Volume 1, Chapter 27: The Ruthless Leopard Head

"Fifth floor, left corridor, commencing sweep," the Snow Leopard team leader whispered, his voice transmitted clearly to everyone through their bone-conduction headsets.

Mu Qing followed closely behind, her heart pounding in her chest.

After an entire morning of high-intensity operations, she had already assisted the Snow Leopard team in rescuing seven survivors trapped on the upper floors. Every rappel, every breached window, had come with immense risk, but seeing the hope and gratitude in the eyes of those they saved filled her with an unprecedented sense of achievement.

"Stay alert; there may be stragglers on this floor." The team leader signaled, and the unit began to advance into the deep, dark corridor.

The office building’s power had long been cut, with only emergency lights providing faint illumination. Behind the shattered glass doors of the offices, files were scattered across the floor, computer screens were smashed, and the air was thick with the strange, pungent stench of moldy paper mixed with the smell of blood.

"Clear."
"Clear."
"Clear."

The team members confirmed each room on either side one by one.

Just as they passed a corner—

"Snap!" An extremely subtle sound, like glass being crushed, came from the conference room to their front right!

Everyone froze instantly! Their muzzles swung in unison toward the source of the noise!

"Grrr—!" A hoarse roar!

A black shadow lunged out from behind the shattered glass door of the conference room!

It was a zombie wearing a security guard uniform. Half its face had rotted away to the bone, yet its speed was unnervingly fast! It charged directly at the shield bearer in the lead!

"Bang!" The shield bearer reacted with lightning speed, slamming his heavy riot shield into the zombie’s chest and knocking it back!

But the zombie’s claws hooked onto the edge of the shield, and its body twisted in an unnatural way, maneuvering around the side of the defense to lunge directly at the rifleman behind!

"Watch out!" Mu Qing screamed in terror!

The rifleman didn't have time to turn his weapon; he was about to be tackled!

"Thwip!" A barely audible, muffled sound!

The zombie’s head suddenly exploded like a watermelon! Black blood and brain matter sprayed in a radial pattern across the wall!

The headless corpse continued forward for half a step due to momentum before crashing to the ground!

Everyone was stunned!

"Leopard Head, be more careful," came Chen Feng’s calm voice through the headset. "The 'Eagle Eye' on the roof is keeping an eye on you. Continue forward."

Mu Qing let out a long breath, only then realizing her back was soaked with cold sweat. In that split second, she had truly thought someone was going to die.

If it weren't for the sniper in the shadows...

"Thanks, Eagle Eye." Leopard Head, the shield bearer, gave a thumbs-up to the air, then turned to his shaken team members.

"Stay sharp! These office buildings have too many blind spots; they're the easiest place for zombies to hide! Next room, breach and clear!"

The team moved on, but everyone was even more vigilant.

Mu Qing wiped the sweat from her forehead, looked at the headless zombie on the ground, then at the splattered blood on the wall. She bit her lip, forcing herself to keep up with the team.

This was the apocalypse...

Every second was a life-or-death crisis.

And yet, she had gradually adapted to this rhythm.

This realization surprised even her.

Just then! Suddenly!

"Click."

A subtle metallic sound came from the office to the right, sounding piercingly loud in the deathly silent corridor.

The shield bearer, "Leopard Head," who was in the lead, immediately raised his fist, signaling a halt.

The entire squad solidified instantly, the muzzles of the two riflemen's Type 191 assault rifles pointing simultaneously at the source of the sound.

That tightly shut frosted glass door.

Leopard Head slowly released his shield, reached for his waist with his left hand, and silently drew a DZJ-08 portable breaching tool.

He gave a few tactical hand signals to the team behind him:

Breach the door, then throw a flashbang.

I go in first; Number 2 and Number 3 provide cross-fire coverage.

Mu Qing, fall back; the machine gunner will seal the corridor.

Mu Qing nodded nervously and stepped back to stand against the wall, her palms drenched in cold sweat.

She could clearly hear her own frantic heartbeat.

Leopard Head aimed the breaching tool at the lock, held up three fingers with his right hand, and counted down:

Three.
Two.
One.

"BOOM—!!"

A deafening explosion!

The directional shockwave from the breaching tool instantly shattered the lock and part of the door frame! Wood splinters flew!

In the same second, a commando flashed from beside Leopard Head, throwing a flashbang!

The small, cylindrical projectile traced a precise arc, passed through the breached doorway, and landed inside the room!

"BANG—!!"

Blinding white light and a 170-decibel blast erupted in the confined space!

Even the team members outside instinctively squinted; the targets inside didn't stand a chance!

"Ah—!!" A man’s heart-wrenching scream came from within.

"Assault!" Leopard Head roared, charging in first behind his shield!

Two riflemen followed close behind, their muzzles sweeping left and right!

Mu Qing, under the cover of the machine gunner, was the last to enter the room.

The scene before her froze her in place—

In the corner of the office, a young woman with disheveled clothes and tear-streaked cheeks was taped to a swivel chair, her mouth gagged, her eyes wide with terror.

On the coffee table in front of her lay torn women's clothing and an overturned ashtray.

Clearly, this was the source of the noise.

Three meters away from the woman, a thin man in a suit—his shirt open and belt undone—was rolling on the floor, clutching his eyes, evidently blinded and deafened by the flashbang.

"Area clear! Secure!" Leopard Head quickly checked the office suite, confirming there were no other threats.

"Mmph-mmph!!" Upon seeing them, the bound woman struggled desperately, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Mu Qing finally snapped back to reality and rushed forward: "Don't be afraid! We're here to save you!" She carefully tore the tape from the woman’s mouth.

"Save... save me..." The woman broke down in tears the moment she could speak. "That monster... he raped me... *sob*... he heard you coming when you fired... he tied me up... wouldn't let me make a sound..."

Mu Qing felt a surge of fury rush to her head!

She turned to glare at the man, who was now barely able to sit up: "You monster! You scum! Are you even human?!"

The man in the suit rubbed his bloodshot eyes and actually grinned, revealing stark white teeth.

He leisurely straightened his messy shirt, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather: "So what? You're from the government army, aren't you?"

He held out his hands, mimicking being cuffed. "Even if I’m to be dealt with, it’s not your place. Go ahead, take me back to be 'dealt with according to the law'? Heh..."

The cold, defiant sneer on his face made Mu Qing’s blood run cold.

This man, in these times, was still so arrogant? What gave him such confidence? Was it just because he thought the "government" would protect him?

"You—" Mu Qing was trembling with rage, about to speak.

"Thwip!"

A soft, muffled sound, like a champagne cork popping!

A neat, bloody hole suddenly appeared in the center of the man in the suit's forehead!

The back of his head exploded, leaving a gap the size of a bowl!

Red and white liquid mixed with bone fragments sprayed in a fan shape onto the leather sofa behind him!

The malicious grin on his face hadn't even had time to turn into surprise before it froze on his rapidly fading countenance.

His body slowly slumped backward, hitting the floor with a "thud," his wide eyes still holding a trace of disbelief.

Until the moment of his death, he couldn't understand why the other party dared to shoot him directly.

Mu Qing stared at the scene, stunned, her mind completely blank.

Leopard Head expressionlessly holstered his suppressed QSZ-92 pistol and reported calmly into his headset:

"Captain, found a suspected infected, has been eliminated."

"Acknowledged." Chen Feng's voice came through the headset, devoid of any fluctuation.

"This..." Mu Qing’s voice was trembling uncontrollably, "He... he wasn't infected... he was clearly a living person... how could you..."

Leopard Head turned to Mu Qing, his eyes cold as ice: "First, he was holding a hostage at knifepoint. Second, he attempted to use a weapon to attack us."

He pointed to the half-exposed dagger at the man's cuff.

"Third..."

He paused, his voice low and resolute. "We are not the government army, and furthermore, we are in a state of war. The Marshal has granted us the right to handle situations on-site.

"Scum like this is nothing but a plague."

Having said that, he ignored Mu Qing’s shock and turned to untie the woman.