The lighting inside the building was dim, with only a faint glow coming from the entrance.

From the spot where their vehicle had crashed into the building, they could barely make out four large characters on the central wall of the lobby: Runjin Building. To the left, a metal panel displayed the layout of the various floors, revealing that this was a mixed-use commercial and residential building.

The lobby’s smooth marble floor was stained with blood, and there were bloody handprints on the walls. Broken glass from the crash and overturned trash from a garbage can were scattered across the floor, but aside from that, nothing else could be seen.

“Is everyone okay?” Song Qinglan asked from inside the vehicle, “Is anyone hurt?”

The front of the vehicle was severely deformed, making the already cramped backseat even more confining.

Song Qinglan’s voice, so close by, echoed heavily in Ji Yushi’s ears, much like the first time he heard it over the public channel.

“I’m fine,” Ji Yushi replied.

No one else in the vehicle, besides Ji Yushi, knew what had just happened, nor did anyone retain memories of their previous deaths.

The adrenaline from the countdown to death, just moments before the space vehicle struck, was still surging through Ji Yushi, making his heart race. He couldn’t even feel the pain from his head hitting the back of the front seat during the crash.

“I’m fine too.”

“Same here.”

…

In the front passenger seat, Duan Wen’s voice was pained, “I… I think my leg is stuck.”

Li Chun cursed, “Someone help! Wen is stuck!”

A faint groaning sound echoed in the distance.

The building was empty, and the dark, deep corridors made it hard to pinpoint where the sound was coming from, but it was definitely close.

The crash had been loud enough to alert the nearby zombies. Although the building seemed quiet, it was likely hiding many of them.

Duan Wen’s left leg was trapped under the deformed center console of the front passenger seat. Whenever his teammates tried to move the damaged part, he winced in unbearable pain.

“You guys go ahead, don’t worry about me!” Duan Wen panted, drenched in cold sweat. “Go now!”

“We’re not leaving you behind!”

“Hang in there, Wen!”

Song Qinglan wedged his weapon, Shenmian, into the gap created by the center console and motioned for Li Chun to protect Duan Wen’s knee.

Even in this situation, Song Qinglan remained calm and decisive, quickly instructing, “Stop talking nonsense. Hold on tight. Even if your leg breaks, you’re coming with us!”

The absolute trust formed over numerous past missions left Duan Wen with no hesitation in following the captain’s orders. He gritted his teeth and nodded, “…Okay.”

“Hurry!” Zhou Mingxuan urged, scanning their surroundings with his gun.

The footsteps in the corridor were getting louder and quicker, accompanied by the “ho-ho” growls that were now alarmingly close.

“Bang, bang, bang!”

Someone fired their gun, and a few zombies fell, spraying blood everywhere.

But this corridor was like a path to hell, and soon even more “ho-ho” sounds and footsteps echoed as a horde of zombies, even more frenzied than the last, appeared!

“Hurry up!!” Li Chun’s eyes were red with anxiety as he shouted, “Captain Song!”

Song Qinglan used Shenmian as a lever. With all his strength, veins bulged on his forehead, and his arm muscles tensed as he pried the console, producing a grating sound.

“Ah—”

With an uncontrollable scream, Duan Wen’s leg was finally freed, but it was covered in blood, with a deep wound down to the bone!

Li Chun’s hands trembled as he exclaimed, “Wen!”

Duan Wen was on the verge of fainting, his face pale. Li Chun hoisted him onto his back as Song Qinglan ordered, “Move!”

The five of them, now with an injured member, fought their way through the building with limited exit points. The entrance they’d come through was shattered, and the corridor with an exit on the left was blocked. Zombies were pouring in relentlessly, trapping the team like prey thrown into a snare, just escaping one danger only to fall into another!

Gunfire echoed as wave after wave of zombies were shot down, but the building was like a maze with no way out.

With a loud “clang,” someone slammed open a fire door.

Tang Le, who had been silent all this time, shouted, “This way!”

Everyone retreated into the stairwell, where the emergency lights flickered on, revealing an empty space.

But soon, the sound of a horde of zombies came from below, and their faces paled—zombies were charging up the stairs!

“Ho—”

“Ho—”

At that moment, the zombies chasing them burst through the fire door. Under the orange emergency lights, the pale faces of the undead were illuminated, looking as if they were soaked in blood. They were evil and primal, merging with the horde from below to block the stairwell completely!

The sound of gunfire filled the air as blood, brains, and limbs splattered, staining the once-white walls red.

The team retreated to the second floor. Zhou Mingxuan opened a door and cursed, “Shit! It’s a trading floor! Who the hell still does business in person these days?!”

The second floor was packed with zombies, their heads bobbing in a dense crowd, making it impossible to estimate their numbers!

Tang Le and Zhou Mingxuan slammed the fire door shut, ignoring the loud banging from the other side. Tang Le quickly wrapped the chain around the door handles, “Upstairs!”

“We can’t go up!” Zhou Mingxuan, overwhelmed and fending off the zombies coming up the stairs, shouted, “It might be a dead end!”

“It’s certain death if we go down!” Tang Le yelled back, “What do you suggest then?!”

The team had no choice but to keep retreating until they reached the fourth floor when Ji Yushi suddenly spoke up, “Go to the sixth floor!”

Li Chun, carrying Duan Wen, was almost in tears and asked in disbelief, “Go up again?!”

Gritting his teeth, Song Qinglan continued firing at the zombies swarming up the stairs, “Go!”

“Clang!”

The fire door on the sixth floor was forced open, revealing a quiet space.

Using the emergency lights from the stairwell, they saw a zombie rushing at them from the darkness, but Zhou Mingxuan, who was leading the way, shot it in the head.

“Close the door!”

“Find something to barricade it!”

A flashlight flickered on in the darkness, followed by a noise.

Song Qinglan, with his keen hearing, quickly ordered, “Quiet!”

In the chaotic beams of the flashlights, a female zombie came sprinting around a corner.

With a “whoosh,” the zombie’s forehead exploded in a burst of blood, its grey-white eyes wide open as it fell to the ground.

Ji Yushi’s black eyes glimmered in the dark, holding his pure white Diamond Bird, which he had somehow already fitted with a silencer.

Behind them, the sound of zombies pounding on the fire door grew louder, accompanied by their distinctive growls.

Their silent takedown had prevented the zombies from discovering them, causing the horde to linger briefly outside the door before the chaotic, heavy footsteps faded away, heading further up.

For the moment, they were safe.

The lights suddenly flickered on, harsh and blinding, as Tang Le found the power switch on the wall.

The room was extravagantly decorated, with crystal chandeliers, pink cotton-candy-like sofas, marble, and glass-brick walls. The men had no idea what kind of place this was.

“High-end beauty salon,” Ji Yushi said as he holstered his gun, “Usually, there wouldn’t be many people here.”

Zhou Mingxuan suddenly pointed his laser gun at Ji Yushi, the targeting laser making Ji Yushi squint. A second later, with a “puff,” a zombie not far behind Ji Yushi fell to the ground.

Ji Yushi turned to glance back and calmly said, “Thanks.”

Zhou Mingxuan gave him a mock salute.

On the other side, Song Qinglan and Li Chun had already laid Duan Wen on a sofa in the beauty salon. Blood quickly soaked the sofa. Duan Wen had lost too much blood; his leg was twisted at an unnatural angle, and he was completely unconscious.

Li Chun, responsible for logistics and basic medical care within the team, felt his eyes well up at the sight.

Song Qinglan, calmer than Li Chun, instructed the group, “Stop the bleeding first. Find clean towels! Also, see if there’s a first aid kit!”

Everyone responded, “Got it!”

As they busily searched, Zhou Mingxuan asked, “Consultant Ji, how did you know this was a beauty salon?”

Ji Yushi replied, “There’s a floor directory downstairs.”

As if realizing his previous explanation might have been too brief, Ji Yushi added, “It’s right next to the building’s sign.”

Zhou Mingxuan remembered that there was indeed a directory next to the “Runjin Building” sign, but most people would have just glanced at it in that situation, let alone clearly recall the layout of each floor.

Over the course of their journey, Zhou Mingxuan’s impression of Ji Yushi had changed. Hearing this now, if it weren’t for the heavy mood, Zhou Mingxuan might have sincerely complimented him.

They soon found a first aid kit, and Li Chun also retrieved towels from a sterilization cabinet.

Given the circumstances, Li Chun couldn’t even stitch up the wound. All he could do was temporarily bandage Duan Wen’s left leg with a combination of towels and bandages.

After they managed to stop Duan Wen’s bleeding, Song Qinglan’s hands were covered in blood, and sweat had formed on his forehead. He looked around and his gaze fell on Tang Le.

Tang Le was sitting against the wall, silent, with a vacant look in his eyes, as if he had only briefly come back to life moments ago.

Song Qinglan watched Tang Le intently for a few seconds, seeming to have something to say, but he eventually turned his head and asked, “Where’s Consultant Ji?”

Zhou Mingxuan was slightly startled and pointed towards the restroom, “He went that way.”

It was 7:40 AM.

The restroom of this high-end beauty salon was spacious and bright, with four princess-style washbasins arranged in a circle, carpeted floors, and scented candles, filling the air with a fragrance as soon as one entered.

But now, that fragrance was tinged with a faint smell of blood, and several bloodstained tissues were scattered on the carpet.

The sound of running water echoed.

Song Qinglan walked around the circular washbasins, and at the innermost spot, he found Ji Yushi.

Ji Yushi was washing his face, or rather, he was rinsing his hair thoroughly.

Thick blood mixed with water, turning pink as it flowed into the enamel sink. His hair and eyelashes dripped with water, his wet skin appearing even paler than usual, making the bump on his forehead—caused by the impact in the car—more noticeable.

In the mirror, Ji Yushi saw him, “Captain Song.”

After a fierce battle, everyone had practically rolled through a pile of zombies. Unlike the rest of the battle-hardened soldiers, Ji Yushi was very particular about cleanliness—something everyone had noticed.

Curiously, even though they had seen that Ji Yushi was far from useless, and certainly not a pretty face sent to participate in an A-level mission, his appearance still made people think he was fragile.

Song Qinglan pointed at his own forehead in the mirror and asked half-heartedly, “Are you alright?”

Ji Yushi replied, “I’m fine. How’s Duan Wen?”

Song Qinglan said, “His left leg is fractured, the artery is damaged, and his leg might be useless.”

Ji Yushi paused his movements.

Song Qinglan continued, “We’ll carry him back no matter what; it’s better than not bringing him back at all.”

Too many things had happened too quickly on this journey.

They had been caught off guard, forced into one dire situation after another—first Tang Qi, then Duan Wen, and now this.

But if…

Perhaps they were both thinking along the same lines, as they fell silent simultaneously, neither willing to voice that uncertain possibility.

Song Qinglan hadn’t come to chat. He got straight to the point: “Consultant Ji, how did you know there was an alley behind the warehouse?”

Ji Yushi put down the towel, “And how did Captain Song know where the false wall was?”

“When that woman suddenly mutated right before my eyes, it just came to me.”

“What a coincidence, I had the same thought.”

From the current situation, it seemed that only the two of them could remember what had happened last time.

Song Qinglan crossed his arms, looking a bit mischievous as he said nonchalantly, “Unless I’m going crazy, I remember you all should have escaped in the car.”

Ji Yushi nodded, “Yes, but our luck wasn’t great. Just after we escaped, we got hit by that space vehicle we encountered earlier, and died.”

Apparently, their previous deaths were not pleasant memories.

So the sacrifice to cover the rear hadn’t made any difference. Song Qinglan cursed under his breath, “Looks like neither of us is crazy.”

Song Qinglan turned on the faucet and rinsed the blood from his hands.

His large hands were well-defined, with bloodstains embedded under his nails—it was hard to tell whether it was Duan Wen’s blood or someone else’s.

As he was about to leave, Song Qinglan paused. He turned around, his deep black eyes seeming to want to see through Ji Yushi’s thoughts.

“By the way, Consultant Ji, do you remember the mission mode?”

“Yes, it’s Ouroboros.”

Ji Yushi suddenly understood. In Western mythology, Ouroboros represents a cycle.

How similar it was to their current situation!

Song Qinglan had brought up the topic, but seeing Ji Yushi’s reaction, he quickly dropped it, reminding, “There are still too many unknowns about this. No one knows if our guess is correct, and if we’re wrong, it could be disastrous. I hope we can keep this confidential for now.”

Song Qinglan’s black combat uniform was stained with dark red blood. Seeing that Ji Yushi was lingering, he said, “Anyway, try to get to the lobby quickly. We need to discuss our next move.”

Two minutes later, when Ji Yushi returned to the lobby, he casually tossed something to Song Qinglan.

It was Shenmian, the famous weapon they had used to pry open the car, and later to wedge the fire door shut.

Ji Yushi had used a fire axe he found to barricade the fire door.

In front of everyone, Ji Yushi spoke seriously, without the deference usually shown by subordinates, “A weapon should be used when needed; it’s best not to leave it behind.”

Everyone else: “…”

Having just been bossed around to open a bottle cap, and now being lectured, Consultant Ji was getting bolder by the day.

Song Qinglan found the words familiar, recalling that he had said something similar during the previous mission at the park administration office.

Ji Yushi, it seemed, never forgot a slight.