allendalepharm Page 56
Page 56
His goal was clear: shopping malls offer more than just clothes.
"Let's go upstairs and look for the outdoor gear and electronics section."
He led the way to the higher floors of the shopping mall.
The snow in the stairwells was even thicker, and there were even small-scale collapses in some places, so you need to be careful when detouring.
The higher you go, the dimmer the light becomes, and less and less of the snow light shines through the broken skylight.
The stench of decay in the air was even stronger.
The broken skylight let more wind and snow into the room, and the floor was covered with a thin layer of snow, mixed with dust and debris.
Su Hui walked at the front, holding the [Steel-Cutting] longsword in his hand, his mental energy like invisible tentacles, carefully sensing the surrounding environment.
He keenly noticed that occasionally, the corpses of monsters could be seen on the ground floor of these floors.
Most of them are low-level mutants, and their numbers are not large.
However, their wounds were not caused by wild animal bites or claw attacks. System scans showed that these monsters were cleanly cut or pierced by sharp weapons, and some were even hit in vital areas by gunfire.
Some shops had their doors forcibly damaged, and the shelves inside were ransacked, clearly indicating that someone had looted the place.
On the dusty ground and shelves, besides the clear footprints left by the four of them, some earlier and more messy footprints could be vaguely seen. Most of them were covered by newly fallen snowflakes, but the characteristics of human activity could still be discerned.
Someone had been here before them and had conducted a purposeful and selective looting, even clearing out the monsters in the area.
Su Hui silently noted these findings down, slowing his pace and remaining vigilant against any potential threats.
When they arrived on the third floor.
This is a relatively open atrium area, with several large holes in the high dome, through which cold winds carry snowflakes in swirling and falling.
The area was surrounded by shops, most of which had broken windows and were in a mess inside.
silence.
The only sounds were the wind and the crunching of their footsteps on the snow and broken glass.
Su Hui suddenly stopped, his gaze flashing like lightning to the right front, behind a row of overturned billboards and piles of debris.
There came a very faint, almost imperceptible sound, and a few deliberately suppressed breaths.
Harley immediately raised her "Sweet" revolver, a look of excited, bloodthirsty smile spreading across her face.
Tina and Mary tensed up instantly, gripping their weapons tightly and moving closer to Su Hui.
"come out."
Su Hui's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable coldness and penetrating power, echoing in the empty and quiet courtyard.
"I'll give you three seconds, or I'll treat you as enemies."
While speaking,
An invisible spiritual pressure was quietly released, spreading in that direction like a cold tide.
This oppressive aura wasn't particularly strong, but it carried a chilling, soul-deep fear that was enough to make anyone with a weak will feel breathless.
This is a simple trick that Su Hui only figured out recently after his mental strength improved.
His mental strength, several times greater than that of an ordinary person, allows him to unleash a power akin to oppression.
At the same time, the system's [scan] will begin!
Su Hui wasn't going to be foolish enough to wait for the other party to react.
A suppressed commotion and whispers arose from the hiding place. As Su Hui checked the scan results, the people inside also made their judgment.
"Friend, don't shoot! We mean no harm!"
As soon as the words were spoken, a figure emerged from behind the billboard.
He was a tall, white man in his thirties, wearing a dirty NYPD uniform. His face was etched with fatigue and weariness, his eyes were sunken, and he had a stubble beard.
He cautiously raised his hands to indicate that he was not carrying any weapons and had no malicious intent.
Upon seeing Su Hui and his group of four, their eyes showed surprise and vigilance, but more than anything, a complex mix of emotions.
"Please don't misunderstand, we are just... survivors hiding here."
His voice was hoarse.
Behind him, several more male survivors emerged one after another.
Among them were Black people and white youths who looked like street thugs. They were all carrying weapons, but their clothes were also dirty and worn, and their eyes were full of vigilance and unease.
Their gazes shifted noticeably to something more complex as they swept over Harley, Tina, and Mary.
There was surprise, there was avoidance, but more than anything, there was an undisguised gleam mixed with hunger and desire.
This caused Su Hui's eyes to turn cold instantly, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Behind these men, there were clearly other people inside the shop, with more than a dozen figures emerging one after another from the sheltered shop.
The group of survivors was quite diverse, including people of all skin colors, and several men and women who looked like white-collar workers.
Several of the female survivors were fairly good-looking. One of them was Asian, like Su Hui, and was about thirty years old with a fairly delicate appearance.
Even more striking was the presence of a heavily pregnant woman in the crowd, her face pale, being carefully supported by the leading police officer; she was clearly his wife.
They were all dressed in thin summer clothes, with layers of various fabrics and garments they had found in clothing stores haphazardly wrapped around them for warmth.
Even so, it was far from enough to help in temperatures near -20°C.
These people were listless, most of them shivering in the cold wind, looking haggard from hunger, cold and fear.
They have obviously been trapped for a long time.
These people were also carrying a few weapons, including crowbars and fire axes. Su Hui also saw two pistols and a shotgun, but they looked poorly maintained, and he didn't know if they had any bullets left.
"Sir, please don't shoot! We are residents of the nearby community... After the apocalypse, we were planning to organize and head to the official shelter in the city center, that... Staples Center..."
Su Hui didn't rush to ask questions. Instead, the leading policeman, the man named Ryan, took the initiative to introduce himself when he saw Su Hui's questioning look.
He took a deep breath, trying to make his tone sound sincere.
"But we encountered a terrible monster attack on the road, which killed many people, and then this damn heavy snow suddenly started... We got separated and were eventually forced to take shelter in this shopping mall."
Ryan pointed to the mess around him, a bitter smile on his face.
“We’ve been trapped here for several days. We’ve long since run out of food and fuel for heating. We can only rely on a low-powered radio to receive some signals intermittently, hoping to make contact with rescue.”
"When we heard the loud noise of your car coming in, we thought...we thought it was a military or official rescue team."
Ryan's eyes held a glimmer of hope, but more so a weariness born from accepting reality.
He looked at Su Hui with pleading in his eyes.
"Friends, you all look to be in good spirits. I know this is presumptuous... but could you... could you share some of your food with us?"
Or, could you help us contact the official shelter for rescue? My wife is pregnant, and there are others... If this continues, we really can't hold on any longer.
His gaze swept over Harley, Tina, and Mary, who had different expressions behind Su Hui, and a hint of envy and complex emotions flashed in his eyes.
Su Hui listened quietly, his face expressionless, his eyes deep and unfathomable, making it impossible to discern what he was thinking.
There was silence for a moment.
Su Hui's gaze slowly swept over Ryan and the group of survivors behind him.
He saw in their eyes the despair, hunger, cold, and a barely perceptible hint of greed and scheming.
In particular, the look of desire and jealousy in the eyes of the male survivors as they looked at Harley and her two companions sent a chill down his spine.
The apocalypse amplified the evil in human nature.
But he also saw the genuine concern in Ryan's eyes as he supported his pregnant wife. Night Rain says: Welcome to read this book at 705U.com!
And the pregnant woman's pale face, showing a determined effort to maintain her strength.
In the end, Su Hui didn't say anything. He simply turned around calmly, took off the tactical backpack he was carrying, and used the backpack to cover his hands as he took out some things from his system space.
Several packs of high-energy compressed biscuits.
Several bottles of purified water.
The number is small, but for these people on the verge of despair, it is nothing short of a lifeline.
Su Hui could see the people behind Ryan swallowing hard when he took out the food. Mei You miss me, Mei Mei is busy, Lin Zai Zai isn't here...
"Thank you! Thank you so much, my friend!"
Ryan's eyes lit up instantly when he saw the food and water. He excitedly took them, his voice trembling slightly.
He quickly handed a bottle of water and a bag of biscuits to his wife beside him.
Other survivors also gathered around, their eyes filled with longing, and some even began to push and shove.
"Don't grab it! There's enough for everyone!"
Ryan worked hard to maintain order and distribute food and water.
He looked at Su Hui again, his face full of gratitude.
“My name is Ryan Miller, and this is my wife, Ella.
“Sir, you saved us…at least you gave us hope. Could you tell me your name? If we survive, I, Ryan Miller, will repay this kindness!”
Ryan's tone was very serious.
Su Hui looked at him and said calmly, "Su Hui."
"Mr. Su Hui, thank you."
Ryan Miller repeated it solemnly.
The distribution of food temporarily alleviated the hunger, but there was very little food and even less water; each person could barely survive.
The gazes of some of the survivors began to become complicated.
Especially the few women in the group who were reasonably attractive.
They looked at Su Hui's young and handsome face and powerful aura, and then at the three beautiful women beside him, each with a different style but all very eye-catching, and their eyes immediately became lively.
Compared to his own current miserable state, a strong sense of jealousy and longing arose spontaneously.
Why wasn't I following behind him?
This thought crossed their minds.
In the apocalypse, strong men and ample supplies are the greatest guarantees for survival.
Soon, the first person to take action appeared.
A blonde woman wearing tattered yoga pants and several layers of thin blankets wrapped around her upper body deliberately puffed out her chest and winked at Su Hui, trying to get his attention.
The other gave Su Hui what she thought was a charming smile, her eyes gleaming with a seductive glint.
Others turned their attention to Tina and Mary, who seemed more sympathetic, and put on pitiful expressions, as if trying to gain their sympathy.
Harley crossed her arms and watched the scene with great interest, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
Tina simply shook her head gently without saying a word.
Mary felt a little uncomfortable under that gaze and subconsciously moved closer to Su Hui.
Just then, the Asian woman in her thirties, with a fairly refined appearance but somewhat mean eyes, pushed aside the blonde woman blocking her way and quickly walked up to Su Hui.
Beside her was a tall, muscular black man with fierce eyes; he was one of the men who had previously shown obvious covetousness towards Harley and her friends.
The Asian woman looked Su Hui up and down, a smile she thought was very charming plastered on her face, and her tone was slightly coquettish.
"Hey handsome, judging from your appearance, you're Chinese, right?"
Su Hui looked at her expressionlessly, without responding.
Seeing that he didn't answer, the woman thought she had guessed correctly, her smile widened, and her tone became more affectionate.
"Oh my, what a coincidence! I'm also of Chinese descent, my name is Mei. You see, we're all compatriots, in this damned apocalypse, we must help each other!"
She was trying to use this method to get closer to him.
Su Hui remained silent, his eyes as calm as a deep pool, without the slightest ripple.
Seeing that Su Hui remained unmoved, a hint of displeasure flashed in Mei's eyes.
But then her eyes darted around, and she came up with a different guess.