Chapter 033 Survivor!


    “Brother Su, c-can I take this passbook with me?” Zhong Xiaoshan asked hesitantly.


    Zhang Su looked at her in confusion. “You’re not seriously after the money in the passbook, are you? Gold’s worthless now, and you don’t even know the password.”


    “No, it’s not that…” Zhong Xiaoshan shook her head, her voice trembling. “It’s just… it reminds me of my grandparents. When I was a kid, they used to save every penny to prepare a dowry for me…”


    “Alright, alright, keep it!” Zhang Su waved his hand, cutting her off quickly. If she kept talking, both women would probably end up crying. “Come on, let’s check out the place across the hall.”


    After peeking through the peephole to ensure the hallway was clear, Zhang Su opened the door and stepped out of apartment 1102.


    “1101 is locked. How are we supposed to get in…?” Zhong Xiaoshan followed him, her voice still thick with emotion.


    “Let’s look around outside first. Lots of people hide spare keys somewhere for emergencies,” Zhang Su replied as he opened a narrow wooden utility door nearby.


    Locks are getting more complex these days, and breaking one can be tricky. Many people resort to brute force, but that often means spending hundreds on a replacement. To avoid the hassle, some homeowners hide a spare key outside, saving money in a pinch. Zhang Su was no stranger to this habit—his spare was tucked away at the Eireiwen convenience store.


    Neither woman questioned his suggestion and began searching the stairwell.


    The seemingly neat stairwell was full of potential hiding spots. Classic locations like above the doorframe or under the doormat were obvious, but darker corners like the water meter cabinets and heating pipe spaces offered more discreet options. For those especially cautious about theft, they’d hide their keys on other floors or even in neighboring units.


    “Found it!” Zheng Xinyu’s excited voice broke the silence as she held up a complicated fourth-generation security lock key.


    Zhang Su, who had been rummaging near the heating pipes, straightened up and nodded inwardly. “Good fortune” wasn’t just for show—it really came in handy.


    “Where’d you find it?” he asked, taking the key from her and inspecting it before glancing at the lock on 1101’s door.


    Zheng Xinyu pointed towards the elevator, her tone triumphant. “On top of the fire cabinet! I climbed the heating pipes to get up there. It was hidden under a stack of flyers, but I spotted it right away. Impressive, right?”


    Pleased with herself, she stood there with her head held high, waiting for praise.


    “Yeah, yeah, well done. Lucky find. Keep up the good work,” Zhang Su said offhandedly, turning his attention to the door with a serious expression.


    The doormat beneath their feet was crusted with dried blood, cracking under pressure like thin ice. The mixture of strange sounds and the metallic stench of blood made it feel like they were walking through hell.


    Instead of unlocking the door immediately, Zhang Su pressed his ear against it, listening carefully for any sounds inside. The eerie silence on the other side didn’t guarantee safety.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Using his axe, Zhang Su tapped on the door.


    A guttural groan came from within, muffled but unmistakable.


    Zhang Su’s eyebrows shot up, and he instinctively stepped back.


    BANG!


    The doorframe shuddered as something heavy slammed into it, the vibrations leaving no doubt about the force behind it.


    Bang, bang, bang.


    The familiar sound of zombies pounding on the door made Zhong Xiaoshan’s face twitch, but this time, she stayed silent, noticeably calmer than before.


    “See? Making noise to test the waters works. Don’t forget this step in the future!” Zhang Su used the moment to teach the two women beside him.


    Both nodded, firmly committing the simple yet crucial method to memory.


    “So, what now?” Zheng Xinyu asked nervously. “It’s right behind the door. How are we supposed to get in?”


    “There’s a way,” Zhang Su said, twirling the key in his hand thoughtfully. “We can lure it to the stairwell and trip it up on the steps. But there’s no need to take that risk. Let’s head upstairs and wait for it to settle down.”


    Amid the zombie’s relentless pounding, the three retreated to the stairwell and climbed to the twelfth floor—the top floor. Beyond that was a flight of stairs leading to the roof, blocked by a heavy-duty door.


    Zhang Su twisted the handle of the safety door and frowned. “Locked.”


    “Someone’s definitely living here,” Zheng Xinyu said, her expression conflicted. She hoped for survivors but feared they might pose a threat.


    Zhong Xiaoshan, on the other hand, was more optimistic, her face lighting up. “It’s better to have people than zombies, right, Brother Su?”


    Zhang Su neither agreed nor disagreed. He pulled a set of keys from his bag—the ones taken from Brother Li’s place. After finding one that roughly fit the lock, he jiggled it around until the lock clicked open in just over ten seconds.


    “Damn, Brother Su! No wonder you managed to buy a house at such a young age. With skills like that, it all makes sense now!” Zheng Xinyu teased, her expression a mix of admiration and suspicion.


    Zhong Xiaoshan said nothing but looked equally awkward, likely sharing similar thoughts.


    “Are you two brainless? If I were some master lock-picker, why would I bother hunting for the key to 1101 earlier? These safety locks are trash, barely more than a developer’s scam. You could open one with a scrap of metal,” Zhang Su explained quietly, cracking the door open slightly.


    The corridor beyond was spotless, though the doormat outside 1201 showed clear signs of frequent use—someone was living there.


    Peering around the corner at 1202, he noticed its door was covered with a tattered, plastic sheet, the kind left behind during construction. It hadn’t been touched in ages.


    Even though it seemed safe, Zhang Su carefully checked for any movement inside 1202. Only when he was sure there was no response did he relax.


    “Xinyu, check it out,” Zhang Su said, nodding towards 1201.


    Without hesitation, Zheng Xinyu stepped up, pressing her ear against the door like she’d seen him do. After a moment of silence, she knocked on the door with her baseball bat.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    A metallic clatter came from inside—not the guttural moans of zombies.


    The trio exchanged glances, their eyes wide with surprise.


    Zhang Su gestured for Zheng Xinyu to proceed. “If it’s complicated, use rhythmic knocks to show we’re not zombies. Otherwise, just talk softly through the gap.” sea??h thё n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    “Got it!” Zheng Xinyu nodded and leaned close to the doorframe. “Hello? We’re your neighbors from downstairs. Can we talk?”


    “There’s nothing to talk about. Leave,” came a gruff male voice, sounding like it belonged to someone in his forties or fifties. From the tone, the man was standing just a few meters away from the door.


    Then, he added, “And lock the safety door on your way out. Thanks!”


    The three of them looked at each other, stunned. They’d found a survivor, but he wasn’t interested in opening the door, let alone exchanging pleasantries.