"Don't believe her, Boss!" the middle-aged woman shrieked. "How could she have possibly defeated those monsters all by herself? She's just tricking us into opening the door!"
"Manager Wu, it really is quiet outside," muttered a young man who was pinning Song You'ai's arm. He tilted his head to listen, unable to resist speaking up.
KNOCK! KNOCK! Xie Ning knocked on the door again, her patience wearing thin.
"If you don't open up, I'm chopping the door down. Don't blame me for making too much noise and attracting more zombies."
As the words left her mouth, Xie Ning brought her blade down, its tip piercing through the door.
The people inside jumped, their faces paling.
"Accountant Song, how can your daughter just break down the door? Is she completely disregarding everyone's safety?"
"Boss, maybe we should just open the door and let her in. If the door gets chopped down, we'll have no way to fend off those monsters!"
The man in the suit looked grim, his thick brows knitted tightly together. He turned to glance at Song You'ai, who was being pinned against the wall by Manager Wu.
"You've really raised a fine daughter!" the middle-aged woman sneered.
"Wu Hong, you're as selfish as ever," Song You'ai shot back, not to be outdone. "If that was your son out there, you'd be scrambling to open the door."
With a dark expression, the middle-aged woman began hitting Song You'ai to vent her frustration. "Who are you calling selfish? Who…"
"Aaargh!" A sudden, bloodcurdling scream erupted from behind them.
When Song You'ai and the others looked up, their blood ran cold.
They saw the loader, who had been sitting silently in the corner, suddenly leap up and sink his teeth into Xiao Li's shoulder blade.
The sound of chewing made their skin crawl.
"Quick, tie him up!" the man in the suit shrieked, his voice trembling, then turned and ran for the door, his beer belly bouncing.
Drawn by the man's shouts, the loader-zombie dropped Xiao Li, whom it had bitten several times, and lunged at the man in the suit.
In the blink of an eye, the man grabbed Wu Hong from beside the door and shoved her toward the zombie.
"Ah!" Manager Wu let out a terrified scream as she was sent stumbling into the loader-zombie's arms.
Before the zombie could fully react, Wu Hong thrashed wildly, mustering all her strength to break free. Turning, she saw Song You'ai about to open the door, and a vicious glint flashed in her eyes.
Suddenly, the office door was pierced by several heavy chops, and in moments, it was reduced to a pile of splintered wood.
The first thing Xie Ning saw as she burst through the door was that vile woman, Wu Hong, grabbing her mom and shoving her toward the zombie.
"Mom!" Xie Ning roared, lunging forward like a leopardess.
A flurry of heavy fists landed on Wu Hong's back, making the middle-aged woman shriek at the top of her lungs.
Seething with uncontrollable rage, Xie Ning grabbed the woman by the scruff of her neck, aimed her head at the wall, and slammed it forward.
THUD! Wu Hong collapsed, and her screams cut off abruptly.
The loader-zombie howled and lunged, foolishly impaling itself on the tip of the blade Xie Ning held steady.
SQUELCH! The blade pierced through the zombie's forehead and straight out the back of its skull.
The man in the suit was utterly terrified by the young girl's brutal efficiency. His face white and his belly sticking out, he scrambled for the exit.
He didn't expect to run headfirst into a zombie with wide, bulging eyes right outside the door. It sank its teeth into his neck. After a brief struggle, his gurgling faded to silence.
"Mom, let's go!" This much noise was bound to attract every zombie in the area.
Xie Ning's face was grim. There was no time for a reunion. She grabbed her mom's hand and bolted out the door.
"No, don't go out there! There are monsters everywhere! It's nothing but monsters!"