Chapter 0007: Human Habitation

The girl was stunned by the beating, instinctively letting go of Song Qingxiao's hand to shield herself, emitting a whimpering sound of "wu wu".

With a loud "bang," the girl’s head was knocked to one side. The force was so great that Song Qingxiao had just managed to sit up straight with great effort, only to be pulled back down to the ground by the girl who was tightly gripping her hand

Certainly, the most important reason is not merely Song Qing's compassion for the young girl, but rather her concern that if the middle-aged man were to cause any issues for the girl, the remaining team would be thrown out of balance

The middle-aged man seemed to have regained some strength, and the three of them thoroughly searched the factory. Song Qing silently memorized the layout of the areas they had traversed. After an unknown amount of time, the three were exhausted, appearing utterly fatigued. The excitement and hope that the middle-aged man initially felt upon discovering the factory gradually faded, and his expression grew increasingly grim. He spoke little, and his demeanor became more menacing. Eventually, as their stomachs began to rumble, they could no longer continue and found a place to sit down.

No

The middle-aged man's gaze gradually changed, and his demeanor also shifted. Song Qing shook off the girl's hand that was tightly clinging to her and lowered her voice to scold her

Song Qing's eardrum was ringing with a "buzzing" sound. The middle-aged man, already irritable from a long time of being unable to find a way out, was further exacerbated by hunger and fatigue. When he suddenly slipped and fell, it frightened him to the core. The girl's scream became the catalyst that ignited his emotions to the extreme. Once he regained his senses and eased up a bit, he raised his arm without hesitation and delivered a heavy slap to the girl's face.

A middle-aged man with a history of violence is very likely to resort to violence again in the process of seeking a way out, and at that time, her situation will be extremely precarious

How to escape from this place is unclear to everyone; it is already quite difficult for three people to find an exit together

If you call out one more time, I will kill you

After grasping this point, the few individuals became even more cautious as they descended this staircase, beginning to explore the new area

Do you have any food

It is already quite difficult for the three of them to have come this far. If the young girl encounters any issues, the remaining two will have to assist her on the journey and find the other six members of their team, which is no easy task. Not to mention, they also need to help her find a way to leave this space.

The young girl's character was originally timid and cowardly. After being led to fall by the middle-aged man and being startled, she screamed and had already received a slap. In a fit of rage, the middle-aged man might very well strike her in a way that could cause serious issues.

Her timely intervention caused the middle-aged man's gesture of raising his hand to falter

The middle-aged man reached out his hand towards Song Qingxiao, who already felt that something was amiss with him. Her hand was tightly grasped by the young girl, while her other hand was pulling the middle-aged man.

In this unfamiliar place, strange buildings have appeared, and it is uncertain whether there is any danger. A few individuals hold each other's hands as they enter, where the light is even darker than outside. This should be an abandoned factory, with an astonishingly large space. Apart from a dozen or so large vats, there is nothing else inside.

One can see the building, and there may be additional exits. Once an exit is found to leave this cursed place, it would be considered liberation

Previously, when I fell, my arm was injured, a patch of skin was scraped, and it bled

The girl screamed loudly, her voice sounding somewhat mournful in such an environment

No

After calming down, Song Qing looked around this place. It was lower than the area where the previous few people had fallen. From the solid ground beneath her feet, it appeared to be a staircase, but due to the passage of time, it had been overgrown with weeds, obscuring the steps. Additionally, the environment was not particularly clear, which led to a momentary lapse in attention, causing her to step into empty space and fall.

As soon as he spoke, the young girl trembled, and as soon as the middle-aged man finished speaking, the young girl quickly shook her head

The middle-aged man lifted the corner of his mouth and said, "Number 1, come over here a bit."

We have not yet found Zhou Jing and the others. If everyone gathers by then and we find a way to leave this place, it would also be a troublesome matter if anyone gets hurt

Perhaps it was due to the middle-aged man's short and stout physique, which appeared strong yet was actually frail, or perhaps it was because he had been filled with fear and exhaustion from the journey thus far. When Song Qingxiao collided with him, the middle-aged man released the girl and fell to the ground. In a fit of rage, he attempted to get back up and strike again. Without hesitation, Song Qingxiao endured the soreness and weakness in her shoulder from the collision, using all her strength to drag the girl, who was limp and unable to move on the ground, attempting to separate her from the middle-aged man. At the same time, she sternly questioned him.

Uncertain how long they had been walking, the black shadow that had been hidden in the thick fog finally drew near; it was a structure resembling a factory shed. The three of them first let out a sigh of relief, only to feel a tightening sensation on their scalps shortly thereafter

He has already become vigilant, and Song Qing forced a smile, pretending to be calm

The girl's body trembled like a sieve, and red, swollen fingerprints quickly appeared on her cheeks. She was terrified of the middle-aged man to the utmost, and her character was excessively timid. At this moment, after being struck, she did not even dare to cry out loud, curling up her legs and hiding behind Song Qingxiao.

As she spoke, she pushed the young girl slightly, using the excuse to pull her clothes together a bit

Do you want to kill her

The girl's scream abruptly ceased, and after this silence, an eerie tranquility seemed to pervade the surroundings, as if, apart from the three individuals, there was nothing but a dead city.

What have you been touching your arm for

She grew up in the western part of the capital city, where violent incidents were frequent, a place referred to as "slums" and "chaotic streets". Having witnessed numerous fights, she understood the feeling of constant anxiety.

He was the first to slip, and being overweight, he fell more severely than the two girls. As he got up, he made a sound of inhaling sharply, and his right leg was somewhat uncooperative, causing him to walk with a limp, which was more laborious than before

She understands the fears of young girls; in such an environment, even the slightest rustle can be enough to instill terror. She too suppresses her fear, merely afraid of attracting some danger.

After the three people fell down the stairs, he was also injured quite badly. At this moment, his right leg was still aching faintly. He shifted his gaze away from Song Qingxiao and landed on the girl who was trying her best to distance herself from him. His gaze became even more chilling, carrying a hint of hostility within it.

The heavy lid covered the tank, and it was uncertain what was inside. In a state of exhaustion and hunger, the group dared not recklessly lift the lid. After some discussion, they decided to first search the surrounding area before proceeding.

He waved to the young girl and licked his lips

These few words had quite a good effect; the middle-aged man suppressed his anger, brushed off the grass clippings from his clothes, and stood up with a cold snort

In the small group of three, only two people remain, and her being alone with the middle-aged man undoubtedly intensifies her crisis

If this continues, it is likely to cost lives, Song Qingxiao instinctively tried to stop it

Do not hit anymore

When she spoke these words, her voice was somewhat hoarse, and only Song Qingxiao could hear how urgently the blood was flowing in her body at that moment, her heart pounding wildly.

She released the hand of the middle-aged man she was holding, pretending to rub her arm, while in fact, her hand was still gripping the handle of the dagger. The middle-aged man noticed her actions; she made several such movements along the way. During this sensitive period, the middle-aged man asked darkly:

Although this space is detached from reality, the principle of upholding the law is deeply ingrained in the minds of many citizens of the empire. When morality has not yet completely deteriorated, Song Qingxiao's intervention indeed calmed the middle-aged man down, and his clenched fist was once again relaxed.

Song Qing carefully pondered her words, being cautious not to provoke the middle-aged man and cause any complications. At the same time, she tightly gripped her own arm, her palm pressing against the handle of the knife through her clothing

Do you have any food

Upon her mentioning this, the middle-aged man dismissed his doubts

This made Song Qingxiao unable to keep her dagger at hand at all times, and she was actually somewhat anxious in her heart

Song Qingxiao was distracted by the cards in her mind. After such a long time, the cards remained still, and the girl's action of taking off her coat set off alarm bells in her heart

She mentioned that this point not only gave middle-aged men a glimmer of hope but also attempted to calm him down, encouraging him to moderate his behavior

Upon thinking of this, Song Qingxiao gripped the dagger hidden in her arm in preparation for any sudden aggression from the man, while simultaneously using her body strength to push her shoulder against the middle-aged man

In such circumstances, the girl's actions are extremely dangerous! Unfortunately, she is too young to realize this.

Everyone can see that you have no food

The middle-aged man was on the brink of collapse; at this moment, once he acted, all negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, and exhaustion seemed to find an outlet through his violent actions. His eyes were bloodshot, his expression fierce, and after slapping her once, he was still unsatisfied. He raised his fist and swung it again towards the girl's head.

She was afraid that middle-aged men would not believe her, so she opened her pocket and even pulled open her coat to prove that she was not lying

If someone were to encounter an accident, it would mean one less contribution, which would not benefit us at all. She was not a talkative person, but her words struck at the heart of the matter. The middle-aged man's expression softened somewhat, and he clearly calmed down a lot. Song Qingxiao let out a slight sigh of relief and then continued:

Previously, a slap had already caused the girl's mouth to crack, oozing with blood. At this moment, a middle-aged man's fist struck the girl's head, causing her complexion to change.

After being struck by the middle-aged man, the young girl no longer dared to approach him, clinging to Song Qingxiao as if she were a lifeline, holding onto her tightly at all times