C18 She Endured the Hunger and Was Trapped in the Floor. She Wanted to Help Sun Meng, but She Was Af

Qin Mengli had been struggling to sleep for the past few days. Hunger gnawed at her; she could only manage to eat a tiny bit each day. Worse still, the building was surrounded by flesh-eating zombies, their terrifying screams audible from dawn until dusk, keeping everyone on edge.

She couldn't fathom how things had deteriorated so quickly. Just moments before, everyone was diligently at work, but then, suddenly, zombies were rampaging through the streets, devouring people in broad daylight.

Her colleagues had acted quickly, sealing the ground floor doors and windows and barricading the entrance with furniture. Yet, the relentless pounding and onslaught from the zombies outside kept them in a state of constant fear. From the upper-floor windows, they could see survivors attempting to flee, only to be chased down, encircled, and consumed by the horde.

It wasn't just Mengli; the mental state of everyone in the company was deteriorating.

On the first day, they had all shared their food and water, believing the police would soon arrive to rescue them and handle the monstrous situation. They hadn't spared a thought for rationing, feasting as if it were any other day.

But by the second day, with no sign of the police, their food had dwindled to scraps by breakfast, and their water supply was exhausted. Driven by hunger, some resorted to drinking tap water from the restroom.

Seeing a few take the lead, the majority followed suit, hoping to stave off hunger. That's when the tragedy struck. Aside from the forty or so with stronger wills or concerns about the water's safety, the rest who drank the tap water began showing horrifying symptoms.

They started with coughs and pale complexions, becoming absent-minded and sluggish. Within two hours, their muscles stiffened, they coughed violently, spat blood, and their eyes turned a ghastly white. Some even turned aggressive, attacking their uninfected colleagues.

Panic ensued once more. The healthy survivors scrambled to the third floor, desperately using anything they could find to block the stairwell and seal off the elevator.

By the third day, only thirty-seven remained, including twenty-six women. Huddled on the third floor, they subsisted on the last of their snacks, each person rationing the smallest of portions.

Among the survivors was Zhang Tao, the son of the Bluestar Group CEO and general manager of the Bluestar Branch. As a high-ranking executive and the CEO's son, he naturally assumed the role of leader, with his aides Zhao Dali and Jiaang Hefei at his side.

The thirty-seven survivors sat in the conference room, drained of energy. Most were slumped over, heads down or resting on tables, lost in thought.

The female employees, in particular, had red-rimmed eyes, a clear sign of the immense stress they'd been under. The thought of their colleagues, once friends, now turned into ravenous monsters below, desperate to devour them, pushed them to the brink of collapse.

Amidst the heavy atmosphere, Zhang Tao approached Mengli with a sigh, placing his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to offer comfort.

Mengli's right hand came up, pushing his hand away, her mood sour. "Don't touch me!"

"You agreed to be my girlfriend, and now I can't even hug or kiss you?" Zhang Tao's mood was equally dark as he spoke sternly. "What's the meaning of this? I'm just trying to comfort you. Why are you lashing out?"

"I'm sorry," Mengli glanced at him, her voice tinged with distress. "I'm just so overwhelmed right now. I need to be alone for a bit."

"Most people seek comfort in their partner's arms in times like these," Zhang Tao remarked, his displeasure evident. "But you push me away?"

"Do you really think this is the time for that?" Mengli sighed. "We're out of food, everyone's hungry, and we're nearly out of water—and we can't drink from the tap. Inside and outside the company, monsters are scheming to make us their next meal. We need you to figure out how to keep everyone alive, to prevent us from starving, dying of thirst, or becoming monster fodder. Shouldn't you be focusing on getting us out of here?"

"What do you expect me to do?" Zhang Tao's voice rose in frustration. "We've scoured every floor for food and water to no avail. The only hope is to brave the supermarket nearby, but with hundreds of those creatures on the first floor, we'd be devoured the moment we step out. And even if we did make it out, have you not seen the thousands of monsters surrounding the building and filling the streets? Are you asking me to sacrifice myself?"

"Shh—keep it down!" Jiaang Hefei rushed over, his voice a hushed whisper to Zhang Tao, "Young Master Zhang, quiet! You'll rile up the monsters again!"

After Zhang Tao's outburst, the piercing roars of the monsters below and the frantic scratching at the furniture barricading the stairwell echoed up to him. It was then he remembered that any loud noise could drive them into a frenzy. He lowered his voice and said, "Mengli, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to snap at you, but we're in a tough spot! Don't worry, though. Yesterday, military personnel were asking about us on the forum and promised they'd come to rescue us today! Everyone needs to hold on just a little longer. We're going to be safe soon!"

"Is that true?" The previously disheartened employees perked up with hope in their eyes. "Director Zhang, is the army really coming for us?"

Qin Mengli also looked at Zhang Tao, her eyes filled with questions.

"Look!" Zhang Tao pulled out his phone and showed them the forum posts. "I didn't mention it earlier because I was afraid you wouldn't believe me without proof. But trust me, our military will come to rescue us as quickly as they can! So let's keep up our spirits and not lose hope!"

"That's fantastic!"

"Really! The army is coming to save us!"

"I knew our country wouldn't forget us in our time of need!"

"We're not going to be monster food!"

"Yes! Safety is just around the corner..."

All the survivors, including Qin Mengli, were visibly uplifted.

They had been living in the shadow of despair, battling hunger and sleeplessness, constantly fearing the creatures below. The news of an impending military rescue was like a lifeline. Hope was reignited, giving them the strength to endure.

"But I'm so hungry..." Qin Mengli's brief moment of joy was interrupted by her growling stomach.

"What else can we do? We have to endure," Zhang Tao replied.

Qin Mengli knew that, but she had never experienced such hunger. It was unbearable. Her empty stomach growled incessantly, and she felt too weak to even stand.

She managed to get up and stagger to the window, looking down before turning to Zhang Tao. "Tao?"

"Yes?" He was immediately by her side. "What's wrong?"

"There has to be food in that apartment building!" Qin Mengli pointed to a structure on the left. "Our building is so close to it. Can't we rig something up from the corridor window to get across?"

"You're not serious, are you? It's a long drop. A fall could be fatal!" Zhang Tao's eyes were wide with disbelief. "And even if you survive the fall, the monsters would get you!"

"We can be careful," Qin Mengli insisted. "Tao, I'm starving. Take some of the guys and find us some food. Everyone's hungry."

At her words, all eyes turned to Zhang Tao, hope and desperation mingling in their gazes.

"No way," Zhang Tao said, his face ashen as he shook his head. "It's too risky. I can't risk lives for this. Please, just hold on a little longer. The army will be here soon, and then we'll be taken to safety where we can eat our fill."

The survivors' faces fell.

Qin Mengli looked at Zhang Tao, who couldn't meet her gaze. She glanced at Zhao Dali and Jiaang Hefei, both looking equally guilty. She felt a deep sadness and her thoughts turned to Tang Bing.

She didn't particularly like Tang Bing, but she couldn't forget all he had done over the past four years. If Tang Bing were here, he would have risked the jump, no matter the distance, to find food for her.

She remembered how he always seemed to know when she was hungry or thirsty, always there with food or a drink...

Maybe Tang Bing was one of those monsters now? With a heavy heart, Qin Mengli turned and walked out of the conference room.

"Mengli, where are you going?" Zhang Tao called after her, following quickly.

"Leave me alone!" she snapped, her hunger making her irritable.

"Mengli, what's wrong?" Zhang Tao caught up to her.

"I told you to leave me alone!" She stormed out of the conference room and made her way to the window, peering out.

"Have you lost your mind?" Zhang Tao grabbed her hand in alarm.

"I'm starving!" Qin Mengli pulled away and faced him. "I can't stand it anymore. If I don't eat, I'll die!"

"It's not that bad," Zhang Tao tried to calm her. "Just hold on, the military is coming soon! Just a little longer, it'll be okay!"

"Zhang Tao," Qin Mengli's eyes brimmed with tears, "I've never suffered like this before. I've never been this hungry. If you men are too afraid to find food, then I'll go myself!"

"Mengli, please, just wait a bit longer. It's too wide to cross here, and the fall could kill you!" Zhang Tao called Zhao Dali and Jiaang Hefei over, and together they managed to coax Qin Mengli back into the conference room.

Upon returning to the conference room, Zhang Tao, keen to keep Qin Mengli from entertaining any more impractical ideas, summoned the female staff to rally around her and offer comfort. This was, of course, a strategic move to prevent her from becoming so famished that she might act rashly in her desperation.