Chapter 37: The Side Door’s Betrayal

Due to Duan Yulan’s call a while ago, her contact information instantly appeared in Qiao Xia’s phone records.

Though Qiao Xia hadn’t saved the number, he found himself recalling Duan Yulan’s digits with unsettling clarity. He rationalized this by telling himself it was simply because they had spoken just yesterday; remembering it now was only natural.

He had not expected to hear from her again, yet her name was now emblazoned on his screen once more.

What could she possibly want, calling at such a time?

U City was now overrun with Red-Eyed Patients, a terrifying spectacle akin to a real-life survival horror game. In such dire circumstances, matters of the heart and affection were utterly irrelevant.

His own life was paramount.

Besides, Qiao Xia didn’t consider himself and Duan Yulan to be in any kind of romantic relationship; they weren’t even close acquaintances. He saw her actions as nothing more than pure harassment.

“Qiao Xia, something unexpected has happened on my end, but it’s nothing major! The bloodlust disease is spreading much faster now. You absolutely must wait for me on the school rooftop! I’ll come find you as soon as I resolve things here. You made it through safely before, and I’m certain you’ll be unharmed this time as well.”

Duan Yulan’s call came as abruptly as it ended.

The moment her urgent words finished, the phone emitted a sharp dial tone, signifying the call had been cut. Qiao Xia was utterly bewildered, struggling to comprehend Duan Yulan’s true intentions.

It was all so bizarre.

Was she merely calling to instruct him to head to the rooftop?

If so, Qiao Xia concluded that Duan Yulan’s words had been utterly pointless.

Having already used his golden finger’s foresight to detect the impending danger, Qiao Xia had effectively nipped it in the bud. Regardless of how ferocious the Red-Eyed Patients outside became, they would be unable to breach the teaching building through the reinforced glass doors.

Therefore, the rooftop was entirely superfluous.

Furthermore, even if the Red-Eyed Patients somehow breached the defenses and entered the building, would ascending to the rooftop truly guarantee his rescue?

Duan Yulan wasn’t a superhero; how could she possibly save him?

Chances were, he’d be the one needing to rescue her.

Musing on these thoughts, Qiao Xia glanced at the number still glowing on his screen, then let out a haughty snort before promptly returning his phone to his pocket.

[Danger detected, Future Vision activated.]

[100 yuan automatically deducted. Future scene constructing… Construction successful, now activated.]

Yet, at that precise moment, the peculiar voice echoed once more.

Qiao Xia froze, perplexed. As darkness swiftly enveloped him, he found himself utterly unable to fathom what new danger could possibly emerge at such a juncture.

Had something unexpected occurred at the glass main entrance?

Just as Qiao Xia pondered this, light flooded his vision once more, prompting him to frantically scan his surroundings.

He was still within the teacher’s office, but the sight before him was sickening. Red-Eyed students burst through the doorway, viciously tearing at the teachers inside.

Blood, shredded flesh, and mangled limbs were strewn across the floor, painting a gruesome, nauseating tableau.

After Qiao Xia shoved aside a Red-Eyed Patient that lunged at him, he didn’t linger. He struggled to avoid being scratched by the frenzied creatures as he swiftly exited the teacher’s office.

Yet, the moment he stepped into the corridor, Qiao Xia was met with a horrific scene: blood, mangled flesh, severed limbs, and agonizing screams littered the floor.

His scalp prickled with dread as he fled towards the stairs, daring not to pause for even a second.

Along the way, desperate pleas for help reached Qiao Xia, some so faint they were mere shattered moans, barely audible from those too far gone to speak.

Qiao Xia steeled his heart, refusing to look at them, and instead accelerated his pace towards the staircase.

Then, as he spotted Red-Eyed Patients swarming up from the floors below, he instinctively clenched his fists.

Unexpectedly, their defenses had ultimately failed.

The Red-Eyed Patients had breached the perimeter.

[Simulation ended, returning to reality.]

As Qiao Xia was finally overwhelmed and bitten to death by the surging tide of Red-Eyed Patients, the premonition abruptly ceased, pulling him back into the present reality.

The moment control returned to his body, Qiao Xia ignored the phantom pain of his simulated demise. Without a moment’s hesitation, he bolted, sprinting immediately towards the floor below.

Armed with the foresight provided by the vision, Qiao Xia was determined not to let such a terrible scenario unfold again.

Two minutes later, upon reaching the main glass entrance, Qiao Xia saw a group of people standing guard. Numerous curious students were gathered around, craning their necks and peering through the glass at the world outside.

Unlike his previous departure when only a single axe-wielding Red-Eyed Patient had been present, now over a dozen of the infected had amassed beyond the glass doors.

Their eyes wide and bloodshot, they stared intently at the students within, relentlessly pounding on the reinforced glass with crude weapons and bare fists.

Even as their fists became deeply lacerated from the repeated impacts, they seemed utterly oblivious to the pain, continuing their frenzied assault.

“Qiao Xia, where have you been? Come on, come on! These are my boys; come say hello!”

Observing the current scene, which bore no resemblance to a breached main entrance, Qiao Xia grew puzzled. He couldn’t fathom where the danger predicted for ten minutes from now would originate.

Li Lin Guan had directly called his subordinates to guard the door. Seeing their exceptionally obedient and diligent demeanor, it was clearly much safer than if he were to guard it alone.

Furthermore, the glass doors remained remarkably sturdy, without even a hairline crack. It was highly improbable they would be breached within such a short timeframe.

If that were the case, then how had those Red-Eyed Patients managed to storm into the teaching building during his vision?

“This is Damao, my dog-headed strategist. Don’t let his unremarkable appearance deceive you; he’s full of cunning schemes. Once, he…”

“Cough, cough, Li Ge, that’s enough, give me some face here.”

Even as Qiao Xia’s mind reeled with confusion, Li Lin Guan enthusiastically led him over to his door-guarding subordinates, proudly introducing each one.

Unfortunately, Qiao Xia’s thoughts were elsewhere, so he paid little attention to the introductions.

“Li Lin Guan, have you been posted here this entire time? No strange individuals have shown up, have they?”

“Strange individuals? Are you talking about those Red-Eyed Patients outside the glass doors? You know, some of them look truly deranged. A few even tore off their own arms and started gnawing on them. It nearly made me throw up.”

“I meant *inside* the teaching building. No students have been causing trouble, right?”

“Hah, with me standing guard, who would dare!”

After a hasty introduction to Li Lin Guan’s numerous subordinates, Qiao Xia wasted no more time and promptly voiced his pressing questions.

Yet, Li Lin Guan merely looked utterly bewildered. The words he then ‘realized’ and spoke were entirely disconnected from Qiao Xia’s line of thought.

Qiao Xia let out a helpless sigh, realizing it was futile to try and extract any pertinent information from Li Lin Guan at this stage.

Less than four minutes remained until the predicted danger.

“Brother Qiao, while you were away, a few students tried to leave the teaching building to go home. We scared them off, and they left… However, seeing the reluctance on their faces, I suspect they’ll try to find other ways to get back.”

Just as a wave of unease washed over Qiao Xia, Damao, Li Lin Guan’s self-proclaimed ‘dog-headed strategist,’ suddenly recalled something and spoke up.

Upon hearing this, Li Lin Guan’s expression shifted as he instantly grasped the true meaning behind Qiao Xia’s earlier questions.

“This happened? Why didn’t you speak up sooner, you idiot!”

“Li Ge, you never asked me… Oh, right! Doesn’t our teaching building have a side door that’s always locked? I was smoking over there a few days ago and noticed the padlock had been pried open. Could those students have used that to leave?”

Hearing Damao’s words, Qiao Xia’s heart plummeted.

‘Damn it, the danger wasn’t from the main glass entrance at all; it was the side door!’