"Even if he was a beauty, he was too powerful to be kept under the boss’s palm," the first man said, his voice now serious.
After a brief pause, the second man spoke again, matching the first man’s tone. "The boss was always cautious. He couldn’t raise a white-eyed wolf to steal all the won and power from under his nose."
Xu Feng’s mind raced as he processed the conversation. These n weren’t just idle scavengers—they were dangerous. The ntion of his brother, the thinly veiled threat in their tones—it all fueled the protective anger in him.
But Xu Feng knew he had to stay calm. Revealing himself now, in his current state, would be a mistake. He was a man with dragon’s bloodline coursing through his veins, but he was also a very naked man in what he assud was now a lawless world.
The n’s conversation grew less enthusiastic, their footsteps echoing through the corridors above him. Xu Feng held his breath, remaining perfectly still as he listened to the sounds of their search.
He had been ntally prepared to defend himself against zombies, but this situation was a reminder that humans could be just as dangerous—if not more so. These n were not his friends, and from what he gathered, they were no friends of his brother’s either.
As their footsteps receded, Xu Feng knew he had to act fast. If they decided to co down to the basent, he would be nearly defenseless. The silence only made the n’s movents more pronounced, the separation of their steps signaling that they were getting serious about their search.
From sowhere far above, he could hear them moving in different directions, scouring the grocery store with renewed determination.
Xu Feng’s surroundings beca more apparent as he focused on his imdiate environnt. He realized he was in a grocery store—how did he know? The jolly face of a pig mascot, sared with black mottled blood, was staring right at him. The pig had seen so things, so very unsavory things...
He was becoming increasingly aware that he was not dressed for this situation—not at all. Naked, without his seeds, Xu Feng was as vulnerable as one could be.
Back in Nanshan Estate, his clothing had been carefully sewn with sachets and pockets for his seeds, his trusted companions in any situation. Now, without them, he felt more exposed than ever. No clothes, no seeds, no protection.
The two idiots upstairs were clearly talking about his brother, and Xu Feng had no way to deal with them, let alone whoever else might be waiting outside the grocery store.
It took a few monts for the pieces to click into place, but once they did, the truth was undeniable. There was no such thing as coincidence. Too many suspicious things had been happening for this to be random. They were after Xu Zeng, his younger brother, and now they were in the sa location where Xu Feng found himself.
From the sounds above, it seed like the n were getting closer to his position before moving further away. Xu Feng knew he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to snap into action before they reconvened or made their way back to him.
His first priority was clothing, but there wasn’t anything in the basent he could use. Even if he was desperate enough to strip the zombie, its clothes were too small and far too disgusting.
Fortunately, the basent wasn’t completely devoid of resources. tal was scattered around the room—broken pieces of storage racks, pipes, and other debris.
A dandao—single saber—or even a baseball bat as he’d used in the past would have been ideal, but he had to make do with what was available. Moving as stealthily as possible, Xu Feng ard himself with a length of tal from a damaged storage rack. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do.
As he scanned the room for anything else that might be useful, a child’s backpack caught his eye. It wasn’t covered in goo or too badly damaged, and after prying it off the zombie’s body, Xu Feng found it to be in surprisingly good condition.
It wasn’t brand new, but it was a decent backpack, sothing he could use to carry whatever useful trinkets he might find. The contents of the bag would have to wait for later. Right now, getting out of this basent and away from the two lunatics upstairs was more important.
He needed to find a way out, regroup, and figure out his next move. And clothes. He desperately needed clothes.
Quietly, Xu Feng began inching toward the nearest exit, the only door in his concrete cage. He moved with the silence and grace of a predator, careful not to make a sound. His senses were on high alert, every fiber of his being ready to spring into action at the slightest hint of danger.
As much as he wanted to confront these n and demand answers, he knew the smart move was to retreat and gather more information first.
In the future, when he was better prepared, he would make sure to bully these bullies the way they had bullied his poor little brother! A small smile tugged at his lips as he imagined Xu Zeng’s nose twitching, sensing that sowhere, sohow, soone was planning to avenge him.
The narrow stairwell leading up from the basent was dark and cramped, but Xu Feng moved with ease, each step deliberate and silent. He couldn’t really afford to alert the n to his presence.
The air carrying the foul odor his nose was unfortunately getting used to, was thick with dust, and every creak of the old material beneath his feet sounded louder than it should have in the tense silence.
Whoever was outside might have enhanced hearing if the conversation he’d overheard earlier was any indication. Luckily, the two perverted idiots didn’t seem to possess that "useless skill."
As he reached the top of the stairs, Xu Feng paused, listening intently. The n’s voices were still audible, but they were further away now, their search taking them to another part of the building. He let out a slow, controlled breath. This was his chance.
Without hesitation, Xu Feng slipped out of the basent and into the shadows of the building’s main floor. The corridors were dark, even with mottled light seeping through the cracks around the door at the front of the grocery store.
He couldn’t tell what ti of day it was, but the dull gray light suggested it might be early morning or late afternoon. Either way, the main entrance wasn’t his target. If there were more people waiting for the two n in the store, they would likely be stationed at the front, near the door. That was the last place he wanted to go.
Xu Feng paused only for a mont, quickly assessing his surroundings. He ntally mapped out the store, piecing together his location relative to the front door where the n had entered. He was not heading in that direction.
He knew this grocery chain well enough to rember that there was often an additional floor above the main one, usually stocked with living items like hygiene products and, most importantly, a few articles of clothing. But as much as he needed clothing, his survival instincts took precedence.
Xu Feng pivoted away from the front door, deciding instead to make his way toward the exit sign that he hoped would lead to a back... exit.
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