C92 The Crying Sound Was Actually the Sound of a Zombie Infant, and the Books in the Library.(2)

Time had slipped by almost unnoticed, nearly two hours passing as the sky outside grew increasingly overcast, darkness creeping in.

Though night was still hours away, the dense clouds promised rain, and the darkness was falling fast. For his own safety, he needed to make a swift exit and navigate back through three streets.

Without a moment's delay, he dashed upstairs, gripping the balcony's guardrail before descending slowly to the ground, using a trash can to ease his landing.

Tang Bing pivoted sharply, sprinting toward the factory. As he ran, he passed Food Street and his eyes fell upon a chestnut vendor. The pot at the storefront brimmed with large, enticing chestnuts.

Despite having sat there for days, likely cold, the memory of their flavor drew Tang Bing closer. He scanned the area for zombies before approaching the cart.

Zombies had been around for days; had the chestnuts gone bad? He grabbed one and took a bite, only to find the taste had indeed turned. Disappointed, his attention quickly shifted to the uncooked chestnuts inside the shop—several baskets full.

Raw chestnuts wouldn't spoil as easily. He could take them home and roast them himself.

As he entered the shop, a zombie in a white chef's outfit lunged from beneath the counter—likely the former owner. But before it could reach him, Tang Bing swung his mace, bringing it down with a thud.

With the nuisance zombie dispatched, he cracked open a fresh chestnut and savored the taste. Elated, Tang Bing stashed the chestnuts in his virtual backpack, keeping a few in hand to munch on as he continued his journey.

His casual demeanor might have fooled someone into thinking he was just out for a stroll!

He hadn't gone far when another aroma caught his attention, and he stopped at a rice candy shop. It seemed he was indeed on a leisurely shopping trip, despite being on a street where zombies could emerge at any moment. His confidence likely stemmed from his keen senses, high agility, and the fact that he'd lured most of the zombies away with his bombs, significantly reducing the threat and allowing him to enjoy his carefree exploration.

Additionally, his proximity to the factory had eased his nerves.

He had nearly cleared out the rice candy store before finally rushing out as dusk approached, sprinting away at breakneck speed.

He hadn't quite reached the factory entrance when, just as he'd anticipated, the rain began to pour. Bean-sized droplets pelted his face, urging him to pick up the pace even more.

Luckily, by the time he got to his front door, the rain hadn't intensified. With no one noticing his return, he took out a large bag of chestnuts and rice candy at the doorstep. After unlocking the door, he hauled the food into the first-floor hall.

"Hey! Where is everyone?" he called out, looking up the staircase after setting down the food.

"Bing?" Sun Meng's head peeked out from the second floor. Unlike before, she didn't shy away from Tang Bing, but instead hurried downstairs, her face lighting up with joy, "You're back?"

Noticing Sun Meng's improved spirits and direct gaze, Tang Bing eyed her curiously, puzzled by her change in demeanor. Clearly, she had gotten some rest while he was out, or she wouldn't be this lively.

"What's wrong?" Sun Meng, feeling Tang Bing's persistent stare, touched her face, wondering if there was something on it. Realizing her mistake, she quickly averted her eyes, unable to hold his gaze.

Her sudden shift from normalcy to avoidance left Tang Bing in a muddle. Women are truly enigmatic, he thought. Deciding not to dwell on it, he casually mentioned, "I brought back some raw chestnuts and rice candy. They're perfect for a late-night snack if you get hungry!"

"Oh!" Sun Meng, still avoiding eye contact, fixed her gaze on his chest and asked timidly, "Bing, did you manage to save the child?"

"The child?"

"The one Zhao mentioned. You heard a baby crying..."

Mid-conversation, Qin Mengli, Lin Leyan, and Liang Hui all emerged, drawn by the subject at hand.

"Exactly! Did you rescue the child?" Qin Mengli approached, positioning herself between Tang Bing and Sun Meng, and looked at Tang Bing with an inquisitive tilt of her head.

Lin Leyan and Liang Hui both wore looks of anticipation as they peered outside eagerly.

"There's no use looking anymore! There isn't any child out there," Tang Bing declared, shaking his head.

"What? But Brother Zhao said that both of you heard a child crying?" Sun Meng looked up, startled. Her eyes met Tang Bing's for a brief moment before she quickly averted her gaze.

Tang Bing's brow furrowed slightly. Choosing not to look at Sun Meng, he glanced around, puzzled, and inquired, "Where's Dagang?"

"Oh, him?" Liang Hui whispered from behind her mother, "He just finished helping us move a bunch of stuff to the car, then he was so exhausted he went back to his room to sleep."

"Ah, I see!" Tang Bing mused to himself that Dagang was clearly worn out from emptying the supermarket, yet he still came back to help the ladies. It was clear he was trying to win over Liang Hui! It looked like his feelings for her were genuine, not just talk.

"Bing, you're saying it wasn't a child? Could you have been hearing things?" Sun Meng couldn't contain her curiosity, though she still avoided making eye contact with Tang Bing.

The other women shared her curious expression. Tang Bing scanned the room and pulled out the new smartphone he'd just acquired. "It wasn't a hallucination. The crying came from a little monster!"

He then played the video of the zombie infant, allowing the four women nearby to see it clearly.

As the infant zombie's cries echoed from the screen, revealing its ghastly, fearsome face, the women blanched with fear and quickly scattered away from Tang Bing.

"Why is it such a horrific creature?" Qin Mengli's voice shook, "It's terrifying!"

"I'm scared out of my wits!" Sun Meng fretted, "Bing, are you sure you're not hurt? Is that monster still around? Did you manage to take care of it?"

"Don't worry about it," Tang Bing replied calmly, "I didn't kill it, nor did it harm me. We should just ignore it as if it doesn't exist. Teacher Lin, Ms. Meng, could you please hurry and roast these chestnuts in the cafeteria? You know how to do that, right?"

"I don't know how!" Sun Meng quickly shook her head, casually biting into a chestnut. "Aren't they just fine raw?"

Tang Bing shot her a look before turning to Lin Leyan.

Thankfully, Teacher Lin didn't disappoint: "No problem! I can do it, though it might not be as tasty as the ones you get at the store."

"That's fine by me!" Tang Bing breathed a sigh of relief. "I've been craving fried chestnuts, that's all."

"I'll take care of it!" Lin Leyan nodded and beckoned her daughter, "Huihui, help me take these chestnuts to the cafeteria."

"Okay!" Liang Hui, hearing her mother's call, dashed over to assist.

"Thanks for this, Teacher Lin!"

"Don't mention it! It's a good chance to get dinner started too!" Lin Leyan replied with a smile.

"Did you catch that?" Tang Bing said, turning to Sun Meng, "We're off to make dinner!"

"Oh!" Sun Meng stole a quick glance at Tang Bing and hurried after Teacher Lin, disappearing through the door.

Once they were gone, Tang Bing found himself alone with Qin Mengli. An awkward silence fell between them, leaving him uncertain whether to stay or go.

Qin Mengli, too, remained silent, standing opposite Tang Bing.

After a moment of quiet, it was Qin Mengli who finally spoke, breaking the stillness, "You and Mengmeng seem to have gotten quite close lately?"

"Sun Meng?" Tang Bing's thoughts immediately went to her evasive gaze, as if hiding something. He figured she felt guilty because he had something on her. You overheard her last night, didn't you? Why bring this up now? With that in mind, he shook his head and dismissed the idea, "Her? No way."

The silence returned, heavier this time, as neither found more to say. The discomfort was mutual.

"I'm beat. I need to head back to my room for some rest," Tang Bing finally said, feeling a pang of heartache at the sight of Qin Mengli and eager to avoid further discomfort. "Just give me a shout when dinner's ready!"