Chapter 7

The room was brighter than expected, with a fluorescent stick emitting a faint blue light lying on the ground, barely enough to see the surroundings.

Xiao Xu reached out to pick it up and probed around. Sure enough, there was another can of the same beer near the door.

"Be careful!" Old Wang whispered, and Xiao Xu nodded, taking the gun in one hand and holding the fluorescent stick in the other as he walked towards the source of the sound.

Unlike the others who were anxious and uncertain, Feng Yajing was very relaxed. She put her hand into her pocket and gripped a smooth crystal, feeling the faint warmth from it, which warmed her heart.

She smiled happily.

The building was complex, but at every fork in the path, something was always thrown on the correct route. At first, it was drinks, then it became pens, books, and other common items.

After walking for a while, they came to a metal roller shutter with a large opening.

As before, Xiao Xu went in first, and after confirming it was safe, everyone followed in a line, with Old Wang bringing up the rear. But this time, Old Wang suddenly stopped at the door.

Xiao Xu immediately became alert, stopped, and moved closer to Old Wang while scanning the surroundings.

Before he could ask, Old Wang held out his hand: "Give it to me!"

Taking the fluorescent stick, he squatted down and brought the light closer to the ground. It was a piece of metal cut from the door.

The others subconsciously gathered around, watching him examine the metal closely.

Studying the clumped metal material, Old Wang turned to Xiao Xu: "Do you see anything?"

"The top seems to be bent by hand," Xiao Xu mused, pointing to the top.

"Uh-huh." Old Wang lifted the metal piece, revealing the back. "What else?"

Xiao Xu gasped, pointing to several protrusions on the back that resembled piano keys. "I get it, these are fingerprints."

His face turned pale. "This person walked up to the door, saw it was closed, and punched it, creating a hole. These are the fingerprints left behind. Then, he grabbed the opening and pulled down with force..."

As he spoke, he gestured with the clumped metal piece, and at the end, seeing the jagged edges, he shivered involuntarily.

Although the metal roller shutter wasn't very thick, breaking it by hand would be more difficult than uprooting a street lamp. The thought of a more terrifying monster inside sent a chill through everyone's hearts. They looked at each other, unable to speak.

Zhao Zongsheng said in a trembling voice, "Let's go."

"No," Feng Yajing said urgently, "We've come so far, we can't go back now."

Feng Lin and Old Wang looked at her thoughtfully, exchanged a glance, and said, "Let's keep going."

They continued walking and, to their relief, didn't encounter the terrifying monster they had imagined. Pushing open a slightly ajar door, they suddenly saw a bright light. They had reached the edge of the building, and the firelight from the windows outside overwhelmed the weak light of the fluorescent stick.

They were on the rooftop of a six-story building. From the window, they could see that the city was even more chaotic, with fires everywhere and the distant sounds of screams and cries.

Zhao Zongsheng plopped down on the ground, "I'm exhausted."

Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he grabbed a large red plastic bag beside him, "What's this?"

He turned the bag upside down, and several bread rolls fell out with a soft thud.

"Food, hahaha!" He laughed wildly, grabbing the bread and hugging it tightly, "It's all mine!"

Feng Lin frowned slightly but said nothing, gesturing for his daughter to sit and rest.

"We should check the surroundings," Old Wang said, having already quickly circled the room. He came over and whispered to Feng Lin, "And see if we can find more food..."

"Bang!"

A large backpack suddenly fell from above, startling them.

They looked up to see a high metal ceiling with a hole about two meters in diameter. The backpack must have fallen from there.

Through the hole, they could see the outer layer of tempered glass and the dark, smoky clouds illuminated by the firelight.

Someone was up there? Old Wang and Xiao Xu exchanged a glance and cautiously spread out, trying to find a way to climb up.

"Food," Feng Yajing suddenly exclaimed, "So much food!"

She had opened the backpack, which contained bread, cookies, and cans of fish and meat. Old Wang and the others also saw several cans of beer, just like the ones that had guided them.

Old Wang turned to Feng Yajing, who was looking at him. Noticing his gaze, she looked away, slightly uneasy.

"Let's eat something first!" Feng Lin smiled, taking a can of beef and handing it to Old Wang.

Old Wang smiled back, "Sure, we need to eat to have energy."

In the corner of their eyes, Feng Yajing visibly relaxed, her smile becoming more genuine.

Everyone sat down to eat. As Feng Lin held a piece of bread, he suddenly turned to Feng Yajing, "You haven't told me how you got back. Did someone help you?"

Feng Yajing hesitated, then nodded.

"Who?"

"A friend, a friend," Feng Yajing hesitated longer, finally speaking reluctantly, then pouted, "Don't ask, okay? I'm so annoyed."

She pretended to search the bag, looking annoyed, "Why are there only beers..."

"Bang!" A plastic bottle of drink fell.

Feng Yajing looked at the drink, her face flushing, as if remembering something.

Feng Lin laughed, "This place seems great, everything we need is here. My daughter is really capable, finding this place so quickly."

"Where?!" Feng Yajing's face turned red, "Dad, you're talking nonsense!"

Feng Lin smiled but said nothing, then raised his voice, "Is there any water?"

A bottle of mineral water was thrown down, and he caught it, "Thanks."

"I want some, I want some!" Zhao Zongsheng, who had been eyeing the food, rushed to the hole.

Another bottle of mineral water appeared at the hole, but this time it was uncapped and turned upside down.

Splash! It drenched Zhao Zongsheng's face.

Seeing Zhao Zongsheng wiping his face, Feng Yajing burst out laughing, and the others couldn't help but chuckle.

"Is that your friend up there?" Feng Lin stood up, looking at Feng Yajing and the hole, "Can we talk?"

"Dad, what are you doing?" Feng Yajing pulled his hand.

Ignoring her, Feng Lin stared at the hole.

After a moment, a rope dropped down.

However, when no one came down after a long wait, and Old Wang climbed up first, they found only food and drinks, no one.

Lin Jixin was on his way back to Lestar Pavilion. Helping Feng Yajing was just a way to repay her for staying by his side when he fainted. The abnormal energy interference would disappear in two days, and Feng Yajing and the others would be safe if they stayed there. He had no interest in dealing with Feng Lin and wouldn't have any further interaction.

At Lestar Pavilion, everyone had dispersed. Lin Jixin slowly walked to the villa where Wen Haixin had stayed. After deliberately promoting the effects of the "Seven-Pronged Crystal," most of its effects had already taken hold in his body. This was another reason he had escorted Feng Yajing away. With the current chaos, he needed time to absorb the effects and improve his strength to ensure his safety.

He took out a mineral water bottle with a small amount of blue liquid, poured it into his hand, and threw it at the villa. A blue light barrier appeared, with faint human figures inside.

Observing the figures for a moment, he showed a hint of surprise. Wen Haixin and the others had just left.

They had taken advantage of the rioters' assumption that everyone would immediately flee, a bold and cunning move. He habitually touched his chin, but there was no beard, and it felt smooth. He smiled. This was getting interesting.

"Be careful," Wen Haixin held her sister Wen Haibei.

This was a burned-out wasteland, with uneven ground. Fourteen-year-old Wen Haibei, being frail, found it difficult to walk, and she almost fell again if not for her sister's quick reaction.

The two sisters were now dressed in men's clothing, jackets and long pants, making their movements much easier. Two bodyguards protected them, one in front and one behind.

As they passed a half-burned, smoking wooden post, Wen Haibei noticed a small piece of blue crystal shining faintly on its top, very noticeable against the charred black wood.

She stopped to pick it up, but before she could examine it, her sister gently pulled her, "Hurry up."

Holding it in her hand, Wen Haibei quickly followed her sister.

After crossing the wasteland, Wen Haixin stopped to observe the surroundings and soon found a looted area. The more powerful rioters were less interested in places that had already been looted.

"Go this way," she pointed.

Because she had kept a clear head, they had encountered no serious danger so far.

After taking a few steps, a figure jumped from the seventh floor of a nearby building, illuminated by the dim firelight.

Wen Haibei let out a low gasp and was quickly covered by her sister's hand.

The expected bloodbath didn't happen. The figure landed on his feet with a slight bend of his knees.

It was a young Western man, handsome with neatly trimmed brown hair, looking very spirited.

He smiled at the sisters, showing a row of white teeth, "Hi! How are you..."

He spoke perfect Mandarin.

His face fell when the two women turned and ran without hesitation, leaving the two bodyguards who raised their guns maliciously.

One of the bodyguards sneered, "Kid, put your hands up if you don't want to die..."

"Go to hell!" The brown-haired man's eyes turned cold, and he shouted.

As he spoke, the two bodyguards froze, reaching for their necks. Blood spurted from their necks, and their heads fell off.

Wen Haibei let out a sharp scream and was pulled by her sister, running for her life.

The brown-haired man resumed his gentle demeanor, smiling as he slowly pursued the sisters.

The sisters soon found themselves with no way out. When they ran into a small street, they saw it was filled with rioters. They had run headlong into a lion's den.

The rioters looked at the sisters with the same gaze they would give lambs, almost drooling.

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