Shen Qingqiu’s actions left a few people in awe. Xiao Muyu’s crisis was averted, and even though Chen Kaijie was in pain from being stepped on, he still gave Shen Qingqiu a thumbs up with a smile.
Shen Qingqiu nodded towards Chen Kaijie, “Thanks for your shoulder.”
Chen Kaijie, gripping a Tang sword with both hands, slashed downwards, kicking a zombie away, and turned to smile, “No need to thank me, it’s an honor!”
Shen Qingqiu still needed to solve the Nine Linked Rings puzzle. Chen Kaijie had many steps remaining, so after the danger was resolved, Su Jin and Zuo Tiantian guarded Chen Kaijie to allow him to focus on the puzzle.
“Vice Captain, how’s the Nine Linked Rings coming?”
Zuo Tiantian’s eyes were full of anxiety; only one minute remained. The door to the fifth level was precarious, and if they failed, Shen Qingqiu would be implicated and eliminated. Just then, the system announced, “Chen Siyuan eliminated, Liu Tingting eliminated.”
The emotionless machine announced the elimination of two more players, making the atmosphere even heavier. It was unbelievable that four people had been eliminated so early.
“Don’t panic, stay steady! Chen Kaijie, focus on the puzzle, leave the rest to us. Qingqiu, step back, I can handle this.”
Xiao Muyu pulled Shen Qingqiu back. Once someone started on the Nine Linked Rings, they couldn’t switch, causing Xiao Muyu some regret. He should have taken on the task himself rather than burdening Shen Qingqiu.
Meanwhile, the fifth level door was breached. Another wave of zombies surged, making the situation extremely dangerous. At this rate, they wouldn’t just fail the puzzle; the zombies might overwhelm them completely.
Shen Qingqiu’s face grew serious. She decisively kicked away a zombie near Xiao Muyu and, following his advice, retreated, focusing intently on the puzzle.
Xiao Muyu retreated, protecting Shen Qingqiu while Su Jin and Zuo Tiantian struggled to hold the line.
The further Shen Qingqiu progressed, the faster her hands moved, needing fewer and fewer steps. With a snap, in the remaining 40 seconds, the nine rings in her hands fell apart.
With a cold smile, she quickly sidestepped a zombie’s attack, and with the remaining rod of the puzzle, she pierced a zombie’s eye, bringing it down.
Now unrestrained, Shen Qingqiu moved like a blade through the zombies. Alongside Xiao Muyu, they broke through, leading the group swiftly towards the ninth level. Time was running out, and if they didn’t clear the stage soon, they’d be surrounded.
Shen Qingqiu whispered to Xiao Muyu, “Check on Chen Kaijie, I’ll handle this.”
Chen Kaijie was drenched in sweat, his eyes bloodshot, but he remained fixated on the puzzle, murmuring, “Almost there, I can do this.”
Xiao Muyu saw only three rings left. Just as he reached out to help, the sixth level door was breached. Xiao Muyu’s fingers flew over the puzzle, throwing it away as zombies swarmed in.
The ninth level door burst open, Shen Qingqiu seized a Tang sword, severing the hands of the leading zombies, and yelled, “Run!”
The four of them sprinted under Shen Qingqiu’s lead. The fifth, sixth, and seventh levels opened in succession, releasing waves of zombies, making their hair stand on end.
Fortunately, they kept up their pace, rapidly approaching the ninth level. But as the eighth level door was breached, zombies leaped out.
Shen Qingqiu’s face changed. She and Xiao Muyu, at the rear, couldn’t avoid the zombies. At the last moment, she shoved Xiao Muyu forward.
But Xiao Muyu, anticipating this, grabbed her arm and pulled her close.
Chen Kaijie and Su Jin had already entered the ninth level, turning to drag the others in, falling heavily.
The combined weight and force pulled Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu inside. As the ninth level door shut, zombies nearby disintegrated into powder.
Shen Qingqiu landed on Xiao Muyu. Immediately, she sat up, her face full of panic. She grabbed Xiao Muyu’s arm, trembling, muttering, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”
Chen Kaijie and the others, just getting up, saw Shen Qingqiu’s frantic state and felt a pang of fear.
They scrambled over, seeing Xiao Muyu’s right sleeve torn open, exposing her pale arm. No blood or wounds, but two red marks, one appearing to be a scratch.
Chen Kaijie panicked, Su Jin and Zuo Tiantian almost cried. “Is she okay?”
Shen Qingqiu examined Xiao Muyu’s arm, wiping her fingers, then pressing on the marks, which didn’t fade.
Looking up, Shen Qingqiu, her gray eyes red and sweating, quickly lowered her head and tried to suck on the wound.
Xiao Muyu blocked her, still masked, struggling, “Shen Qingqiu, calm down, you can’t treat a wound like this!”
Shen Qingqiu, veins bulging on her forehead, glared at Xiao Muyu. The identical face, the same eyes, but with Xiao Muyu’s unique determination.
Seeing Shen Qingqiu on the verge of tears, Xiao Muyu’s heart ached. She softened, “Calm down. If you panic, what will I do?”
Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath, forcing back her tears. In her world, crying was meaningless and wouldn’t change anything. No matter the pain, she preferred blood and sweat over tears.
Xiao Muyu’s words forced Shen Qingqiu to calm down. She took another deep breath and turned to Zuo Tiantian, “Your first aid kit, quickly.”
Zuo Tiantian, snapped out of her daze, activated her card, taking out a first aid kit and finding alcohol.
Shen Qingqiu’s hands still trembled as she took the alcohol. Xiao Muyu held her icy hand, keeping her steady.
Shen Qingqiu quickly poured alcohol on Xiao Muyu’s wound, then took the gauze from Zuo Tiantian, cleaning the scratches.
Her thumb, wrapped in gauze, rubbed the marks. Breathing heavily, her voice trembling but more controlled, she said, “It’s okay. No broken skin, no blood. It’s just a scratch, no infection. It’ll be fine, don’t worry.”
Feeling the initial pain, Xiao Muyu had panicked. But seeing Shen Qingqiu so frantic, she knew she had to stay calm. This person wasn’t as strong as she seemed. Watching Shen Qingqiu, Xiao Muyu calmed, feeling only heartache.
Listening to Shen Qingqiu’s comforting words, Xiao Muyu smiled, nodding, “With you here, I’m not afraid. I feel fine, the wound doesn’t hurt, no infection.”
Su Jin and Zuo Tiantian, unable to hold back their tears, turned away, then confirmed, “No blood, no wound, no infection. Captain Xiao will be fine.”
Chen Kaijie, eyes red, stood up, laughing, “It’s fine. If it was serious, Captain Xiao would’ve dealt with us by now. She’s fine.”
This scare had been overwhelming. Xiao Muyu, feeling no discomfort, pulled Shen Qingqiu up, “Alright, we have an hour to explore. Let’s find information about the virus.”
Shen Qingqiu followed closely, not speaking. Xiao Muyu, glancing back, held her hand tightly.
The ninth level was quiet, but soon, Zuo Tiantian noticed signs of previous presence. The noise they made had alerted someone.
Su Jin, regretting the earlier fright, remembered other teams were exploring too.
In the room, two men and two women were there, one being the short-haired woman Xiao Muyu had met at the hospital.
Seeing two identical faces, the woman hesitated, then examined Xiao Muyu, looking cautious, “Is someone hurt?”
Her companions looked surprised. One middle-aged man frowned, “A scratch means infection, no matter how small. It’s inevitable.”
Shen Qingqiu’s eyes darkened, her voice low, “I’ll overlook your words this once, but say another, and I won’t hold back. She’s fine.”
The woman raised an eyebrow, then nodded, “If you’re sure. You’re strong, getting everyone through.”
Her expression turned somber, likely having lost someone earlier.
“Sorry, my friend’s concerned. I’m fine, thank you. May I ask, have you found anything?”
The woman glanced at an office, “Nothing significant. We just got here and hid when we heard noise.”
Xiao Muyu nodded, signaling Zuo Tiantian to search, “Be careful, there might be zombies inside.”
“Time is short, let’s avoid conflict.” The short-haired woman, taking a companion, entered the left office.
Xiao Muyu whispered to Shen Qingqiu, “She’s the leader of that team, the one from the hospital.”
Shen Qingqiu nodded, still quiet. Xiao Muyu, scanning the area, noted it divided into two administrative sections: HR, finance, and procurement.
Each section had common workspaces and private offices.
“Su Jin is checking workspaces, let’s check the private offices for important information.” Xiao Muyu, leading Shen Qingqiu to the manager’s office, suddenly asked softly, “Why are you ignoring me?”
Shen Qingqiu, lips pale, quickly glanced at Xiao Muyu. Meeting her gaze, she forced a smile, “I’m not ignoring you. I’m fine.”
Lifting her hand, Xiao Muyu said, “Earlier, in the office, I reacted instinctively. I had to block the attack. Don’t blame yourself.”
Shen Qingqiu paused, then nodded with a small smile, “It’s not your fault. You were helping me, risking yourself. I should thank you.”
Xiao Muyu chuckled, pushing the door open, “No thanks needed. Protecting you is what I want. Let’s focus on the task.”
The room was dark, and Shen Qingqiu activated a flashlight card. Xiao Muyu smiled, “Stay behind me, I’ll lead.”
Gently pushing Shen Qingqiu back, Xiao Muyu entered first. Shen Qingqiu’s flashlight illuminated the desk, revealing a laptop and scattered files.
They quickly searched, Shen Qingqiu frowning at an old photograph on the desk.
Xiao Muyu, having checked the files, looked back. Seeing Shen Qingqiu’s expression, she whispered, “What did you find?”
Shen Qingqiu handed the photo over, “An old photo, seems like a family picture.”
Xiao Muyu, glancing at it, felt a pang of sadness. It showed a couple and a child. Likely, this was their family before the outbreak.
They exchanged a glance, sadness evident in their eyes. Quickly searching the desk drawers, they found key documents.
“This might be useful,” Shen Qingqiu said, holding a file. Xiao Muyu nodded, taking it, “Let’s regroup.”
Leaving the office, they found Su Jin and Zuo Tiantian outside, holding similar files. Xiao Muyu smiled, “Looks like we all found something.”
“Found some records about the outbreak, might be valuable.”
The other team approached, holding files too. The short-haired woman smiled, “Looks like we all have something. Shall we exchange information?”
Xiao Muyu nodded, “Sounds good. We can compare notes.”
Gathering, they exchanged information, piecing together a clearer picture of the outbreak. Xiao Muyu, scanning the files, whispered to Shen Qingqiu, “Good find, this might be crucial.”
Shen Qingqiu, leaning closer, smiled, “Glad it helps. Let’s finish this together.”
Together, they compared notes, uncovering more about the virus’s origins and possible solutions, their determination growing stronger.
