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“Ah, our resident monster graces us with his presence,” a familiar voice remarked sardonically from behind the gathering of boys.

As they stood on the sixth floor, the assembly effortlessly split, granting Zhu Hanfang a clear path to Lin Feng. With an overpowering confidence, he approached, brandishing a baseball bat menacingly adorned with nails.

“Is this chaos your masterpiece? Zhu Hanfang, are you even human at this point?”

“Look, we’re all driven by our gut feelings, right? I just don’t chain my boys down when they wanna act on ’em. Number Three, drag that wimp over here, the one who chickened out,” Zhu Hanfang barked.

“Why did you second-guess yourself? Why didn’t you follow through?”

“I… Xiaoling was crying out, and… Brother Zhu…” the boy stuttered.

With a swift, calculated move, Zhu Hanfang’s hand connected with the boy’s face.

“Does that burn?”

Clutching his reddened cheek, the boy whispered, “Yes, Brother Zhu.”

“Do you think I’d second-guess myself?”

“I…”

Before the boy could even formulate a response, Zhu Hanfang unleashed a rapid succession of slaps, leaving the boy’s face mottled with bruises.

“Take him away, show him what it means to be a man.”

At Zhu Hanfang’s directive, the man with the crew-cut effortlessly hoisted the beleaguered student and strode back into the classroom. It wasn’t long before the room echoed with the student’s anguished cries.

“Listen up, Lin Feng. Some folks are just dead weight. Why waste good food and supplies on ’em?”

“You might just be the epitome of worthlessness then,” Lin Feng shot back.

With no desire to tarry, he vaulted to the seventh floor, relying on his uninjured leg. The methods Zhu Hanfang employed to control his minions held no intrigue for him. It was likely that these boys, under Zhu Hanfang’s dominion, were forced into transgressions they’d typically shun, only to subsequently be ensnared by his influence.

“Think about it, Lin Feng. This is your last shot. Join me. When you’re starvin’ out there, begging ain’t gonna cut it. I can get you food and a decent place to crash, way better than whatever that old man’s peddling.”

The tension in the air was palpable as the cluster of girls looked toward Lin Feng, awaiting his reaction.

With a disdainful spit, Lin Feng moved closer to Xiaoling, tears streaking her face. Prior to this, she was just a young girl, one that now had to face the darker realities of womanhood.

“Chen Fang, you’re close with Xiaoling, aren’t you?”

Beside Xiaoling, the girl nodded, cradling the distraught form in her arms.

“Take her to Doctor Hu. She’ll know what to do.”

Xiaoling went down of her own volition, driven by the desperation for mere packets of food. Though she faced the repercussions, pointing fingers seemed pointless. In this dystopian world, black-and-white morality had dissolved. Zhu Hanfang chose to thrive by sacrificing others, while Xiaoling had gambled with her own safety, now shadowed by regret.

Watching Chen Fang support the limping Xiaoling as they moved away, Lin Feng tiredly slumped to the ground.

“Damn, the pain’s relentless,” he whispered silently, massaging his foot.

“Lin Feng, how’s the foot holding up?” Yan Aoxue’s voice dripped with weariness, her concern evident.

“Just a minor twist. I’ll be fine,” Lin Feng tried to reassure her with a weak grin and a chuckle.

Yan Aoxue’s gaze intensified, and her voice, heavy with concern, murmured, “You don’t need to bear this all by yourself. If they challenge us, we’ll push back just as hard.” She subtly leaned in, her breath brushing against Lin Feng’s face.
Just as Lin Feng began to formulate a response, Liu Mengqi stepped in assertively, breaking the moment. “Hold on,” she said tersely, “Lin Feng’s already thought this through. We set things in motion tonight.”
Yan Aoxue rolled her eyes at Liu Mengqi, her annoyance evident, and mumbled under her breath, “Always interrupting at the worst times.”
Catching her breath, Yan Aoxue asked, “Is she right, Lin Feng?” She dabbed at a lone tear making its way down her face.
Lin Feng gently squeezed Yan Aoxue’s hand, leading her on. “Yes, it’s a nighttime strategy. But first, let’s head to the warehouse. We can discuss it there.”
Yan Aoxue’s gaze intensified, and her voice, heavy with concern, murmured, “You don’t need to bear this all by yourself. If they challenge us, we’ll push back just as hard.” She subtly leaned in, her breath brushing against Lin Feng’s face.

Just as Lin Feng began to formulate a response, Liu Mengqi stepped in assertively, breaking the moment. “Hold on,” she said tersely, “Lin Feng’s already thought this through. We set things in motion tonight.”

Yan Aoxue rolled her eyes at Liu Mengqi, and mumbled under her breath, “Always interrupting at the worst times.”

Catching her breath, Yan Aoxue asked, “Is she right, Lin Feng?” She dabbed at a lone tear making its way down her face, pleasantly surprised by this revelation.

Lin Feng gently squeezed Yan Aoxue’s hand, leading her on. “Err… that’s right, it’s a nighttime strategy. But first, let’s head to the warehouse. We can discuss it there.”

Liu Mengqi’s voice broke in, slightly sharper, “Hey, I want in as well.”

“Huh? But you aren’t even a part of the plan.”

“Well, I just want to!”

Sighing, Lin Feng nodded, “Sure. Let’s gather everyone — Song Zhe, Liu Tao, and Chen De. We’ll outline everything.”

Once inside the warehouse, Lin Feng unveiled their last packet of dried fish. After Liu Mengqi had distributed the portions, she stepped back into the group.

“Tonight, Song Zhe, Liu Tao, and I are making a supply run. We can’t keep this up. Yan Aoxue and Chen De? You’re on defense duty, especially at the stairwell. We can’t be pinned down when we get back.”

Chen De, lifting his remaining arm, voiced his concern, “Any specific tactics?”

“We keep the stairwell locked down. If we control that, Zhu Hanfang’s crew can’t get in. We have the home advantage,” Lin Feng responded.

Liu Tao scratched his head, “And what about us? How are we leaving without being spotted? I’m not exactly built stealth, as you can tell.”

Lin Feng explained, “No sneaking around. We’ll drop to the 4th floor from a window, using the curtains. Song Zhe and I are up front; you trail.”

Liu Tao chuckled softly, “Kay~ You do the thinking. I’m just here to back you up.” Though the two of them shared the same class, he was enrolled as a school athlete, rather than academics. His results were first from the bottom up, earning him the image of the brawny but slightly dumb jock.

Lin Feng shot him a grateful smile, “Thanks, man. I appreciate your trust.”

His words to the burly Liu Tao were genuine. From shielding his childhood friend, Liu Mengqi, to reclaiming a food crate from Zhu Hanfang’s gang, Liu Tao had showcased the undeniable value of his strength. In their dystopian world, might often overshadowed the mind.

Lin Feng vaguely recalled this slightly chunky guy from his class. But when he recently went down the floors, the dude was nowhere in sight. If he wasn’t on these two levels, it either meant he’d become zombie chow or Zhu Hanfang kicked him out.

Liu Tao gave a half-grin, “Man, no need for the thanks. You’ve had our backs, with Chen De and saving our school doc. I’ve got your back, too. You’re good people.”

Running his fingers through his newly-trimmed beard, Song Zhe asked, “Think just the three of us can handle it, Lin Feng?” He had become pretty adept with a makeshift dagger for grooming after Lin Feng had failed to locate a razor for him.

Lin Feng rubbed his chin, “Three should do it. More might just get messy. It’s not like we can bring the girls along to fight with us, can we? I’m not doubting their hustle, but maybe us boys should be vanguards first.”

He remembered the girls from their class. Apart from Yan Aoxue and another who had a bit of a tomboy edge, most were… well, not really frontline material. Some couldn’t even handle dissecting frogs in bio.

So the battle-hardened crew? That’d be Liu Tao, who made the initial push; Song Zhe, with his daredevil jump; and himself, Lin Feng, ever the resourceful scout. Man, a few more good hands wouldn’t hurt.