Wang Jianguo's motives—fear that Zhang Tie would retaliate, endangering his newfound status. But more than that, the fat old man had his eye on Zhang Tie's little sister, Zhang Youwei.

Yu Shihao didn't care. Everyone had their own desires. In the dark hallway, his footsteps echoed. He felt a fire of anticipation rising inside him after Wang Jianguo's scheme, but something soft beneath his foot pulled him back to the present. 

Hadn't they already disposed of the bodies?

Instinctively, he lifted his foot to check, but the glint from a door plate caught his eye. Room 802. The room he and Wang Fang had been using. Remembering the venomous look in Wang Fang's eyes as she died, he shuddered. 

Damn it, what bad luck!

He hurried his pace, a chill creeping down his spine, as if someone was watching him from the shadows.

Then, a pale face slowly descended from the ceiling, falling into a pool of decaying flesh on the ground.

Late Night, 2nd Floor.

The sound of rattling chains echoed as Yu Shihao quickly unlocked the door, whispering through the crack, "Wenya, Uncle. I snuck in some food for you. Take it quickly."

His eyes were sincere as he passed three bottles of water and a few pieces of bread through the gap.

Uncle's face lit up with joy, quickly reaching for the provisions. "Oh, bless you! Zhang Tie just murmured something earlier—he's thirsty!"

"You're a lifesaver. Thank you for all your efforts these past few days," Uncle said with deep gratitude.

Zhang Youwei, with her red nose, stood beside him, shyly saying, "Thank you, big brother."

Her voice was sweet, full of gratitude. 

"Youwei, there's some bread here, your favorite. Go ahead and eat."

Uncle split the food, giving the larger portion to Wenya and Youwei. He gently stroked Youwei's head, full of affection. The young girl had been refusing to eat much, insisting on saving food for her brother and Lin Yi.

"I'm not hungry. I already ate," Youwei whispered, though she glanced longingly at the bread. After a moment, she handed it back to Uncle, trying to hide her hunger.

Yu Shihao, watching through the crack in the door, smiled warmly. "I've got plenty of food stashed away. You can eat this for now, don't worry."

Hesitating for a second, Zhang Youwei eventually accepted the bread and nodded obediently.

"Wenya, make sure you drink enough water too. This bottle is unopened, it's fresh."

"And Uncle, don't worry about food. I checked my room earlier and found more in the mini-fridge. We'll be fine."

His smile was disarming, rehearsed to perfection. Watching Youwei nibble on the bread, the gratitude from everyone in the room made him seem like their savior. Only Wenya remained silent, deep in thought.

She examined the sealed bottle in her hands, seeing it had indeed never been opened. She glanced back at Lin Yi, whose lips were cracked and pale from dehydration. Finally, her doubts were pushed aside, and she opened the bottle.

Outside, Yu Shihao closed the door behind him, his expression hardening once again.

3rd Floor Hallway.

Several middle-aged men, cigarettes dangling from their mouths, leaned against the wall. The faint glow of their smokes revealed expressions of twisted excitement.

"Hey, Yu. That water and syringe? My contribution. You better let me have second go," one of them said with a lecherous grin.

Another chimed in, "Why take turns? She's probably still a virgin. Let's just all have a go and give her a real experience."

Yu Shihao chuckled lightly, indifferent, as he took a cigarette from one of them. "I'll go first. After that, you can do what you want. She'll be passed out by then anyway."

"But don't touch the little girl. She's for Wang."

"Oh, and before you have your fun, make sure she's dead. Lin Yi is mine. The rest is up to you."

He extinguished his cigarette with his foot, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. He was already thinking about the equipment on Lin Yi and Wenya herself, feeling an overwhelming urge.

One of the men hesitated, frowning slightly. "Are we really going to kill them? What if we make it to a safe zone and they find out?"

Yu Shihao sneered inside. Cowards, scared of killing but happy to pretend otherwise.

"No killing? You think Zhang Tie won't tear you apart the second he wakes up? I heard he can already talk."

"If you think things will go back to normal when he's up, with you freely picking which woman you want, think again. You're nothing without Zhang Tie's absence."

The men looked conflicted but eventually nodded in agreement. Yu Shihao, satisfied, walked to the window. His expression was cold as he gazed out at the burning ruins of the distant skyscrapers. Explosions echoed occasionally, but fear didn't flicker in his eyes.

Twenty-nine minutes left.

The women, the power he had dreamed of, the collapse of order—it was all within his grasp.

I love the apocalypse.