No one had taught them how to deal with corpses for extended periods. Most people would be at a loss, avoiding it altogether.
So on this floor filled with bodies, people were unwilling to step further unless they were at their wit's end.
Tang Xuhai was there too, but he stayed back, standing near the emergency exit, leaning against the door without any expression.
Tang Xuhai's concern wasn't really about finding a way out of this floor. He could manage climbing down using a rope from the third floor if needed. His worry was about the hidden unstable element: Guan Liangbi.
Wang Ziping and Liu Peiqi had become the de facto leaders. People anxiously followed their orders, using the best-filtered clothes they could find at home to cover their heads and faces. They cleared out the rooms on one side of the corridor, moving all the bodies inside.
The people on the third floor had only been dead for three days. The stench wasn't as heavy as on the twentieth floor, but in summer, decay sped up significantly compared to colder temperatures. In another seven days, no one would be able to come this way!
Realizing this, those working began swiftly emptying the furniture, completely clearing out the rooms.
All the exteriors in Tianjing Garden were uniform. According to regulations, homeowners were not allowed to make unauthorized alterations.
So, there was no difference between the windows and balconies here and those on the eighteenth floor. People used wrenches to break the glass, cleaned up the shards, and brought out several strips made from bed sheets.
They didn't lack rope, but they had too little of it. With so many people coming and going, the rope simply wasn't enough.
Isolated for a week and facing a water shortage, these people scrambled, one after another, descending along the wall using the bed sheets.
Because the first and second floors had burglar-proof windows, going up or down wasn't that difficult.
When most people had left, Fu Shiwu finally stood by the window and peered down.
The height of the third floor was only about ten meters, but if one were to fall carelessly, a wrong posture could easily lead to severe injury or death.
"Are you afraid of heights?" Tang Xuhai suddenly asked.
Fu Shiwu startled, adjusted his glasses, and said coldly, "I'm not afraid of heights."
"Tsk." Tang Xuhai clicked his tongue, pushing Fu Shiwu aside. "Step aside, don't get in the way."
Fu Shiwu moved aside, observing Tang Xuhai, who appeared incredibly calm, as if descending from the third floor was as simple as walking on level ground.
Tang Xuhai alternated his hands, holding onto the sheet rope, while his legs formed a triangle against the wall.
With the rope in his hands, he smoothly descended to the ground using his legs against the wall as support.
Seeing how effortlessly Tang Xuhai managed, Fu Shiwu inadvertently relaxed a bit. He mimicked Tang Xuhai's movements, gripping the sheet with both hands and placing his feet against the wall. But when he was truly hanging in mid-air, he felt the strain.
His entire body weight, over 60 kilograms, relied solely on his wrists. Even though his legs supported some weight, it was extremely uncomfortable. Fu Shiwu attempted to release his feet, trying to twist the rope around his legs like the others had done earlier, but his wrists began trembling.
Years of office work had left his arms weak, unable to endure this strain. Helplessly, he extended his feet back to the wall and slowly descended.
Once down, he felt his hands reddening and extremely sore.
"Lack of exercise," Tang Xuhai commented, holding a cigarette in his mouth, adding the concluding remark.
Seeing him standing so casually, Fu Shiwu felt utterly inadequate in comparison.
Shaking his wrists, Fu Shiwu pushed his sliding glasses up and walked expressionlessly towards the garage.
"What are you doing? Don't wander around if unnecessary," Tang Xuhai said, pinching the cigarette, exhaling a puff of smoke.
Despite being taunted earlier, considering the earlier life-saving favor, Fu Shiwu stopped and said, "I want to visit our office."
Since the rain started three days ago, he couldn't reach them. He was a bit worried. No one picked up the director's home phone, and their cell phone was switched off.
He didn't have many friends, just a few acquaintances from several years of work.
Tang Xuhai didn't say anything, just followed him towards the underground garage.
Fu Shiwu hesitated for a moment. "Where are you going?"
"Just taking a walk," Tang Xuhai replied, glancing at him with his dark eyes.
This response left Fu Shiwu speechless.
Forbidding him to wander but taking a stroll himself was a blatant disregard for his capabilities, wasn't it?!
Before reaching the garage door, screams echoed from within.
Fu Shiwu's heart skipped a beat. He turned to meet Tang Xuhai's gaze. Tang Xuhai flicked away the cigarette.
At that moment, a group of people ran from the direction of the underground garage, closely followed by Guan Liangbi!
"Damn it!" Fu Shiwu couldn't help but curse.
Tang Xuhai glanced at him in surprise, thinking this guy wouldn't even utter a swear word.
"This guy! We couldn't find him inside the building, and he actually came out!" Fu Shiwu was extremely astonished.
"Hmm," Tang Xuhai, perhaps in admiration, said, "He probably went directly from the elevator area to the underground garage. No one in this building could have guessed that."
The entrance was sealed, and the elevator settings were altered, preventing access to the negative floors. However, this didn't mean the elevator shaft was closed off.
"You didn't think of that either?" Fu Shiwu, disbelieving, looked at him. How could he instantly know how the other person got out but fail to conceive it himself?
"Why should I tell you?" Tang Xuhai arrogantly lifted his head, striding towards the crowd.
Fu Shiwu was both angry and frustrated, deeply tangled. If he knew, why did he bother using ropes like everyone else? He could have just used the elevator shaft climbing ladder!
There was a serious problem with his thought process!
Before Tang Xuhai approached, Wang Ziping, wielding a long stick and holding a fruit knife in reverse, rushed against the crowd, stopping Guan Liangbi in his tracks.
In truth, Guan Liangbi's physical strength wasn't better than Wang Ziping's, but he was entirely driven by sheer madness.
"Give that girl up! Is she running a fever? Are you trying to deceive me?" Guan Liangbi roared insanely.
Fu Shiwu observed; the one being chased was surprisingly his neighbor. Her father-in-law was hospitalized, her husband quarantined elsewhere, and today, she had finally come out to visit her husband with her daughter.
Her daughter had indeed been slightly feverish these past two days, but she believed it was due to excessive stress. There hadn't been any vomiting or diarrhea!
The young girl screamed, her legs weakened. Faced with the frenzy of Guan Liangbi, she could only step back slowly. Her mother stood close, shielding her, both stumbling in their retreat.
"Move aside!" Wang Ziping shouted loudly.
It was then that Fu Shiwu understood what Tang Xuhai meant by 'martial arts school experience.'
Wang Ziping wielded the long stick with martial-like movements, akin to the performances of Shaolin monks.
While it was quite a spectacle, it lacked practicality against someone like Guan Liangbi, who had no systematic approach. However, it was enough to intimidate him and the others in camouflage vests.
In addition to being much longer than the knife Guan Liangbi held, Wang Ziping had ingeniously tied a fruit knife to the stick, temporarily turning it into a 'spear,' further restraining Guan Liangbi.
But unlike the others in camouflage vests who had normal consciousness, Guan Liangbi's madness surged, incited by Wang Ziping, disregarding the blows on himself, swinging the knife towards Wang Ziping.
Seeing Wang Ziping about to get hurt, a faint 'swish' echoed as a sharp crossbow bolt pierced Guan Liangbi's chest.
"Ah!!" Guan Liangbi screamed in pain. While he was hit by the arrow earlier, it hadn't struck a vital spot. But now, as Wang Ziping retreated opportunistically and leveled the stick, he fatally struck Guan Liangbi.
As Guan Liangbi fell to the ground, the crowd gradually calmed from the chaos.
Some were immersed in the fear of witnessing their first murder, while others praised the two for their bravery, resourcefulness, and seamless teamwork.
Their collaboration had lasted until Tang Xuhai arrived, their second experience with bloodshed making them much more composed.
However, Fu Shiwu felt an indescribable surge of something unsettling within him, causing discomfort.
"Aren't you going to the office? There are more people like Guan Liangbi outside. Aren't you afraid?" Tang Xuhai appeared beside him at some point.
"I'm scared," Fu Shiwu took a deep breath. "But I can't avoid facing it. I can't guarantee I won't encounter dangerous situations again. Being afraid won't help."
"Heh," Tang Xuhai chuckled meaningfully.
Fu Shiwu got into his Mazda, but Tang Xuhai opened the door and got in.
"What are you doing?" Fu Shiwu frowned.
"Taking a ride, also getting some water," Tang Xuhai pulled out a cigarette.
"No smoking in the car," Fu Shiwu said.
Tang Xuhai paused, then returned the cigarette to its box.
Fu Shiwu's car left the community and hit the road. After several days of absence, the entire city felt desolate and eerie.
It was as if the city had gone through a war, with stores and homes on both sides of the streets suffering varying degrees of damage. The once clean and tidy roads were now covered in bricks, stones, fallen leaves, and garbage.
Patrolling armed police and officers were seen in groups of three everywhere on the streets, creating a tense and somber atmosphere.
"Should we go to the supermarket first... or to my office?" Fu Shiwu turned to ask Tang Xuhai.
"Do you think there'll be water in the supermarket at a time like this?" Tang Xuhai leaned against the window, supporting his head with his hand, asking.
Fu Shiwu hesitated, remembering the previous panic buying spree, which happened a week ago.
"Probably not," Fu Shiwu replied.
"I think your office should have unopened barrels of water. Let's head directly to the design institute," Tang Xuhai suggested.
Fu Shiwu remained silent and simply pressed the accelerator.
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get access to Digital art.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
