Volume 1, Chapter 17: The Campus Belle of Jingda

Night had completely enshrouded Donghai City, and a sense of ominous dread permeated the deathly silence. Without electricity, the city was plunged into total darkness. Only sporadic flickers of fire burned in the distance, casting silhouettes against this graveyard of steel.

Room 1802, Building 18, Morning Light Residential Complex.

Total darkness. Only the faint light from the sky outside the window outlined the vague shapes of the furniture within. Mu Qing curled up on the cold leather sofa, arms wrapped tightly around her knees, pulling her body into a ball. Her expensive silk pajamas offered no warmth; she was encased in boundless cold and terror.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Violent pounding on the door erupted again, accompanied by crude, vile insults.

"You bitch! Be smart and open the door! It’s your blessing that Brother Biao has taken a liking to you!"

"Damn it, stop acting so high and mighty! If you don't open up, once Brother Biao gets bored with you, we’ll toss you out to feed the monsters!"

"Pah! Starve to death, you slut!"

The unbearable profanities pierced through the heavy security door, slithering into Mu Qing's ears like venomous snakes. She bit her lower lip so hard it bled, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Outside the door was the newly emerged gang of thugs in the building, led by a man named "Brother Biao," known for his brutality and cruelty. It was said they had already seized control of several units, forcing the survivors inside to surrender their food and their women.

"Damn it, this woman won't come out, it's a real pain in the ass!" a voice grumbled outside.

"Hmph! Starve her for a few more days; I don't believe she'd rather die of hunger than come out! Let’s go! We’ll come back tomorrow!" another voice replied with a sinister sneer.

The heavy footsteps gradually faded away. Only then did Mu Qing’s tensed body relax slightly, though the despair in her heart only deepened.

She slowly raised her head. The dim light from outside the window illuminated a face of breathtaking, exquisite beauty. Her features were as delicate as a painting, her skin flawless and fair; even in this desperate situation, it was hard to mask her ethereal, refined elegance.

She was Mu Qing, the campus belle of Donghai Jingda University. She should have had a brilliant and shining life, but in a single night, she had fallen into hell.

It was the weekend, and she had been enjoying a rare sleep-in, only to be awakened by the screaming and chaos outside. By the time she realized what was happening, the world had changed. The phones wouldn't connect, the internet was completely cut off, and her parents were in a distant province, leaving her without a word of news. Worst of all, to maintain her figure, she rarely stockpiled food; her refrigerator was empty, save for a few apples and a carton of milk nearing its expiration date.

"Gurgle..."

The sharp protest from her stomach made her knit her delicate brows. Hunger gnawed at her willpower like a venomous snake. Brother Biao’s men were right; if things continued this way, she would either starve to death in her home or... she would have no choice but to open that door and face a fate far worse than death.

She stood up, her silk pajamas outlining her breathtaking curves. Her full chest rose and fell with her breathing, and her slender waist seemed fragile enough to break. Yet, the very assets that would make any man go mad had now become her greatest death warrant. She would rather starve to death in this cold apartment than fall into the hands of someone like Brother Biao, becoming a plaything and suffering a fate worse than death.

***

She dragged her weak body toward the kitchen, clutching a final shred of hope as she opened the refrigerator door. In the pitch-black night, three apples and a carton of milk lay lonely and cold in the empty compartment. This was her final "reserve."

"What should I do..." Mu Qing closed the fridge powerlessly, sliding down to the floor with her back against the cold cabinet door, burying her head deep into her knees.

Icy despair swallowed her like a tide. Call the police? The phone was just a decoration. Call for help? The entire building was under the shadow of Brother Biao; who would dare to help her? Rush out herself? There were likely Brother Biao’s lackeys guarding the hallway at any given moment; for a weak woman like her, that would be no different than walking into a trap.

Every path she could think of was blocked. She was like a canary trapped in an ornate cage, watching helplessly as her food ran out while predators outside watched with hungry eyes.

"Someone... please save me..." A faint sob echoed in the cold kitchen, filled with helplessness and supplication. But the only response was the silence of the dead city outside the window. Cruel reality told her: there were no saviors.

Just then!

"BOOM—!"

A dull, heavy, and extremely penetrating explosion, sounding quite close, echoed from somewhere!

Mu Qing jerked her head up, a flash of astonishment crossing her beautiful, tear-stained face. An explosion? Gunfire?

She stumbled back to the living room and threw herself against the massive floor-to-ceiling window, straining her eyes to peer into the deep darkness toward the source of the sound.

That direction... was that the East Suburbs?

Could it be... the Cloud Villa District?!

Her heart suddenly began to pound uncontrollably!

Daytime! Yes! During the day, she seemed to have heard intense gunfire from that direction, along with... even more violent explosions. At the time, she had been too immersed in terror to pay attention, but now, reflecting on it... those were definitely not sporadic skirmishes from the government army retreating!

The sound... it was more like organized, massive firepower coverage!

The government army? No! The government army had suffered a crushing defeat and fled the city center only that afternoon! So, over at the Cloud Villa area... who was opening fire?

A bold thought, fueled by an intense desire for survival, struck Mu Qing’s desperate heart like a flash of lightning piercing the darkness!

"Go to the Cloud Villa!"

This thought surfaced frantically in her mind. There was gunfire and explosions there, which meant strength and order—perhaps, a glimmer of hope! Staying here was a dead end, whether she starved to death or fell into the clutches of Brother Biao!

Escape! She had to escape immediately!

***

She forced herself to calm down, her brain analyzing with unprecedented speed:

Brother Biao’s gang had already cleared the zombies in several nearby buildings and streets to secure their control over the complex. As long as she could successfully leave this building, she had a good chance of using the cover of night to head straight for the East Suburb villa district!

But the biggest problem was how to leave Room 1802 safely!

The main door was watched by Brother Biao’s men, and there were patrols in the hallway. The only way out... was through the window!

Her gaze locked onto the massive floor-to-ceiling window. Eighteen stories up! This height was enough to make anyone tremble with fear! But a look of determination burned in her eyes!

"Climb down!" The insane thought was crystal clear in her mind. If anyone else heard it, they would surely think she had lost her mind! It was eighteen stories! If you fell, you wouldn't just be a corpse; you wouldn't even have an intact bone left!

However, Mu Qing was not acting on a whim.

She took a deep breath, suppressing her racing heart, and remembered her greatest asset—mountaineering! As a veteran climbing enthusiast, her two and a half years of immersion had allowed her to accumulate rich experience and top-tier equipment!

Rock climbing, rappelling, rope techniques... These skills, seen as extreme sports in the era of peace, had now become her only straw to clutch in this desperate situation!

"Take the risk!" Mu Qing hesitated no longer! Her intense will to survive overwhelmed her fear. She acted immediately, moving swiftly and decisively.

The first thing was to replenish her energy! She rushed into the kitchen and devoured the last three apples and the carton of milk in the fridge. The cold liquid and food slightly eased the twisting pain of hunger and provided the necessary energy.

Then came the gear. She sprinted into the bedroom, quickly stripping off the cumbersome silk pajamas and donning professional, form-fitting, and agile climbing gear. The dark-colored tactical jacket and trousers provided both protection and concealment. She pulled on professional climbing boots with excellent grip.

Finally, she dragged a heavy black climbing backpack from the depths of her storage room. Inside was her prized full set of mountaineering equipment: a hundred-meter static rope, an ATC and main locking carabiners, a harness, a helmet, a headlamp, auxiliary cords, quickdraws, an ice axe, and more...

And finally! The most critical step!

Setting the anchor!