Cooking Gourmet Meals in the Apocalypse

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Building Incident

Du Yina’s words only made the timid crowd more fearful.

From the sound of it, even if they stayed, they would still be in danger.

That Chen Xing could kill any one of them at any moment.

Now it seemed they were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Death if they left, death if they stayed!

’Then why not strike first? Kill that new little influencer? Or at least drive her out of the building?’

’That way, everyone would be safe.’

”They never come down, so there’s nothing we can do.” Although a large portion of the crowd already wanted to get rid of Chen Xing, they were helpless.

’The security in this building is too good. It’s probably impossible to get to the top floor, right?’

In the two days they’d been here, everyone had scoured every floor for food, but the top floor remained inaccessible.

There was an emergency access door, but it would probably take a bomb to open it.

”Old Hu, didn’t you tell me there was a spare key to the top floor’s emergency stairwell door in the security room’s safe?”

At this, Mr. Hu, who had been kowtowing, finally stopped. He was a little dizzy but still managed to nod. ”There is,” he said, ”but I don’t know the combination to the safe!”

”We can try!” It was better than having no hope at all.

’Judging by the looks of it, are they planning to break into Song Yiguo’s place?’

Chen Xing, who had been watching the entire scene unfold, could no longer sit still. She immediately headed for the elevator.

’Making an example of someone could be quite effective sometimes!’

’Especially when everyone was panicking and had no idea what to do.’

Mr. Hu led a few men to the security room and hauled the safe right into the lobby.

’With this many people, someone has to be able to open it, right?’

He had seen plenty of people break into empty apartments. If they could force open security doors, they should be able to crack a safe!

Everyone took a turn trying to open it, but while the safe’s alarm blared continuously, no one succeeded.

Just as everyone was growing more and more disappointed, someone pointed at the elevator and screamed, ”The murderous she-devil is here!” The cry sent goosebumps erupting on the arms of the more timid survivors.

Hao Wenli watched Chen Xing step out of the elevator, a flicker of jealousy in her eyes.

’How could she have changed into a brand-new set of clothes at a time like this?’

’What was most infuriating was how incredibly vibrant and agile she looked in that tracksuit.’

’And then there was me,’ she thought, ’wearing Mrs. Hu’s oversized floral dress...’

”That tracksuit you’re wearing is the latest from Armani, isn’t it? I’m so jealous!” Hao Wenli said with a friendly expression, trying to get closer to Chen Xing.

Chen Xing didn’t even glance at her. Instead, her gaze locked onto Du Yina.

Du Yina felt her skin crawl under that stare. Deeply unsettled, she instinctively backed away to stand beside Hao Wenli.

Her attempt at friendliness had failed, but Hao Wenli’s face showed no sign of displeasure. ”Did you come down to tell us that Uncle Hu’s family can stay? That would be wonderful. We all live in the same building, and it would be cruel to make anyone leave, right? I just knew Boss Song wasn’t a man of stone!”

’What a ”kind” woman.’ Her words not only praised Song Yiguo, but also painted herself as thoughtful and compassionate.

Chen Xing ignored her again. Weaving past a few people, she stopped beside Hao Wenli. Her eyes, cold and deep as a frozen lake, bored into Du Yina’s delicate face. ”It seems someone said I have to leave this building?”

Du Yina felt a crushing pressure that made it hard to even breathe.

It was the first time she’d ever felt such pressure from a mere gaze. It was utterly terrifying.

She grabbed Hao Wenli’s arm and tried to hide behind her, so scared she didn’t dare make a sound.

”She’s right!” someone shouted, already on edge. ”You kill people without a second thought. If you stay, who knows if you’ll kill one of us? We don’t want you in this building!”

”I’m not lying! It’s a fact that you killed Doctor Wei. Five of us saw it with our own eyes!” Seeing someone take her side, Du Yina’s courage grew a little. ”If you stay here, who’s to say you won’t turn on us next? Since Boss Song has decided to let Uncle Hu’s family stay, then you’re the one who should leave! We don’t want to live in the same building as a murderer!” Since Boss Song had agreed to let the Hu Family stay, her guess must have been correct.

’This Chen Xing must have no connection to Boss Song at all. Otherwise, why would he compromise so easily?’

The more she thought about it, the bolder she became. ”I get it now! Boss Song probably found out you’re a murderer and kicked you out, right? Scram! It’ll be a lot uglier for you if you get thrown out by force...”

She was about to say more, but Hao Wenli suddenly jabbed her with an elbow, and she fell silent.

Hao Wenli’s expression was gentle, a stark contrast to Du Yina’s smug and clueless face. ”Chen Xing, please don’t take offense. She didn’t mean it. She’s just worried about everyone’s safety, so she speaks without thinking. Please don’t stoop to her level.” She had seen the murderous intent flash in Chen Xing’s eyes.

Although Du Yina didn’t understand why Hao Wenli had stopped her, she kept her mouth shut.

Hao Wenli secretly nudged Du Yina again. ”Yina, hurry and apologize to Chen Xing. Tell her you just spoke without thinking. Chen Xing isn’t a petty person. If you apologize, she’ll surely let it go!” Having said that much, Hao Wenli was confident that even if Chen Xing wanted to press the issue, she wouldn’t be able to. ’Could she really kill someone in front of all these people?’

However unwilling Du Yina was, one look at Chen Xing’s frosty expression made her apologize. ”I’m sorry... A great person like you wouldn’t hold a grudge against a nobody like me, right? You won’t stoop to my level, will you?” She even tacked on a sweet smile.

’They say you can’t hit a smiling face,’ she thought. ’Hao Wenli is a genius.’

She was sure that no matter how angry Chen Xing was, her hands were now tied.

”I’m afraid not,” Chen Xing’s voice was ice-cold, a winter wind sweeping past their ears. ”I’m an extremely petty person. I always repay my debts!”

The moment she finished speaking, under the stunned gazes of the entire crowd, a short blade flashed across Du Yina’s neck.

It happened in an instant, without a single warning.

Before anyone could even process what had happened, Du Yina was already collapsing to the floor.

Her eyes were filled with terror and fear, but most of all, with confusion.

”AAAAGH!” Realizing what had happened a moment too late, Hao Wenli shrieked in terror as blood spattered across one side of her face. She collapsed to the ground, unable to believe what she was seeing.

’This woman is completely insane! She doesn’t play by any rules!’

’After all that, a normal person would have had to just swallow their anger and let it go.’

’But this one... she just kills someone right in front of more than a hundred people?’

Chen Xing’s icy expression showed no emotion after the kill. She retracted her blade, her sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd. ”Does anyone else have an opinion they’d like to share? I’m a very open-minded person...” Her tone was even, but a chilling aura permeated the lobby, piercing through everyone present.

”...” More than half the crowd shuffled backward. No one dared to be the one to speak up.

’In a situation like this, calling the police is useless. Might makes right!’

A number of people were already thinking about leaving.

’She really does kill without batting an eye. If we stay here, we could be next at any moment!’

”Good. No objections, then,” Chen Xing said nonchalantly, and turned toward the elevator.

”Aaargh! I’ll kill you!” Mr. Hu, who had been silent all this time, suddenly let out a roar and charged at Chen Xing’s back.