Chapter 18: Those Fiery Red Eyes
Xiao Mei froze in place, her eyes widening as they locked onto the fiery red ones across the street. Reflections of those eyes gleamed from the shadows between crumbling buildings. Her heart pounded so violently it felt as if it might burst from her chest.
"Over there... something's there," she whispered, her voice barely louder than a breath.
"That's no ordinary zombie... it's evolved," Pao Pei said gravely, still perched firmly on Xiao Mei's right shoulder. His voice was low, just enough for her ears alone.
Xiao Mei backed away several steps. Before she could slip behind the counter to hide, Zheng Han led his team inside.
"My men detected something unusual... There might be a fight breaking out. I want you to stay close to us," Zheng Han said, his face grim. He had noticed from the moment they entered this area that something was off—eerily silent, not a single zombie in sight along the way.
Xiao Mei said nothing. She simply retreated behind the counter, hugging Pao Pei's plump body tightly as she kept her gaze fixed on where she had seen those eyes.
In the darkness, she could still faintly make out its shape.
Pao Pei, nestled in her arms, let out a low growl. He sat utterly still, his tail standing straight up, his round body tense, ready to pounce at any moment.
Zheng Han lifted a pair of binoculars, peering through the shattered window. The air was thick with tension, so much so that the sound of each other's breathing seemed magnified. His team stood ready, weapons in hand, guarding the two women they had found.
Xiao Mei glanced at the women, a pang of pity striking her. They were filthy, exhausted, and looked like they might collapse at any moment.
"Should we... give them something to eat?" Xiao Mei whispered, pulling out two cartons of chocolate milk from her bag and offering them forward. The men were hardly the sensitive type; none had noticed how close the women were to fainting.
One woman was around forty, with short hair and tanned skin. The other was younger—no more than thirty-five, pale-skinned, smaller in stature, with messy shoulder-length hair and thick glasses.
Zheng Han looked at Xiao Mei as soon as she spoke. He gave a slight nod to the young man carrying the radio, who then took the milk from her and handed it over.
"Thank you," the older woman said softly.
Xiao Mei smiled warmly and added, "It's nothing. Would you like some cookies, too?" She immediately pulled out a couple of cookies from her bag and offered them.
Both women accepted, murmuring their thanks.
Then, Xiao Mei turned her attention back to the shadows, searching once more for those eyes.
"Gone..." she murmured. She scanned carefully but found no sign—not even a shadow.
Suddenly, Pao Pei's fur bristled. Sensing something, Xiao Mei noticed the change but had no time to speak.
Whoosh!
A swift breeze stirred the air outside.
Something darted through the air like a whisper.
Bang!
The first gunshot rang out from within the group.
Xiao Mei instinctively ducked, pulling Pao Pei tightly into her arms.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire shattered the oppressive silence, mingling with the whistling wind. Glass shards scattered across the floor. Xiao Mei heard one of the women stifle a scream.
"Protect the civilians! Ready to fire!" Zheng Han barked out an order. His men immediately moved to shield the two women.
Xiao Mei remained behind the counter, not daring to move closer despite the glance Zheng Han shot her way, silently urging her to come over.
"It's targeting you... not me," Xiao Mei mouthed soundlessly.
She and Pao Pei had wandered this place for quite some time. Pao Pei had already scanned the area once with no signs of danger. That thing only revealed itself after Zheng Han's group arrived. It must have been following them, patiently waiting for the right moment. It was intelligent... terrifyingly so.
Bang!
Another gunshot rang out, then another, and another—volleys chasing a blurred shadow that moved too fast to be seen clearly.
Xiao Mei felt it: the gaze—cold, calculated—watching them.
It deliberately made soft footsteps, then heavy ones, shifting left and right, taunting them rather than evading.
Zheng Han's group scanned in all directions, tense, every nerve stretched taut. The only sounds were the whistling wind and fleeting shadows passing by.
"Above! Watch out!" one of Zheng Han's men shouted.
Crash!!
Dust exploded into the air as the ceiling caved in, tiles shattering everywhere.
Something small and swift dropped from above, landing directly in front of Xiao Mei.
She saw it—clearly—for the first time.
Fiery red, narrow eyes. A humanoid figure, slightly taller than her, crouched low on bent knees. Its feet were unnaturally long—at least a foot each—clawed and gnarled. Its flesh clung to bone, its skin pale, its belly distended grotesquely.
Most chilling of all... it tilted its head and gave a wide, twisted smile as it stared straight at her.
Everyone froze, all eyes locked on the creature. No one dared to move.
Zheng Han gripped his gun tighter, ready to fire at any moment.
Pao Pei's fur puffed up instantly, bristling in preparation to strike.
Then—
In a flash, the creature lunged, missing Zheng Han's head by mere inches, and snatched the small, bespectacled woman right out from the group's defensive circle.
"No!!" the older woman screamed, blending with the cacophony of gunfire that erupted.
"Hold your fire! Watch the hostage!" Zheng Han shouted. He sprinted after it, but by the time he reached the middle of the road, all he saw was a black shadow vanishing into the alleys, carrying the woman effortlessly with one hand.
It was too fast.
There was no way they could catch up.
"It took her... Please, you have to save her," the short-haired woman said, her voice trembling.
Zheng Han glanced at her briefly, then turned his gaze to Xiao Mei, still crouched behind the counter.
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
This girl had come face to face with that nightmare at breathing distance—yet she hadn't screamed, hadn't trembled. She was eerily calm.
"You got the clearest look," he said, his voice steady. "Can you tell us what it was?"
Xiao Mei met his gaze before answering truthfully.
"It's not like any zombie I've ever seen... I've never encountered one like it before," she said softly.
Pao Pei let out a snort, his fur still bristling. He leapt down from Xiao Mei's shoulder and landed on the counter in front of her, his eyes fixed on the darkness.
Xiao Mei gently stroked Pao Pei's fur, trying to soothe him. Then she turned to offer Zheng Han her thoughts.
"I think it has intelligence... The look in its eyes—it was like it was trying to threaten me," she said. Even though she had only locked eyes with the creature for a moment, she could feel it was deliberately warning her not to interfere.
Zheng Han muttered a curse under his breath, then turned to issue orders to his team.
"Split into two groups," he commanded, then addressed the young communications officer with the radio, who was comforting the crying short-haired woman.
"Qing Hao, you escort the target back to the vehicle and report our situation to the camp."
Without hesitation, the young man Qing Hao relayed the message over the radio. The group swiftly split—Qing Hao and five soldiers stayed behind to protect the short-haired woman and wait for reinforcements, while Zheng Han and seven others prepared to pursue the creature.
Pao Pei trotted toward the darkness where the creature had fled, investigating the path it took. Xiao Mei followed closely behind.
"Pao Pei can handle it, Master..."
The little creature lifted his chin proudly, his tail flicking with confidence. He could hardly contain himself from boasting. When the creature had faced off with his master, Pao Pei had almost swiped its head clean off. How dare it flash that ghastly wide grin at her!
"Hmph! If it hadn't run away, Pao Pei would've finished it for sure!"
Xiao Mei couldn't help but laugh at Pao Pei's cocky attitude, looking every bit the fierce little street thug in his round, fluffy kitten form—even though he could only meow adorably. She had no idea where he'd picked up such swagger.
"What are you doing here?"
A deep voice suddenly rang out behind her.