Behind them were another of Wang Haotian’s cronies, two non-powered cleaners, and one non-powered security guard—all people Cao Jiacai had won over.
Other than Manager Wang, Yang Xinyan, Sister Pan, and security guard Xiao Fang, everyone else in the property management had defected to Cao Jiacai.
The cleaners and guards didn’t want to work anymore. Cao Jiacai had promised them good food and drink if they followed him—and these uneducated folks believed it.
As for security guard Xiao Fang—because he was too close to Jiang Cheng and her group, always tagging along like a shadow and a lackey, Cao Jiacai had directly excluded him from “us.”
Yang Xinyan had been on the receiving end of Cao Jiacai’s crude remarks several times over the past two days. She’d told Manager Wang, but there was nothing he could do—he could only tell her to stay out of Cao Jiacai’s way. There was no way Yang Xinyan would support him.
As for Manager Wang, he understood deeply that as long as he stuck with Jiang Cheng’s people, he could still maintain some dignity as a human being. But if Cao Jiacai took over—someone like him, petty and vengeful—the first thing he’d do after rising to power was crush the people who’d once been above him.
Yes, he meant Manager Wang himself.
Cao Jiacai had tried to throw his weight around, only to scald his own people. The scene was genuinely funny—it would be unreasonable to ask everyone not to laugh.
Li Jiangbing: “Pfft—pfft—”
He really tried to hold it in, but he just couldn’t.
A wave of laughter burst out from the crowd behind Jiang Cheng.
Even outside the east gate, on the bus, Cui Haiyang and the others had stood up to look through the windows. Sensing the tension, they’d been about to get off.
But then this happened.
“Holy shit.” Gao Yuxuan, always quick to laugh, was leaning against the bus window, doubled over.
Sister Pan couldn’t bear to watch. “Sigh…”
Everyone relaxed because of the ridiculous scene.
Cao Jiacai flushed with fury. “What are you laughing at?!”
Jiang Cheng took a few steps forward and said clearly, “Master Cao, whatever grievances you have with me, we can settle them when we get back. Right now, we need to go save people. There are minors trapped at the school. They sent out a distress call—we can’t just ignore it.”
A few people in the crowd thought Jiang Cheng was getting too close. But many were still laughing, and it didn’t feel like the right moment to speak up.
Cao Jiacai had raised his arms and called out, yet no one had rushed over eagerly to pledge allegiance. He was furious.
“I’m telling you,” he said, “following Jiang Cheng gets you nothing but work. Follow me, and no one has to work—just eat and laze around every day!”
Then who would take out the trash? Who would sweep the yard? Who would eliminate the zombies? Did he think the world would run itself? Someone had to do the work.
Turns out, he was just a superpowered version of Liu Hongwang.
Many residents couldn’t help rolling their eyes.
Getting no response, Cao Jiacai grew agitated.
He glared viciously at Jiang Cheng. It was all her fault—she must have fed everyone some kind of love potion, making them all listen to her.
She told them to work, and they obediently worked. What a witch.
Jiang Cheng was very pretty.
Cao Jiacai had originally thought that if she stepped down gracefully, he’d keep her around for later use.
But now he knew—he had to show those people across from him a lesson.
They thought he didn’t dare, did they?
These city folks, these college graduates—used to law and order, thinking that if they wouldn’t dare, neither would he.
Too naive.
He had to kill the chicken to warn the monkey.
He had to decapitate the leader.
This Jiang Cheng—couldn’t be left alive.
No matter—there were still plenty of pretty girls in the neighborhood. Su Yu and Zhang Lesi were both good-looking, more than enough for him.
A real man couldn’t be swayed by beauty.
Cao Jiacai’s sinister gaze swept across the people behind Jiang Cheng.
Li Jiangbing was closest to her. Song Jingshuo next. Neither of them was any use.
Wu Jiancheng.
Wu Jiancheng was a fire-type—had to watch out for him.
Why hadn’t he made a move yet? So annoying. Was he still out of range?
Jiang Cheng took another step forward. “Get out of the way. Stop wasting everyone’s time.”
Come on—make your move. I’ve walked right up to you.
Zhou Wang, peering through the gate from the bus, also thought Jiang Cheng was getting too close.
Li Jiangbing felt the same.
Only Song Jingshuo stared at Jiang Cheng’s back.
He hadn’t spoken because Jiang Cheng had already discussed Cao Jiacai with him in advance. She was by no means unprepared or naive.
Seeing her approach step by step, the word “luring” flashed through his mind.
She’d mentioned that line.
Yes—Song Jingshuo understood now. Jiang Cheng was baiting Cao Jiacai into crossing that line first.
Because the moral standards at Youth Apartments were high—you couldn’t just kill a human being who wasn’t infected and hadn’t committed a crime for no reason.
But Cao Jiacai was too strong. Expelling him was useless—it might even invite retaliation.
Song Jingshuo fully grasped what Jiang Cheng was trying to do.
She wanted Cao Jiacai to break the moral boundary first—so she could claim “self-defense.”
Only then would it be acceptable to everyone. Only then could she preserve the neighborhood’s overall moral integrity and keep the atmosphere from decaying.
In a world overrun with zombies, once bad behavior set a precedent, things would spiral downhill fast—as many neighborhoods had proven during the first outbreak.
But Jiang Cheng’s plan hinged on one prerequisite: that she could overpower Cao Jiacai by force.
Jiang Cheng wouldn’t do something she wasn’t sure of.
The only question lingering in Song Jingshuo’s mind was—Jiang Cheng, what exactly is your trump card?
Li Jiangbing thought Jiang Cheng was getting too close. Uneasy, he stepped forward. “Are you done yet? We need to hurry up and—”
Now!
Cao Jiacai let out a furious roar!
A massive fireball shot forward!
But the target wasn’t Jiang Cheng—it was Li Jiangbing!
The fireball streaked past Jiang Cheng’s side and engulfed Li Jiangbing completely! He became a man of flames!
Shrieks and screams erupted all around!
Jiang Cheng shouted, “WU JIANCHENG!!!”
Wu Jiancheng and Zhang Lesi both broke into a sprint at the same time!
Wu Jiancheng was running faster than he ever had in his life!
Li Jiangbing was his brother—if he let him die here, he’d never forgive himself for the rest of his life!
Wu Jiancheng reached out his hand, feeling the scorching heat against his palm.
Put it out!
Put it the fuck out!!!
But then he heard another wave of gasps from the crowd behind him!
Many people screamed with all their might: “JIANG CHENG—!”
An even larger fireball than the one that had hit Li Jiangbing was now flying straight at Jiang Cheng.
The attack on Li Jiangbing had been a diversion—to pull Wu Jiancheng away.
Because fire-types could both start fires and extinguish them. But Wu Jiancheng couldn’t be in two places at once.
Song Jingshuo’s pupils contracted sharply. His mind hadn’t even processed it yet, but his body was already charging forward.
Zhao Yi was running forward.
Su Yu was running forward.
So many people—their minds hadn’t caught up, but their bodies were already moving.
Jiang Cheng!
In their field of vision, the crimson fireball hurtled toward her, its glow turning her slender silhouette into a black cutout against the flames.
On her shoulder sat the little black cat—everyone was long used to that image of Jiang Cheng.
Barring a miracle, that little black cat would die along with her.
But from June 15th onward, Jiang Cheng had never stopped surprising people.
This time was no exception.
In Zhao Yi’s pupils, the silhouette of the girl and the cat suddenly separated.
The little black cat leaped up.
Why was that black shadow expanding so rapidly—growing enormous?
A massive black shape rose to meet the fireball.
The colossal body collided with the fireball.
The fireball shattered into pieces and extinguished in midair.
Cao Jiacai had no time to react.
The suddenly appearing giant black shadow smashed through the fireball and came charging straight at him.
All Cao Jiacai could see were gleaming white fangs.
What was this thing? How could it be so big?
How could it be this big?
This—this defied science.
The fire on Li Jiangbing was out. Zhang Lesi knelt on the ground, healing his burns with her power, her mouth hanging open as she stared ahead in a daze.
Li Jiangbing lay on the ground, his head tilted back, the world upside down—his mouth also hanging open.
Many people’s mouths were hanging open.
Because gaping is the natural human response to utter shock.
Song Jingshuo’s question finally had its answer.
A giant beast.
Black fur.
Green eyes.
Cao Jiacai was clamped in his jaws, like a tiny fish.
Sharp, snow-white teeth pierced clean through Cao Jiacai’s body.
Bright red human blood dripped to the ground. Cao Jiacai’s body—mortally wounded but not yet dead—twitched and convulsed.
Jiang Cheng walked forward.
The girl looked so tiny in front of the giant beast.
“It’s more comfortable to transform outdoors, isn’t it?” Jiang Cheng smiled.
The apartment was too small—when Moli maxed out inside, his head hit the ceiling. It wasn’t comfortable.
“Drop him. No need to hold on,” Jiang Cheng said.
The giant black beast obediently turned his head and spat Cao Jiacai onto the ground—right at Wang Haotian’s feet.
Wang Haotian sat on the ground, trembling all over, his pants soaked.
Everyone watched as Jiang Cheng raised her hand, and the giant beast leaped up.
His massive form shrank rapidly, finally returning to the little black cat everyone knew so well.
Every single person had given the little black cat their own private nickname.
Heili, Xiao Hei, Heizi, Erhei, Meitan, Meiqiu—people called him all sorts of things, each their own version, mixing them up freely.
They didn’t care whether the little black cat acknowledged the names.
Gao Yuxuan, especially obnoxious, had even gotten his ass scratched by him.
No one had ever imagined that the little black cat that often perched on Jiang Cheng’s shoulder was actually such a colossal beast.
Jiang Cheng turned around, gently scratching the little cat’s head.
She said, “Let’s go. To Gaoxin Middle School.”
Zhao Yi only regretted that Gao Yuxuan was still on the bus right now.
Zhao Yi was trembling—with pure happiness.
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