174 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Ke Qing repeatedly expressed her loyalty to the man before finally leaving the Boss’s room. She then approached another door a few rooms down, but instead of entering, she opened it and quickly closed it again, making it seem as if she had gone inside. Due to her obedience, the Boss treated her relatively well, and his subordinates showed her a certain level of respect, granting her a degree of freedom within the office building. She pressed her lips together, contemplating her next move. The building's staircases were guarded every two floors, but she could use fetching wine for the Boss as a pretext to get down to the third floor. She would need some tools to go any further. With that in mind, Ke Qing opened the door once more. Last time, while everyone was drunk, she had secretly taken several inconspicuous bundles of parachute cord. These cords were sturdy, durable, and easy to conceal. However, they were thin and required gloves for climbing, which she had already sewn herself. She had previously used mending the Boss’s clothes as an excuse to acquire needle and thread, and indeed, she had patched his clothes, but the needle and thread had never been reclaimed. Her eyes darted around, and a fierce determination, never before shown, glinted in them. She carefully concealed two bundles of rope in her gloves and tucked the gloves at her waist. Only then did she gently open the door, carefully closing it behind her. She made her way downstairs, encountering the Suit Man along the way. Ke Qing smiled and said, "The Boss asked me to fetch wine from the third floor, so I’m heading down." "Alright," the Suit Man replied, unfazed, as she had fetched wine from the third floor before. However, once she left, he grumbled under his breath, "The Boss is really stingy, keeping the star to himself and not sharing with us brothers." All the while maintaining jovial chatter, Ke Qing was actually filled with trepidation as she took wine from the third floor. She came to a window between the third and fourth floors, quietly opened it, and placed the wine bottle on the ground beside her. It was afternoon, and unless they were out scavenging, most people were in their rooms catching up on sleep or on the tenth floor indulging their desires, leaving few to pass by here. She steadied her nerves, quickly retrieving the rope hidden in her gloves. She tied multiple knots on the iron handrail and the hallway's radiator—one rope to bear weight and another with a quick-release knot to control her descent speed. Once prepared, Ke Qing removed her shoes, donned her gloves, and climbed onto the window ledge. She tied the quick-release rope around her waist for safety, firmly grasped the other rope, and supported herself against the wall, inching her way down. Contrary to expectations, this step was tougher—her strength was lacking and she had to remain vigilant for potential discoveries from within, leaving her anxious. Fortunately, the guards on the first floor were dozing, their heads nodded as they sat idly. Ke Qing’s strength was depleting; her hands burned even with gloves on. She gritted her teeth and descended quickly with one floor to go, her palms painfully abraded and wet. A road lay between the building and the military's mall. The office building’s lobby was perpetually guarded by a small squad, and staying put would inevitably lead to her discovery, inviting certain torture if not death. Crossing to draw attention was risky but offered a slim hope; she was exhausted by her present circumstances. Resolute, Ke Qing crawled toward the mall across the street, smearing herself with revolting zombie blood for camouflage—careful to crawl in sporadic bursts to avoid detection. She finally reached the mall entrance. With sudden determination, she bolted inside the building. On the opposite side, a young man, initially dozing off, noticed a woman dart into the mall. He alerted his companion, “Hey, did you see that? I think a woman just rushed in there.” “I didn’t see anything. A woman? Must be you desperately craving one.” His companion shrugged, unconcerned, focused instead on the military threat. Their squad leader, noticing their conversation, approached. “What’s going on?” “I thought I saw a woman go over there. She was filthy, and looked a bit like Ke Qing, but I’m not certain,” the man replied. The squad leader was startled, quickly barking out orders. “Find Ke Qing and report to the Boss!” Initially unsure, they hurried to report upon discovering ropes tied between the third and fourth floors. Meanwhile, Ke Qing stumbled inside the mall. Her legs trembled, but she pressed on after entering a side door, knowing rescue by the military was her only chance to avoid death. Running, she collided with Shi Tou, who was moving supplies from the basement. Seeing the blood, he mistook her for a zombie and raised his weapon. Ke Qing raised her hands urgently, “I’m a survivor! Don’t shoot, don’t shoot!” Shi Tou hesitated, lowering his weapon. “What happened to the blood? Were you bitten?” “No, my hand injuries happened while escaping from across the street, where there’s a gang taking hostages. Many Omegas are suffering worse there, held on the tenth floor for amusement; some died from torment. I escaped by climbing four floors with ropes. Please, help us!” she cried, with tears streaming down, stirring compassion among the onlookers. Shi Tou, seeing no signs of infection after her speech, handed her tissues and wet wipes from his haul. Ke Qing accepted them gratefully and, her legs weak from the ordeal, collapsed into Shi Tou’s arms. Despite his massive build, Shi Tou found himself flustered, awkwardly supporting her to rest nearby. Chai Guan Feng heard about the incident, abandoning his task to inquire directly. He questioned Ke Qing about the office building’s situation and organized the soldiers, leaving fifty to guard the collected materials. “Listen up,” Chai Guan Feng ordered. “Across the street, there’s a gang of beasts and victims on the tenth floor needing rescue. We’ll clear out the offenders floor by floor.” He glanced around. “Liu Zi, Zhao Lei, lock down all exits. We’ll divide into small teams for a systematic rescue, terminate hostiles on sight.” “Yes, sir!” came the resounding affirmation as soldiers surged towards the building. Chen Wan and the others remained behind, guarding supplies and watching for counterattacks, an unnecessary concern given the circumstances. The Boss was infuriated at Ke Qing’s escape, fearing exposure and preparing to flee with his men, only to find military forces blocking their escape. Cornered, they split up, seeking refuge on the upper floors. Soldiers swept through floors, dispatching enemies mercilessly. By the tenth floor, rage peaked upon discovering rooms filled with groaning, mutilated victims, bearing signs of unspeakable abuse. The soldiers pressed on with furious determination, haltingly ending the vicious lives they encountered. Finally, the Boss and his loyal followers were cornered on the rooftop. Commander Chai approached with his squad, confronting the trembling youth known as Boss. With resignation, the Boss discarded his weapon, ordering Da Zhou and the Social Youth to do the same. “Officer, you’re from the military; surely you won’t kill indiscriminately. We’re willing to face trial but are you pushing us to desperation?” the Boss stammered, panic evident. "You people deserve nothing less than death. During the apocalypse, our officers have the authority to execute on the spot. Beasts like you don't deserve to live," Commander Chai declared, motioning for his soldiers who prepared to fire. At that moment, the Boss, with a fierce expression, leapt from the roof. The Social Youth and Da Zhou were utterly startled as gunfire rang out, both meeting their end at the hands of the military. As the Boss spiraled through the air, he quickly deployed the parachute strapped to his back—one of his premeditated escape plans, hence his choice of such a high-rise building as a base of operations. Now, having lost everything he painstakingly built, fury filled his eyes as he screamed two words, "Ke Qing." His parachute didn't take him far, landing instead near the mall. Grabbing a piece of steel panel, he charged inside, soon spotting Ke Qing nestled in Shi Tou's arms. "Ke Qing, you ungrateful wench I've grown tired of! Already found a new patron so quickly?" the man spat venomously, glaring at them. Chen Wan turned her gaze toward the man, surprised at how this madman had managed to elude the military's encirclement.