Chapter 29: Tongguan-Style Meat Burger

The final threat Zhao Zhenyu spat out cast a shadow over everyone inside the gate.

The atmosphere remained heavy for half a minute.

Lin Weiran’s gaze shifted from complex to composed. It was as if she were seeing her own cousin for the first time; she knew Su Su had awakened a superpower and that her personality had transformed from cautious to ruthless, but knowing it was one thing—accepting it mentally was another matter entirely.

After another ten seconds of silence, she finally spoke: "I don't know why the zombie horde stopped ramming the door, but they haven't retreated, which means the gymnasium is still in danger. We will keep guarding the front gate; the back gate is in your hands."

With that, Lin Weiran helped Si Zhe, who had yet to fully recover, and they walked back through the lounge corridor.

Only after they had completely exited the backstage area did Si Zhe tighten his grip on her arm slightly.

"Weiran, your cousin has powers and is keeping a Tier 3 python. Regardless of anything else, we need to be more vigilant from now on."

Lin Weiran nodded, wanting to say something but unsure where to start. Wu Zhi, Zhang Da, Zhang Er, and now Zhao Zhenyu—they had all died by her hand, one after another.

Si Zhe and Lin Weiran exchanged a brief look, seeing the same sentiment in each other’s eyes: Su Su was no longer the person they once knew.

...

The lightheartedness at the back gate stood in stark contrast to the grim tension at the front.

With two major threats eliminated and the zombie horde no longer ramming the door, the group’s long-taut nerves finally slackened.

Pang Cancan eyed their two former teammates askance. "You two had better behave yourselves, or I’ll throw you out to feed the zombies!"

The two cowards huddled together in a corner, shivering.

Only then did Pang Cancan happily tear open a bag of bread. She didn't eat it herself, instead handing it to Su Su first.

Su Su shook her head. "I'm not hungry yet. Give it to Le Rui."

"I... I'm not hungry either..."

His words would have been more believable if he weren't quietly swallowing his saliva while refusing.

Pang Cancan looked at Le Rui. He was so thin that his oversized head seemed too heavy for his reed-like body to support; he looked as though he might tip over at any moment, resembling a child who had been abused and starved.

She pouted, tore off a large piece of bread, and the soft, milky scent of the bread core instantly wafted out. Le Rui’s eyes were immediately and honestly drawn to it.

"Eat up!"

Le Rui was forced to take a large chunk of bread. He held it stiffly, cautiously glancing at Su Su and then at Pang Cancan, his eyes turning red instantly.

"Thank you... sister. I will repay you in the future."

What kind of repayment could a kid like him offer?

Pang Cancan laughed out loud, only realizing after she stopped that something felt off—she had said the exact same thing to Sister Su Su.

If they were to count their ages, everyone in this team was younger than the next.

As she put away her smile, Su Su earnestly patted Le Rui’s head. "No need to repay me. Just eat."

She wasn't much older herself, yet her palm felt exceptionally warm and gentle as it rested there.

Le Rui’s eyes turned even redder.

Not wanting to be seen, he lowered his head and began eating the bread to hide his face.

The black snake nestled in Su Su’s arms was unhappy. It slithered from her waist to her back, crossed her shoulder, and poked its ferocious head out from behind her neck.

"Hiss!"

As the cold snake tongue licked her cheek, Su Su expertly pulled out a boiled egg, tapped it against the floor, and began to peel it carefully.

"Don't be impatient, you have some too."

The black snake rolled its vertical pupils, remaining unmoved and continuing its licking. It wasn't about to be placated so easily.

As it licked, it accidentally brushed against the corner of the human's lips.

The snake’s tongue paused for two seconds.

The brain, which had already developed a degree of consciousness, strangely perceived the softness. For a fleeting moment, it felt a "craving" to swallow this human whole.

With the cold touch constantly brushing against her face, Su Su had long since grown accustomed to it; she didn't even notice the tongue brushing her lips.

She held the peeled egg to the black snake's mouth.

The black snake, currently "hungry," opened its mouth and swallowed it whole.

With something filling its stomach, that sudden "craving" dissipated for the most part. It curled back into the human's arms and began to digest the egg.

Only those vertical pupils would occasionally turn toward Su Su, observing her calmly as its brain slowly turned—

Swallowing her whole was impossible.

Food could be hunted endlessly, but there was only one "servant." It didn't even want her to be bitten by zombies and lose her limbs; how could it eat her itself? After all, once eaten, she would be gone forever.

Su Su had no idea that the "pet" in her arms had such complex thoughts.

Seeing the black snake swallow the egg, she felt a faint, imperceptible smile flash in her eyes.

Sure enough, an animal’s mind was just like a human child’s—they would cling to their caretaker to compete for attention. Just like how a cat might fight a "competitor" or a dog might sulk under a bed, the black snake... it probably just intimidated her in a righteous manner, refusing to bare its fangs but frequently using its tongue to threaten her.

Pang Cancan observed the whole process from the side, feeling quite envious.

She released her precious poisonous insects. They relied on her powers; the stronger the toxins, the more they thrived, and they even reproduced on their own from time to time.

They were currently only the size of ping-pong balls. Once they grew bigger and nestled in her arms... *Ew!* Pang Cancan quickly threw that terrifying thought out of her mind!

No, that level of intimacy was still too advanced for humans.

Only Sister Su Su could handle such heavy, lethal affection.

"Hiss~"

The scarlet tongue suddenly shot out and snatched one of the colorful poisonous insects.

Pang Cancan: "!!!!"

*Gulp.*

The black snake brazenly swallowed the insect that was an eyesore to it, and bared its mouth at her in a vicious display.

Pang Cancan: "..."

With a predator lurking nearby, she silently withdrew her babies.

Su Su seemed to sense something and looked over. "Little Black?"

The black snake pretended nothing had happened, lazily leaning into her arms, its tail tip looping around her wrist in a rhythmic motion.

Tighten, loosen, tighten again.

Circle after circle of red marks remained on her fair, slender arm. Su Su stared at it for a long while before patting her battle pet’s head.

"Don't go eating Cancan’s babies."

"Hiss!"

The black snake didn't like hearing that; it instantly tightened its grip on her wrist and hissed threateningly at Pang Cancan.

Having learned her lesson from this cold-blooded animal and wary of its terrifying power, the latter covered her mouth and choked back a sob: "If the child likes to eat them, let it eat. A few won't hurt."

"Hiss~"

The black snake withdrew its gaze, satisfied. The vertical pupils that turned back toward Su Su held a trace of triumph, as if saying—*She offered them to me willingly.*

Su Su: "..."

She gritted her teeth and pinched the black snake’s tail.

The sky gradually darkened, and the zombie horde outside never rammed the door again.

The people guarding the interior were exhausted, falling into a deep sleep in various positions. Le Rui tried to hold on, but Pang Cancan bundled him up and shoved him into the innermost corner, where he soon fell into a sweet sleep.

Even the black snake in her arms had closed its eyes, its belly pressed against the human’s abdomen, rising and falling in a rhythmic, breathing motion.

Only Su Su remained uncommonly alert.

She leaned against the wall, keeping watch while pondering Zhao Zhenyu’s death.

If the zombie horde had truly been after him, then after she threw him out, they should have retreated, not persisted in surrounding the door.

What was the reason?

It couldn't really just be for the sake of the flesh and blood of a few dozen people, could it?

As she pondered, it was already the middle of the night. Pang Cancan sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Sister Su Su, why didn't you wake me up to take over the watch?"

Su Su shook her head. "I'm not sleepy yet."

"You have to sleep, though. It’s a rare peaceful night; who knows what tomorrow will bring? You need to be well-rested to deal with any emergencies!"

Pang Cancan gestured toward the two cowards who were sleeping soundly.

"Look at them; that’s what you call thick-skinned."

They couldn't afford to place their safety in the hands of those two, so they had no choice but to take turns keeping watch.

Pang Cancan urged Su Su, "I’m awake now, and it’s hard for me to fall back asleep anyway. You go get some sleep, Sister Su Su."

Her companion was too thoughtful, and Su Su couldn't bring herself to refuse her kindness. "I’m going to the restroom; I’ll sleep when I get back."

"Mhm!"

Su Su tried to place the ten-pound "Little Black" on the ground, but the moment she lifted it, those ink-green vertical pupils snapped open.

It stared at the human’s movements with suspicion.

Su Su had no choice but to explain, "I’m going to the restroom. You wait here for me."

It would only take a few minutes, and she couldn't carry such a heavy battle pet back and forth.

Moreover, if she went into the restroom, where would Little Black stay?

If she left it on the floor, she found the restroom floor dirty. If she kept carrying it, was she supposed to let it watch her use the toilet?

Su Su felt that after consuming the crystals, Little Black was becoming increasingly human-like... even if it didn't have human nature, she couldn't bring herself to do such an awkward thing.

"I’ll be back soon. Be a good boy, okay?"

She tried to put the black snake on the ground again.

The creature zipped back up onto her back, bending her spine by fifteen degrees.

"Hiss!"

The black snake understood her words, but it insisted on following her.

Su Su had no choice but to pull over her backpack and empty everything out of it.

"Then get in the bag; I’ll put you on the vanity counter."

"Hiss~"

The black snake begrudgingly agreed, skillfully slithering into the backpack. It coiled inside, resting its head on the shoulder strap near the human’s neck, and resumed squinting in a catnap.

Su Su sighed.

The restroom was at the other end of the C-shaped corridor, requiring her to pass through over a dozen lounges.

She walked, keeping a vigilant eye on every room.

Ever since the zombies had crawled in through the windows, she and Pang Cancan had locked all the windows and bolted the doors from the outside.

If the zombies could break the windows and then smash the doors, the massive noise would have been enough for them to hear.

The fact that there was no sound meant it was safe.

Su Su reached the women’s restroom and, after a careful check, placed her backpack on the vanity.

"Stay here and don't move, you hear?"

The black snake watched her enter a small cubicle, the door closing and cutting off its unwavering gaze.