C11 Yang Fei's Killing Intent Had Caused Him to Lose His Life, and Sun Meng Had Cried Bitterly in He

After the furniture was cleared, a young man, likely in his late twenties, emerged.

Sporting a middle-parted short haircut and black-framed glasses, he donned a white lab coat and clutched a crowbar in his right hand.

Tang Bing instinctively retreated, gripping his fire axe tightly, eyes tracking the newcomer's every move.

"Yang Fei?" At the sight of the young man, Sun Meng, who stood behind, gasped in shock, "What are you doing here?"

"Mengmeng?" Yang Fei's face lit up with delight upon seeing Sun Meng, and he rushed over to her. "You're okay! I was afraid you..."

Sun Meng instinctively dodged and took refuge behind Tang Bing.

Clearly, the two knew each other, but their contrasting reactions puzzled Tang Bing.

Yang Fei's excitement was palpable as he approached Sun Meng, who, despite her surprise, instinctively shied away.

Was there some past romance between them? Tang Bing found it odd but had no desire to pry into their affairs, so he cut to the chase, "You two know each other?"

"He's Yang Fei, an internist at our hospital," Sun Meng said, avoiding Yang Fei's gaze.

A flicker of confusion crossed Yang Fei's eyes as he noted Sun Meng's evasion and her apparent trust in Tang Bing. Quickly masking his reaction with a smile, he extended his hand to Tang Bing. "Hello! I'm Yang Fei, the internist here. When the zombies first appeared, I was chased and had to hide in this room. I've been holed up here for safety, waiting for rescue. It's such a relief to see another living person!"

"I'm Tang Bing. I was a patient here. When I woke up, the place was overrun with zombies," Tang Bing replied, shaking his hand.

"How did you end up with Mengmeng?" inquired Yang Fei, curious.

"That's none of your business," Sun Meng huffed.

Tang Bing glanced at Sun Meng, still confused by their dynamic. They might be a couple who had argued; Yang Fei seemed quite familiar with Sun Meng, yet she was clearly keeping her distance. "I've been scavenging for supplies since I woke up. I found her in one of the rooms earlier today, just a few hours ago, actually."

"I see," Yang Fei nodded. "What's your plan now?"

"We're going to keep looking for supplies," Tang Bing stated firmly. "We need to stock up on food and water to make a break for it tomorrow."

"Let's team up then! There's strength in numbers," Yang Fei offered eagerly.

"What supplies have you got?" Tang Bing asked.

"Hold on," Yang Fei said, turning to go back inside. He soon returned, wheeling out a small cart. Originally meant for medical equipment, it had been repurposed to carry goods. It was loaded with two boxes of instant noodles and three jugs of purified water. "I've eaten some, but there's plenty left."

Tang Bing raised an eyebrow. Yang Fei had claimed he'd been trapped in the room since the zombies appeared, yet he had a significant stash of food and water. Tang Bing was skeptical about such a convenient find.

Keeping his thoughts to himself, he turned to Sun Meng, "Our supplies are back in the dining room, and she's holding onto what we've found so far."

"There's got to be a lot of food in the dining room, right?" Yang Fei asked, smiling.

"Not really," Tang Bing replied, shaking his head.

Sun Meng remained silent throughout the exchange, staying behind Tang Bing.

"Regardless, we should consolidate our supplies," Yang Fei suggested. "I remember there's an office at the end of the corridor where my colleagues used to stash loads of snacks. How about this: Mengmeng and I will take these supplies back to the dining room, and you can check out that office. We'll divide and conquer. Sound good?"

Tang Bing looked at Sun Meng, who was shaking her head at him. Unsure of her intentions but feeling uneasy about Yang Fei, he decided to see what the man was up to. Ignoring Sun Meng's silent protest, he agreed, "Alright! You two handle these supplies, and I'll head to that room."

With that, he nudged Sun Meng towards Yang Fei and turned, fire axe in hand, walking away but not before catching their reflection in the glass. He was on guard.

As Tang Bing turned his back, Yang Fei suddenly raised his crowbar, aiming a vicious blow at the back of Tang Bing's head without any warning.

"Ahh!" Sun Meng screamed in terror, "Stop!"

Tang Bing, having already spotted the movement in the glass's reflection, dodged swiftly thanks to his enhanced agility. He sidestepped just as the crowbar swung down, causing Yang Fei to miss and stumble forward from the force of his own momentum.

Shock painted Yang Fei's face. He was so close, a mere stick's reach from his target, yet Tang Bing sidestepped with an astonishing burst of speed, leaving Yang Fei to whirl around and stare in disbelief.

Their eyes locked, and without a moment's hesitation, Tang Bing hoisted the fire axe in his grip.

"Don't…" Fear flickered in Yang Fei's eyes as he scrambled to regain his footing.

But Tang Bing was relentless, bringing the axe down hard on his neck from behind.

"Ahh!" Sun Meng, still reeling from the shock, witnessed the gruesome scene and let out a piercing scream, collapsing to the ground, shaking uncontrollably.

"Shut up!" Tang Bing kicked the lifeless Yang Fei and fixed a fierce glare on Sun Meng.

Trembling, Sun Meng looked up to see the fire axe in Tang Bing's hand still dripping with blood. "You… You killed him?" her voice quivered with fear.

"If I hadn't killed him, he would've killed me!" Tang Bing's cold gaze bore into her. "What, you're out for revenge? What was he to you?"

"I… I had nothing to do with him!" Sun Meng insisted, shaking her head vigorously.

"Do you take me for a fool?" Tang Bing's tone was icy. "You knew each other's names on sight. He even called you 'Mengmeng' so affectionately. Were you two an item?"

"No! He was not my boyfriend!" Sun Meng denied vehemently.

"Then what was the deal between you?" Tang Bing eyed her suspiciously.

If Sun Meng were truly Yang Fei's girlfriend, he certainly wouldn't have her tagging along, much less during a breakout. Even after a lovers' quarrel, feelings linger. Having killed Yang Fei, even in self-defense, how could she not resent him? How could she not seek vengeance?

Keeping a ticking time bomb by his side was a death wish.

Before Sun Meng could process Yang Fei's sudden assault on Tang Bing and his subsequent death, she found herself under Tang Bing's scrutinizing gaze. Panic set in. "I really have nothing to do with him! Since I started my internship here, he's been chasing after me. I've rejected him to his face many times, but he wouldn't stop bothering me. I truly have no ties to him. You have to believe me! I swear! And I have no idea why he attacked you…"

"He wasn't trying to hit me; he was trying to kill me!" Tang Bing retorted coldly.

"I don't get it!" Tears streamed down Sun Meng's face. "We're all in the same boat, facing those terrifying zombies. We should be united! Why did he suddenly turn on you? He didn't even know you. Why did you have to kill him? Couldn't you have just subdued him?"

"We all want to live!" Tang Bing had been watching Sun Meng closely, yet her expression revealed nothing out of the ordinary. He struggled to discern whether she was sincere or just a remarkable actress.

"What are you saying? If everyone wants to live, why resort to killing each other?" Sun Meng sobbed, covering her face. "Murder is a crime! You're a murderer now…"

"Are you naive?" Tang Bing frowned at her. "In this apocalypse, laws no longer bind us! To survive, we can't afford to be kind or merciful. Otherwise, I'd be the one dead. It's the will to live that drives us to such extremes!"

"I just don't understand!" Sun Meng cried out. "Why can't we all just live peacefully?"

"I can't keep someone by my side who harbors the intent to kill me!" Tang Bing explained. "He wanted me dead, so I had to eliminate the threat. I want to live, and so did he. Perhaps he had other motives."

"What do you mean? Neither of us wanted to kill him, so why would he try to kill you just to survive?" Sun Meng's confusion was palpable as she continued to weep.

"He probably didn't trust that we could make it through together," Tang Bing reasoned. "He agreed to cooperate but was ready to kill me to secure his own supplies and take ours. Enough food and water to last longer. Maybe he was even holding out hope for a military rescue. If he could just hold out until then, he'd survive."

"How can this be…" Sun Meng's disbelief was evident as she wept, hugging her head.

"And if you're telling the truth," Tang Bing pressed on, "then by killing me, he'd not only secure the resources but also have you at his mercy. You said he's been after you, and you've rejected him. But he persisted, didn't he? Consider this: if I were dead, it'd just be you and him. In this horrific world, to survive, might you not feel forced to comply with him? Even if you continued to refuse, what good would it do? Could you really fend him off? I've said it before: we're beyond the reach of the law now. If he decided to take what he wanted by force, could you stop him?"

"Why... Why has it come to this?" Sun Meng gazed at Tang Bing, her eyes filled with disbelief. "Why have people changed so much?"

"The apocalypse brings out a different side of everyone when they're staring down the possibility of death," Tang Bing replied, his voice detached. "Take me, for instance. Before the world went to hell, I was just a small fry, a puppet at the mercy of others' whims. But now, the chains that bound me have been shattered! To stay alive, I'll do whatever it takes. If someone tries to kill me, I'll take them down first. If someone means to do me harm, I won't hesitate to eliminate the threat. Because, above all, I am determined to survive!"