Chapter 24: The Brain-Dead Xiao Zheyu

The shrill screams echoed through the building.

After pressing her ear to the door and confirming the sound wasn’t coming from the hallway, Xia Xiaoman cautiously opened her door.

Next door in 1303, Sun Qing and Ye Xiaojie also quietly opened their doors. Seeing no one in the corridor, they stepped out to look around, trying to pinpoint the source of the screaming.

The two of them paced the dim corridor with knives in hand. When Wen Jianfeng opened his door, he was startled, “What are you doing, patrolling?”

Sun Qing gave an awkward laugh. “No, we heard screaming and wanted to see where it’s coming from.”

“No need. Two groups of people came to the building downstairs—they’re probably fighting.”

Wen Jianfeng lived in Unit 2, with a balcony facing the street. All he had to do was lean out to see what was going on.

Around 3 PM that afternoon, after replacing the fire door lock in the emergency stairwell, he had gone to check the water level from the balcony—and that’s when he saw a group entering the building from the 6th floor. Another group was lingering nearby.

He guessed the second group would probably come over too, so he kept watch.

Sure enough, around 4 PM, the second group showed up.

“The first group had more supplies and didn’t go very high—settled on the 10th floor. The second group must’ve followed them, deliberately choosing the 11th floor.”

Wen Jianfeng had seen someone drawing water from the 10th-floor balcony, assuming that was the first group. When the second group reached the 11th floor, they peered down toward the 10th—he saw it all.

“Looks like the second group noticed the first had a lot of resources and came to steal them.”

Sun Qing grew nervous. “You don’t think they’ll fight their way up here, right?”

There were only five of them on this floor, three of whom were injured. If a fight broke out, they’d be at a disadvantage.

Wen Jianfeng shook his head. “Who knows. But even if they come up, don’t worry too much. Each group has seven or eight people. After fighting, they’re bound to be injured. If we end up facing them, we might not lose.”

The fighting seemed to center around Unit 2, right near Wen Jianfeng’s door. They could clearly hear the shouting and cursing.

As they listened intently, the sound of someone turning the fire door handle came from the stairwell.

Someone outside tried the knob twice, then knocked. “Hey, anyone in there? Can you let us in?”

“Big brother, big sister, open the door! I’m Xiao Zheyu. Something happened downstairs—people are fighting and someone’s dead. Please, let us in!”

Xiao Zheyu’s uniquely nasal voice came through the door.

Xia Xiaoman’s face darkened. “Was this guy a nasal demon in his past life? So damn whiny.”

Sun Qing laughed. “Should we let them in?”

Wen Jianfeng thought for a moment. “I’d suggest letting them in. I met those two yesterday. They’re a little sneaky, but their eyes are clear—not like bad people.”

“The main reason? We’re short on manpower. Out of seven people, one’s seriously injured, two are lightly injured, and two are kids. Only Xiaoman and I can really fight. Letting them in means we’ll have a few more bodies to throw in first if something happens.”

Xia Xiaoman got the message: use Xiao Zheyu and Su Ran as cannon fodder. She shrugged—no objections. If those two scrawny chickens dared cause trouble, she’d kill them and toss the bodies out.

They opened the door. Xiao Zheyu and Su Ran each dragged a suitcase inside.

Sun Qing looked surprised. “You only brought two suitcases? No supplies at all?”

Xiao Zheyu nodded. “We were in a dorm. Other than personal items, we have nothing.”

Sun Qing: “…”

“All four apartments here are occupied. If you don’t mind, you’ll have to sleep in the hallway.”

Xiao Zheyu was about to object when Sun Qing added, “If you mind, feel free to leave.”

He pursed his lips and looked around, then tried acting cute with Ye Xiaojie, who looked shy and quiet. “Jiejie, ever since I was little—”

“I’ve trained in Sanda since I was a kid. If you don’t want a beating, shut up.” Ye Xiaojie cut him off coldly.

Xiao Zheyu: “…”

He turned to Xia Xiaoman.

Xia Xiaoman answered sincerely, “I chopped firewood since I was a kid. My knife swings are extra swift. Wanna try?”

Xiao Zheyu: “…” No thanks.

Sun Qing chuckled, patting his shoulder. “Jiejie boxed since she was little—one punch can pop your little brain.”

Xiao Zheyu wilted and shrank pitifully into a corner of the hallway.

Su Ran didn’t pull any tricks. He politely thanked them and quietly found a corner to unpack.

---

The fight downstairs lasted over 20 minutes. When it was over, eight or nine bodies were left.

The building quieted down. The group downstairs must’ve taken heavy losses and didn’t come up to stir more trouble.

At 8 PM, Xia Xiaoman planned to check on Zhou Qiuyang in 1301. But as soon as she opened the door, a ghostly white face suddenly appeared in the hallway.

Xia Xiaoman instantly gripped the axe at her waist, about to hurl it when the “ghost” said, “Jiejie, I’m so hungry. Could you lend me a little food? I’ll trade you some L’Oréal essence.”

Xia Xiaoman: “…”

She took a deep breath, resisting the urge to kill him. In a menacing tone, she said, “What the hell are you doing looking like a ghost in the middle of the night!”

Xiao Zheyu touched the thick face mask on his face. “Jiejie, you don’t understand—I’ve signed up as a trainee. No matter the time or place, I must protect my skin. That’s step one to becoming a boy band idol!”

Xia Xiaoman pulled out her axe. “I don’t care what band you’re in. Wipe that crap off your face. Scare me one more time and I’ll make you into a band—by smashing you into a pile!”

Faced with overwhelming intimidation, Xiao Zheyu reluctantly wiped off the face mask.

Xia Xiaoman rolled her eyes. She thought he was just a pretty boy, but turns out he was a dumb pretty boy. Talking about boy bands at a time like this?

But in a way, someone this brain-dead was easier to deal with—everything he thought showed on his face. No need to worry about getting stabbed in the back. Su Ran, though…

They say the dogs that don’t bark are the ones that bite. But who will he bite—outsiders, or his own?

---

Zhou Qiuyang had been in bed all day. His fever came and went, and he was severely dehydrated. An infected wound could be life-threatening—whether he pulled through was up to him.

Ye Xiaojie changed his dressing and gave him a double dose of antibiotics, hoping he’d make it.

---

The next day, Xia Xiaoman and Wen Jianfeng didn’t go out.

Late last night, another group arrived in the building.

If they both left and someone raided their supplies while they were gone, Sun Qing and the others wouldn’t be able to stop them.

With nothing to do at home, Xia Xiaoman asked Wen Jianfeng to teach her how to throw knives.

She had near-perfect accuracy with an axe, but knife-throwing was another matter. The throwing knives were lighter and had a different balance, but she kept using her axe-swinging technique—and as a result, missed every time.

Wen Jianfeng explained the basics of knife-throwing, then left her to practice.

With knife-throwing, it’s all about muscle memory. Technique helps find the feel—but to land every shot, it just takes practice.