"Mr. Lin, once we open this door, there's a passageway ahead. To the left is the home appliances section, and about ten meters to the right is the warehouse area. From what I remember, there aren’t any rge fire shutters there—just small double iron doors like this one."

  The pitch-bck surroundings had Li Li clinging tightly to Lin Tao’s back. As he shone his fshlight on the smoke-gray fire door, she swallowed hard and instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist.

  "Rex, don’t be so nervous. Move behind Bai Ru. I’m going to open the door," Lin Tao said, patting her hands. He understood her fear wasn’t an act of seduction like the night before but genuine anxiety. Li Li nodded awkwardly, realizing how intimate her gesture had been.

  Blushing, she retreated about two meters behind Bai Ru. But before she could steady herself, a rough hand groped her ample left breast. Startled, Li Li nearly cried out, but the cold barrel of a gun pressed harshly against her chin, silencing her.

  "Heh, don’t scream, little beauty. I’m not going to hurt you. Just a little touch won’t kill you…" Boss Hu’s stubbly face pressed close to hers as he whispered in her ear. Seeing her trembling but not daring to resist, he smirked darkly.

  The corridor was utterly dark, save for the faint glow of Lin Tao’s fshlight. Yet Boss Hu’s hand had found its way into Li Li’s T-shirt with unnerving precision. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and he easily seized her soft flesh, kneading and squeezing with abandon. He pressed his body against hers, rhythmically grinding against her backside through their clothes.

  "Li Li, if you’re too scared, you can go back upstairs," Bai Ru said, gncing over her shoulder while holding her gun steady to help Lin Tao open the door. The darkness made it impossible to see Li Li clearly, but her increasingly ragged breathing was audible.

  "Don’t worry, I’ve got her covered. Li Li, rex a bit. You’ll need to guide us ter," Boss Hu said calmly, his voice betraying nothing.

  As Bai Ru turned her attention back to the door, Boss Hu withdrew his hand from Li Li’s jeans, wiping his fingers on her trembling lips. "You’re so sensitive, little beauty. So wet already. And you’re not very smart, are you? Why chase after Lin Tao when you can’t compete with the others? Stick with me, and I’ll treat you well."

  "Let go of me, you bastard!" Li Li hissed, elbowing Boss Hu in the stomach the moment he lowered the gun. She hurried to Bai Ru’s side, gring back at him with fury. Boss Hu merely licked his fingers, grinning wickedly.

  "Lower your gun. Are you trying to blow my head off?" Lin Tao said, turning to see Bai Ru nervously aiming her shotgun at his head as he bent to open the door.

  "Sorry!" Bai Ru quickly lowered the barrel, her face filled with apology.

  Lin Tao shook his head. For a moment, Bai Ru’s poised stance had reminded him of Su Yue. But now it was clear that Bai Ru’s combat skills were far from Su Yue’s level—she was merely mimicking the surface.

  Lin Tao pushed the door open slightly wider. Thankfully, the expected stench of decay didn’t hit them—just a faint fishy odor. He adjusted his fshlight to its long-range setting, cradling it under his gun hand as he peered into the darkness.

  "Anything there?" Boss Hu asked, no longer daring to misbehave. His free hand wiped sweat on his pants, his nervous demeanor a stark contrast to his earlier bravado.

  Lin Tao ignored him, listening intently before shaking his head. "Nothing so far. Boss Hu, stay at the back and protect Li Li. Bai Ru, cover me."

  Bai Ru nodded seriously, this time remembering to keep her gun pointed upward. She leaned against the half-open door, using her leg to push it fully open.

  "Knife."

  Lin Tao bent down, scanning the dark, thirty-meter-long corridor with his fshlight. Boxes of drinks and cartons were scattered along the walls. He holstered his gun and reached back without looking. Bai Ru, understanding his intent, handed him a long meat cleaver from her back.

  Lin Tao frowned as he weighed the cleaver. It was sharp but too light for his liking. Still, beggars couldn’t be choosers. Firing a gun in the enclosed space would echo loudly, attracting every zombie in the vicinity.

  "Li Li, where’s the food storage?" Lin Tao asked, switching his fshlight to a dimmer mode and turning toward the dark fire exit.

  "Uh… it’s…" Li Li stammered, rushing in from the doorway with Boss Hu close behind. She stopped beside Bai Ru, panting heavily, before pointing to the right. "Go to the end and turn left. There’s a rge food warehouse there."

  "Li Li, what’s wrong? Why are you breathing so hard?" Bai Ru asked, sensing her unease.

  "Yeah, Li Li, no need to be this scared," Boss Hu chimed in, his eyes gleaming in the dim light.

  "I… I’m just nervous," Li Li muttered, clutching the hem of her T-shirt and shaking her head.

  "Alright, Li Li, you and Boss Hu stay here. Bai Ru and I will check things out. If it’s safe, we’ll call you over," Lin Tao said, shining his fshlight on Li Li’s flushed face. He dismissed it as a reaction to stress, like the adrenaline rush from a rollercoaster.

  "No!" Li Li looked up in panic. "I’ll go with you. I’ll be too scared staying here."

  "Fine. You and Boss Hu bring up the rear. Stay close but not too close. If something’s wrong, shout," Lin Tao agreed, nodding to Bai Ru before leading the way down the corridor.

  The long hallway was eerily dark and silent. The only sounds were their cautious footsteps and rapid breathing. To Li Li, the thirty-meter corridor felt endless, as if it stretched for miles.

  Thankfully, Boss Hu didn’t harass her again. She instinctively rubbed her thighs, feeling the dampness between them. Biting her lip in shame, she vowed to sp him hard if he dared touch her again.

  Thud.

  Lost in thought, Li Li accidentally kicked a wooden box, the sound echoing loudly. Boss Hu, startled, immediately raised his gun and shouted, "Where? Where? Show yourself, damn it!"

  "Boss Hu, it was just Li Li kicking a box," Lin Tao said, shining his fshlight on the panicked man. He couldn’t understand how a grown man could be so jumpy, especially when the women remained calm.

  "Damn it, can’t you watch where you’re going?" Boss Hu snapped, gring at Li Li. Though she was also shaken, she couldn’t help but smirk at his overreaction.

  "Enough. Be careful. This isn’t the pce for arguments," Lin Tao said sternly, pausing to listen for any movement before signaling the group to move forward.