CHAPTER 255: CHAPTER 255: ZHU ZHANG

"This house kitchen isn’t so bad. I’ll be taking all the bowls and chopsticks here. It’s going to be a full house so best be prepared for any thing.."

She opened the cupboard and saw a neat row of bowls and chopsticks, she stacked them up and placed everything inside her space.

"I should check for plates too, beds as well blankets. Guess I’ll be raiding the rooms.."

As she turned to the stairs she saw a man coming down from it holding a knife.

Qingran wondered if it was that little girl’s father.

"What do you want from us?? Why are you raiding this place?.." the man asked, holding the knife carefully.

"I didn’t think it mattered if I raided this place and I want nothing from you. My name is Gu Qingran and I came here on a mission. But seeing as there are still people alive in this zone I’ll be bringing them along with and that includes you and your family. So it doesn’t matter if I raid the house.."

The man hissed when he saw the zombie. "Did you bring that thing inside here? Are you one of those scientists that have be probing the place.."

Qingran raised a brow, scientists huh...

"I am a scientist but I certainly want to know more about the ones you saw. Tell me what’s your name first?"

The man, thought about the decision for a second, she didn’t look like she was going to harm him nor had she held a weapon yet.

So he would lower his for now.

"My name is Zhu Zhang.."

She nodded "Alright. I won’t say much now, as I have a pior engagement and it needs attending. Three hours from now please gather your family and anyone you know is still alive and wait at the roof, I’ll meet you all there.."

-_-

"Why should I trust you??"

"You don’t have to trust me but I certainly won’t harm you.."

Zhu Zhang hesitated. His knuckles were still tight around the knife, but his breathing had evened out. He looked at Qingran’s calm posture, the clear tone of her voice, the bloodless floor where the zombie stood obediently behind her, silent and unmoving.

A trained one. Or... controlled?

Either way, it hadn’t attacked.

And this woman hadn’t flinched.

He lowered the knife another inch.

"My daughter—she’s just a kid. If anything happens to her..."

Qingran’s gaze softened just a touch. "She’ll be fine. I won’t leave until I know you’re all safely out of here."

Then, before he could ask another question, she turned and walked past him, heading upstairs.

Zhu Zhang watched her for a beat, then slowly backed into the living room.

His daughter peeked out from the cracked door of the storage closet. She looked up at him.

"She’s nice.." the little girl whispered.

Zhu Zhang didn’t answer.

Zhu Zhang moved quickly through the house. His grip on the knife had loosened, but his urgency had not.

"Meilin," he called out, pushing open the back room. His wife sat on the edge of the bed, their daughter clinging to her side. At the sound of his voice, Meilin looked up sharply.

"What happened?" she asked, scanning him for blood, for wounds, for anything.

"She’s not a threat," Zhu Zhang said, breath short. "She said she’s here on a mission. Said she’s taking all the survivors with her. Told me to gather everyone and wait on the roof in three hours."

Meilin stared at him. "And you believe her?"

He gave a grim nod. "I don’t know if I do. But she had that thing under control. It didn’t even move. And... she didn’t take anything but bowls. Said she didn’t want trouble. Just... said we’re leaving."

He turned to the hallway, voice louder now. "Jin Wen! Auntie Qiao! Pack only what you can carry!"

From the far room, two heads peeked out. Jin Wen was in his twenties, thin from weeks of rationing. Auntie Qiao, older, moved with a slight limp but her eyes were sharp.

"We’re going?" she asked.

"Yes. We’re not staying to die in this house. Be ready in twenty."

Thirty minutes later, Zhu Zhang stood on the rooftop with Meilin, their daughter, Jin Wen, and Auntie Qiao. He carried a small backpack, stuffed with dried rice and a single change of clothes. The others had even less. But no one spoke. Not about what they were leaving. Not about what they might find.

The wind was still, the silence eerie.

Then a shimmer lit the far end of the rooftop.

Qingran stepped out of a house two buildings over, calm and sharp-eyed, a bag slung across her shoulder. She crossed to them with quick, even steps, her coat fluttering behind her.

She didn’t carry any food. No weapons. Just the same quiet confidence she always wore.

Behind her, two figures were already waiting — Ruihuang, tall and broad, leaning against the rooftop wall with his arms crossed, and Fang Yuxi, who was tapping her foot like she’d been bored for the past half hour.

"Took you long enough," Fang Yuxi muttered.

"I had to do a little shopping," Qingran replied.

She turned to Zhu Zhang and gave a nod. "Glad you’re here. Are these all?"

Zhu Zhang looked back at his group, then nodded once. "This is everyone I know.."

She nodded that left their count to about 75-80 people.

"Alright then. We’re good to go.."

Fang Yuxi sighed "Why did you even bring us here??"

Qingran chuckled "What? You didn’t have fun??"

-_-

"Haha..I’m sorry, I’ll bring Ruihuang next time. He doesn’t seem to mind.."

-_-

Ruihuang lips twitched "If you’re going to bring me along, please include me.."

Qingran nodded "Definetly..."

"Alright, Lingquan. We’re done here so please open the teleportation for the last time. The route is the bunker. To save us the stress.."

[-_-]

[Last time I’m doing this..]

"I love you.."

She smiled as the door popped up.

"Ruihuang you go in first, I’ll be behind you guys..]