12 Dominance

Before witnessing human cities turn to ruins, Qin Zhen had a certain fear of humans, for they possessed limitless potential—not only in technological inventions but also in their studies of Taoist magic.

That was why, no matter how strong the zombies were at first, they would ultimately be defeated by humans in films and dramas.

This made the zombies inevitably afraid.

But upon discovering that humans had gone mad, she felt both anger and disappointment. She decided to return underground and wait for several decades or even centuries until this disaster passed, then come back to the surface to experience their technological marvels.

Yet, simply walking away like that would be tantamount to burying herself with no gain. After enduring so much hardship and witnessing only Fu Qi and two ruthless foreigners, such a loss was too great.

It was like humans traveling to the largest wildlife park in the world, paying a hefty price, only to have mischievous monkeys snatch their backpacks and see nothing more than a couple of ugly toads—heartbreaking no matter how you looked at it.

Qin Zhen felt exactly this way now, eagerly hoping Fu Qi could bring back a few normal humans for her to see.

From eager anticipation to boredom, from day until dusk, the sky nearly darkened, yet Fu Qi had not returned. Qin Zhen began worrying that he might have encountered those people from Country A and been captured.

Should she go out to look for him?

If it really was those people, should she intervene to help Fu Qi? Helping would mean harming humans, and zombies who harmed humans rarely met a good end.

As she hesitated, suddenly she heard commotion outside—the zombies wandering the hallway seemed to have suddenly become active.

This apartment was luxuriously decorated, with a sturdy front door and excellent soundproofing. The zombies couldn’t hear the outside clearly and didn’t realize the door used an electronic lock and display, still searching for a peephole. Then, “bang, bang, bang,” someone knocked on the door.

“Help, help!” came a terrified shout. “Brother Fu sent me. Big sister, please save me…”

Before the person could finish, Qin Zhen opened the door.

Outside stood a young man, back pressed against the door, brandishing a knife at the approaching zombies. As soon as the door opened, he stumbled inside with a cry.

Qin Zhen dodged swiftly, avoiding being knocked over, but several slobbering zombies followed without manners, lunging inside. One grabbed the young man’s leg and pressed down on Qin Zhen’s foot.

Zombies had a peculiar cleanliness obsession; seeing the filthy, foul-smelling black hand, Qin Zhen’s scalp tingled and, almost instinctively, she kicked one zombie away.

As she kicked one out, another squeezed inside, nearly touching her. The overwhelming stench nearly suffocated even a zombie.

She kicked again and glanced at the dim, densely packed corridor filled with the nauseating zombies, her skin prickling, as she quickly shut the door.

The terrified young man scrambled to his feet and helped.

Together, zombie and human pushed hard to keep the zombies outside.

The young man, having narrowly escaped death, collapsed, catching his breath and hurriedly rolling up his pant leg to check for scratches.

“Scared me to death! Luckily, my pants are thick!” he exhaled. “Thanks to my ancestors’ blessings and the Three Pure Ones above, I’ll light extra incense for you later. And thank you too, big sister, you’re really kind, just like Brother Fu… Whoa!”

As he spoke his thanks, he turned to look at Qin Zhen and nearly jumped out of his skin.

He quickly ducked back, banging the back of his head on the door with a loud thud, which only excited the howling zombies outside more.

Qin Zhen was startled as well, unsure if he had seen through her disguise, freezing in place.

This was the first human she had met since her transformation.

She wore long pants, long sleeves, and sneakers. Her face and neck were heavily covered with foundation. Although she couldn’t cover her hands with makeup, she wore gloves Fu Qi had specially found, along with colored contact lenses. There should be no other exposed abnormalities.

None at all.

Qin Zhen thought carefully and was sure she hadn’t slipped up; she had checked in the mirror several times after Fu Qi left.

So why was he scared? Did this young man possess some special skill to see through her identity?

“I’m sorry!”

Just as Qin Zhen stiffened, unable to move, the young man recovered and sheepishly lowered his head. “Sorry, big sister, it was too dark, I misjudged. I didn’t realize you were wearing makeup—I thought you were a ghost…”

He started apologizing but then began to complain. “Who did your makeup? The foundation is way too white. The eyeshadow… if I didn’t look closely, I’d think those were holes. Mine looks better!”

Qin Zhen: “…”

Terrifying a zombie!

But was the foundation she chose really that bad? It was clearly much better than Fu Qi’s choice.

The young man kept babbling, “Hey, let me do your makeup! Don’t just look at me—I’m a guy, but my makeup skills are pretty good. Back in college, I worked part-time as a host and extra, always did my own makeup, even taught others online. I’m practically a beauty blogger…”

He talked so much Qin Zhen couldn’t get a word in. She listened stiffly for a while, then stood and turned back inside.

“Oh, sorry, that was rude of me!” The young man hurriedly stood up as she left. “Sorry, big sister, I talk too much. Back in school, my teachers punished me for gossiping. Thanks for opening the door for me. I’m Fan Xu. You?”

Qin Zhen: “…”

She had too many names and didn’t know which to give. Besides, he spoke so fluently while she stammered at once.

Not wanting to lose face, she fell silent briefly before replying simply, “Fu Qi.”

“Oh, Brother Fu! Sorry, I was so startled I forgot about Brother Fu.” Fan Xu slapped his head and quickly explained, “Brother Fu said this place has been deserted too long, wherever there are zombies gathering, there must be survivors nearby. Those foreigners might use this clue to search, so someone has to lure the zombies downstairs away…”

Fan Xu talked nonstop, explaining everything without being asked.

He said he was from the Dawn Base, where they had developed fast-growing crops and efficient filters, so food and water weren’t a problem. But supplies were still scarce. He had come out with a convoy to find resources but got separated from the main group along the way. He thought he wouldn’t survive but was captured by foreigners to show them the map.

After many twists and turns, half a month later, they arrived in this city. They planned to head north into the forest, but the foreigners suddenly received orders to kill him since no guide was needed. He escaped by risking a window jump when they weren’t paying attention.

He fled to a broken house surrounded by zombies. After days without food or water, he set a fire to signal for help—if the foreigners came, he’d die; if rescuers came, he’d live. He left it to fate.

Fortunately, it was Fu Qi who came for him.

When the two left, they saw those foreigners arriving, so Fu Qi had to cover their retreat.

“I climbed the wall from behind to avoid being seen, couldn’t use the window, had to go through the hallway, almost torn apart by zombies. Luckily, you opened the door. Thank you so much, big sister. Without you and Brother Fu, I’d have died here today!”

“Those foreigners are really something, fighting among themselves at a time like this. Whoever dies just strengthens the zombie horde. What’s the point of fighting? No vision at all. Don’t you think so, sis?”

Qin Zhen remained silent.

Fan Xu felt a little embarrassed. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Am I too noisy?”

Not noisy, but extremely noisy!

And speaking so much without a single stammer!

Qin Zhen was growing annoyed.

But since he called her “sis” politely, she didn’t want to be rude and seem petty.

After a moment’s silence, Qin Zhen pointed at the window. “Get water, wash up, change clothes.”

Fan Xu had come through the rain, soaked and bedraggled, shivering twice just moments ago. He quickly replied, “Okay! Thanks, sis! I’ll get plenty of water so Brother Fu won’t have to work so hard when he gets back.”

Fan Xu put down his backpack to find something to collect water with. After searching, he found a basin on the bed. When he grabbed it, all sorts of trash fell out—broken hairpins, a comb with missing teeth, shattered small mirrors, and so on.

He was shocked. “Who’s so nasty to dump trash on the bed? Don’t move, sis, I’ll clean it up after I wash.”

You’re the real trash!

Qin Zhen nearly choked.

That was her precious collection she had painstakingly tidied up to take underground!

“No need,” she said coldly, suppressing her emotions.

“It’s fine, sis, don’t be polite. A life-saving favor means I’ll do anything for you. Don’t be shy; I’m used to this at the base. Besides, in this environment, survivors should help each other.”

Qin Zhen: “…”

She missed Fu Qi, even willing to wade through the filthy street water to fetch him.

“Sis, you…”

“Dirty.” Qin Zhen didn’t want to hear this chatter any longer. Pointing at the rainwater outside the window, she ordered, “Wash.”

“Yes!” Maybe because her expression was so stiff, Fan Xu immediately straightened up and answered loudly.

Fan Xu obediently carried the rainwater to the bathroom. After a brief silence, he changed clothes and came out, lively as ever, insisting on helping tidy the “trash” on the bed.

Qin Zhen was so annoyed she planned to force him to be quiet when Fu Qi finally returned.

Fu Qi leapt in through the window, dripping wet, water dripping from his hair. Upon landing, he saw Qin Zhen eagerly approaching and asked with surprise, “Don’t mind that I’m dirty?”

“You’d better not,” Qin Zhen replied.

Fu Qi didn’t understand but agreed wholeheartedly. “Right, I’m still the world’s greatest good guy in the apocalypse.”

As they began talking, Fan Xu cheerfully approached, “Brother Fu, you’re finally back! Glad you’re okay—I really didn’t know how to…”

“Oh, right, sis, what’s your name again?”

Qin Zhen didn’t want to talk to him, and Fu Qi was caught off guard, recalling before answering, “Her name is Meng Xue Fei Ye.”

Then he looked down at Qin Zhen. “Right, babe?”

Qin Zhen: “…”

Not a chance!

Before she could respond, Fan Xu repeated in surprise, “Babe?”

He clearly misunderstood the term, but then quickly convinced himself. Two young people living here relying on each other must be a couple.

He then enthusiastically said to Qin Zhen, “Sister Meng, no, better call you Sister Ye? Your name has four characters. I had a classmate with a four-character name—Du Li Ai Zi. Sounds like a girl, but actually a boy.”

“Well, our babe’s name sounds better,” Fu Qi praised, ignoring the “babe” explanation and congratulating Fu Qi on recalling the name.

“Yeah, Sister Ye’s name sounds nicer—full of elegance,” Fan Xu added.

Qin Zhen couldn’t get a word in and didn’t want to say anything at all.

How had she forgotten Fu Qi could be just as annoying?

Forget it, let it all be destroyed. Two humans were enough for her to deal with. Once the rain stopped tomorrow, she would go deep into the mountains to find a new tomb and rest underground forever, never emerging until these two passed on.

The zombie was utterly disillusioned with life, yet the humans weren’t finished talking.

Fan Xu continued, “Also, Sister Ye’s name sounds a bit like a Mary Sue. She’s slim and small, wears that awkwardly cute makeup, but she’s so loving, so aloof, so cool, so bossy, so domineering!”

“...What?” Fu Qi rarely sounded confused.

This was the first time Qin Zhen had heard anyone describe her like that and thought she misheard.

“Facing a hallway full of zombies, she didn’t grab a single weapon—barehanded, kicked one flying, totally fearless. Cool to the extreme!” Fan Xu gave a thumbs-up, full of admiration. “Not just calm and composed, but concise and powerful in speech. Total boss vibes!”

“...” Fu Qi was at a loss for words.

The aloof, cool, domineering zombie felt her cheeks warm, a little guilty but also quite pleased.

She quietly touched her pant seam, failed to find a pocket, gave up on the hands-in-pockets pose, lifted her face, and put on a cold expression. “Enough.”

“Yes, sir!” The young man immediately shut up.

Then the zombie frowned at the soaking wet Fu Qi and commanded with authority, “You, go wash!”

Fu Qi: “...Babe, whatever makes you happy.”

He turned toward the bathroom but stopped after a few steps.

“No, wait.”

Fu Qi turned back and said again, “Boss, whatever makes you happy.”