Chapter 41: The Price of Survival

“An inside scoop? I’m merely a student. What secrets could I possibly be privy to?”

Hearing Damao’s probing question, Qiao Xia couldn’t help but arch an eyebrow. He then shook his head, feigning complete ignorance.

Even if he possessed such knowledge, he knew better than to speak.

Revealing the impending destruction of U City a week from now served no purpose. It would only sow widespread panic.

Only when the immediate danger subsided would Qiao Xia consider sharing the information, allowing everyone to collectively seek a chance at survival.

Alas, U City was destined to become increasingly perilous, and escape would prove an insurmountable challenge.

Thus, the answer remained resolute: don’t ask, for the reply would simply be ‘I don’t know.’

Yet, Damao didn’t believe a single word of Qiao Xia’s denial.

A person capable of such foresight, of preemptively preparing for impending danger, hardly resembled an ordinary student.

Moreover, Qiao Xia seemed to have conveniently forgotten the lingering bruise from his punch on Li Lin Guan, a mark that hadn’t faded even after a full day and night.

Given such irrefutable evidence, if Qiao Xia truly was just an ordinary student, then what did that make the rest of them?

Mere trash?

Still, since Qiao Xia was unwilling to speak, Damao didn’t dare to press the issue further. He could only continue his covert observations.

Ever since realizing Qiao Xia was far from ordinary, Damao had developed a keen interest in observing his every action, finding it remarkably intriguing.

This was far more engaging than his own boss, who merely styled his bangs, feigned melancholic gazes, and occasionally spouted incomprehensible internet slang. Qiao Xia’s actions, at least, remained within the realm of normal human behavior and were easily understood.

When Qiao Xia saw that Damao didn’t tactlessly press for more answers, he immediately understood the pleasure of conversing with an intelligent individual.

The two then pretended the conversation had never occurred, resuming their rest in silence. Once boredom set in, they moved to the edge of the rooftop, gazing down at the real-life inferno below. The pervasive crimson hues relentlessly challenged their capacity for endurance.

Unlike the ordinary students who gagged and vomited at the gruesome sights, Qiao Xia remained utterly unfazed. Having already endured death countless times, his complexion remained as rosy as ever.

Amidst a throng of pale-faced students, his composure made him an anomaly. Several observant students couldn’t help but cast repeated glances his way, bewildered by Qiao Xia’s extraordinary tranquility.

Even Li Lin Guan, the notorious school bully, now sported a pallid complexion, his brow furrowed and his eyes brimming with apprehension for the future.

In stark contrast, Qiao Xia’s leisurely stroll was reminiscent of a school administrator patrolling an examination hall.

“Qiao Xia, what do you think our next move should be?”

Perhaps convinced that Qiao Xia held the key to a solution, Li Lin Guan ceased his solitary brooding. He rose and joined Qiao Xia on his stroll, and only after they had put some distance between themselves and the others did he finally voice his question.

For reasons he couldn’t articulate, Li Lin Guan felt an unwavering sense of resolve settle within him the moment he saw Qiao Xia.

He believed that with Qiao Xia present, any peril or hardship could be swiftly overcome.

After all, Qiao Xia was the man who had twice saved his life!

If Li Lin Guan were a woman, he would be weeping with gratitude, ready to pledge himself to Qiao Xia.

“What else can we do? We wait for an opening, then we leave this school.”

Qiao Xia gazed at the infernal spectacle below, his heart now utterly tranquil. He consciously ignored the gruesome, violent scenes, instead subtly surveying the surrounding school grounds.

How could Qiao Xia not feel a profound revulsion witnessing limbs torn asunder and intestines spilled?

Yet, humanity possessed an extraordinary capacity for adaptation, especially Qiao Xia, who understood the dire urgency of the moment and had no time for sentimental weakness.

To cling to life, one had to adapt, and swiftly.

Those incapable of adaptation would inevitably meet their end.

His careful observation of the terrain stemmed from his familiarity only with paths he had personally traversed. He knew little of the areas surrounding the school. Should they depart, confronting unfamiliar territory would place them at a severe disadvantage.

A single misstep could lead them into a dead end, where being cornered by the red-eyed patients would be a direct ticket to the afterlife.

“Leave the school?”

“What, do you intend to remain on this rooftop indefinitely?”

Hearing Li Lin Guan’s astonished words, Qiao Xia didn’t bother to turn his head. He continued his slow, deliberate circuit of the rooftop, occasionally meeting the gaze of the red-eyed patients below. He noticed their appearances had grown even more bizarre.

Initially, aside from their sluggish, rigid movements, only their crimson eyes distinguished them from ordinary humans.

Now, however, a distinct bulge protruded from the foreheads of some red-eyed patients, as if something were concealed beneath the skin.

Furthermore, upon closer inspection, he noted that only a minority of the red-eyed patients exhibited these forehead bulges.

The vast majority of them still retained their initial, unaltered forms.

This piqued Qiao Xia’s curiosity, leaving him to wonder what new mutation had transpired.

“We can simply remain here and await rescue. Even with this red-eye pandemic, the police and military aren’t just idly standing by; they’ll undoubtedly come for us.”

As Qiao Xia’s curiosity was piqued by the red-eyed patients below, Li Lin Guan interjected with a somewhat naive remark.

Qiao Xia’s attention immediately snapped back at the sound of his words. Observing Li Lin Guan’s hopeful expression, he couldn’t help but shake his head.

“Brother, can’t you see the gravity of our situation? Waiting for rescue? We’ll likely be dead before any help even arrives! We absolutely must find the right moment to escape this school. It would be even better if we could leave U City altogether; perhaps other cities aren’t as severely afflicted.”

After a moment of contemplation, Qiao Xia ultimately decided to offer Li Lin Guan a warning. Whether he heeded it or not was beyond Qiao Xia’s concern.

It was akin to a well-meaning passerby insisting on helping an old woman cross the street, only to discover she had no intention of doing so.

The old woman, it turned out, never wanted to cross the road in the first place.

Upon hearing Qiao Xia’s blunt assessment, Li Lin Guan’s lingering hope of awaiting rescue shattered abruptly, like glass fracturing into countless shards.

He realized he couldn’t simply sit idly by and await death; instead, he needed to plan ahead, much like Qiao Xia.

Yet, his home was in U City.

Even if he were to leave, he had to take his family along!

However, Li Lin Guan understood that he couldn’t possibly ask Qiao Xia to accompany him on such a venture. It was a life-threatening endeavor, and he alone would suffice.

Naturally, even if Li Lin Guan were to ask Qiao Xia to help rescue his family, Qiao Xia would likely refuse him outright.

There was no significant bond between them; only yesterday, they had been adversaries.

Any request for aid had to remain within reasonable bounds; anything beyond that was simply not feasible.

The conversation between Qiao Xia and Li Lin Guan ceased then, each lost in their own thoughts as time swiftly slipped away. As dusk settled, hot gusts of wind swept over them, carrying a cloying, bloody stench that induced an overwhelming urge to vomit.

Qiao Xia had already settled against a wall, and as hunger gnawed at his stomach, a sudden, unsettling premonition struck him.

His prior concerns had revolved around attacks from the red-eyed patients. Now, while the rooftop offered a measure of safety, it provided no means of acquiring food or water.

A brief wait might be manageable, but if their predicament stretched on, Qiao Xia dreaded to imagine the consequences.