Reborn As A Doomsday Villainess-Chapter 147: There’s no one left in 37

Sun Zi Mo didn’t flinch at Yizhou’s words. Just gave a small grunt, tapping the side of the note with the end of his pen. "Cold-blooded."

"Practical I’d say." Feng Yizhou replied, voice low. "We can’t feed everyone. Can’t protect everyone. The ones who stay in line, follow orders and carry their weight they’ll make it. The rest..."

He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to.

Sun Zi Mo’s eyes flicked toward the window, where the horizon had darkened into a sickly bruise of dusk. "So we’re just going to let them thin themselves out."

Yizhou’s gaze didn’t waver. "We set the bait. We leave the door cracked. And when the horde hits, we don’t have to save the ones that move too slow."

A beat passed before Sun Zi Mo spoke again, voice a little quieter. "We’re not telling them, right?"

"Of course not." Yizhou turned from the map, fastening the strap on his jacket. "You want chaos? Try telling four hundred and fifty-seven people they’re being weighed and judged. They’ll burn this place down before the zombies even get here."

Sun Zi Mo exhaled through his nose. "Got it, Sir."

Yizhou paused at the top of the stairs. "We do this clean. Quietly at that. The good ones stay close and listen. Then the rist drift, I’m hoping for the hoard to take out at least 257..."

"And if someone catches on?"

Feng Yizhou’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Then we deal with it quietly, though I hope we don’t come to that.

"

There was no threat in his voice. No fire. Just cold certainty. The kind that didn’t need raising volume to be heard.

He descended the stairs, boots heavy against the metal steps. Sun Zi Mo stayed behind, he was guessing he was heading to meet Haoyu.

Haoyu made his way down the staircase, boots scuffing softly against rusted metal.

He tried to walk like he belonged, shoulders squared, steps steady but the knot in his stomach wouldn’t loosen.

[Youll be fine kid. It’s not like they have a system, you’re more superior.]

"..."

He spotted the group of teenagers near a blown-out window.

They were supposed to be sorting salvage but were mostly arguing over whose makeshift weapon looked cooler.

One of them had tied broken glass to a stick. Another was using a rusted chair leg like a sword.

Haoyu cleared his throat. "Hey." freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

The group turned. A couple raised eyebrows while one snorted.

"I got a message from up top" Haoyu said, lifting his chin. "You are all to stay in line. No one’s playing hero, no one’s going off on their own. If someone does... if you screw up..."

He hesitated, searching for the right words, the ones Yizhou would use.

"...then you’re not just risking yourself. You’re getting other people killed. And if that happens, Big Brother Yizhou...he won’t give you a second chance."

Someone in the back muttered, "Says who? You?"

Haoyu swallowed, then reached into his jacket and slowly pulled out the pistol Yizhou had given him. He didn’t aim it, just held it low by his side, enough to catch the light.

"I’m not here to play tough. But he gave me this for a reason. So you’d listen."

The mood shifted. All jokes died in their throats.

Even the kid with the makeshift sword stopped fidgeting.

"Get it?" Haoyu asked. "Because if you don’t, someone’s gonna find out how serious he is."

No one spoke. They just nodded.

He waited a beat, then turned and walked back up the stairs, pulse still pounding in his ears. When he got to the next landing, he nearly jumped to find Feng Yizhou already there, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed.

Yizhou raised an eyebrow. "You looked like a baby duck with a gun."

Haoyu frowned. "I pulled it off, didn’t I?"

"Well you pulled something off," Yizhou said, dry as ever.

Haoyu huffed, stuffing the pistol back into his coat. "You didn’t have to stand there and watch."

"Of course I did," Yizhou replied, pushing off the wall. "Would’ve been a waste if you froze up and I had to come save your pride."

"Right" Haoyu muttered, glancing over his shoulder as the sound of shuffling returned below. "Think they’ll listen?"

"They’ll be scared," Yizhou said simply. "That’s more useful than listening."

He led the way up the next flight, the stairwell growing dimmer the higher they climbed. The scent of rust and old smoke thickened as they approached the roof access.

"You think the horde’ll come tonight?" Haoyu asked, quieter now.

"No" Yizhou said. "But the tension will."

He stopped at the top, hand on the latch of the rooftop door.

Through the cracks, the fading light stained the concrete amber-red, the sick color of survival at dusk.

"I want them on edge," Yizhou continued. "A little pressure makes the cracks show faster. When the wave does hit, I want to know which ones will hold and which ones will break."

Haoyu was quiet a moment, then stepped up beside him. "And what about the ones who break but still want to live?"

Yizhou turned his head, his expression unreadable. "They’ll have to prove it. To us, or to the dead. Either way, someone’s deciding."

Haoyu sighed, it was for the best then..this apocalypse was already better than the previous one.

That was a true nightmare.

"You think we’ll be reunited with older sister Qingran soon?"

He asked, he always felt reassured if Qingran was there.

"Definitely. We’ve both promised each other to stay alive and get married so we have to stay alive."

"I guess that’s enough to keep a man alive. I guess I’ll stay alive for my own boyfriend too.."

"..."

"Never thought you’ll be gay.."

"..."

"Never thought I’d date a man too. Maybe I’m bi, but I’ve always liked the idea of dating for marriage.."

Feng Yizhou smiled "Likewise, I want to date one person and keep them to myself forever.."

"..."

Haoyu coughed even he wasn’t that possessive then again maybe his love for Meng Nian wasn’t that deep.

He’d still like to see him right now, he loved him smiled and he would have said something flirty by now.

"Let’s work hard to stay alive and meet our lovers one day."

Feng Yizhou smiled at least Haoyu’s relationship was confirmed, he was only promised marriage and that was if they survived.

*************

The elevator dinged softly as it reached the 37th floor.

Qingran stepped out first, gun raised, boots landing lightly against the grimy linoleum. Meng Nian followed close behind, blade already unsheathed. The hall ahead was too quiet.

No groans. No screams. No scratching at the doors.

Only the dull hum of old fluorescent lights and the faint stench of dried blood.

"Too quiet," Meng Nian muttered, glancing down the corridor.

Qingran didn’t answer. Her eyes scanned the hallway, sharp and deliberate. Room doors stood half-open, a few fully ajar. No sign of struggle—just... stillness.

She pushed the first door open.

Inside was a man slumped against the wall, neck tilted at an unnatural angle, eyes glazed. His shirt was dark with dried blood, teeth clamped on his own wrist like he’d tried to stop the turn too late.

"Bitten," she said, almost to herself. "Turned in silence."

They moved on.

Room by room, it was the same. A woman curled around a toddler, both bodies cold. A teen with his leg torn open and a pipe in hand. A couple in bed, still holding each other. Every one of them already gone, already changed or on the brink.

Qingran paused in front of the last door. Through the gap, she heard a sound—wet breathing, shallow and choked. Still human.

She kicked the door open.

Inside, five of them. Still moving. Still alive, technically.

But their eyes were clouded. Their veins had blackened beneath the skin. And the way their heads snapped toward the door—it wasn’t human recognition. It was hunger.

"Qingran—" Meng Nian started, reaching for his blade.

"I got it." Her voice was steady. Hollow.

She stepped in and shut the door behind her.

It was over in thirty seconds. Three shots, one clean stab to the temple, and a single silent mercy for the youngest one who hadn’t even moved.

When the door opened again, she walked out alone.

Meng Nian looked at her, but didn’t say anything.

"There’s no one left on 37," she said quietly, sliding a fresh clip into her gun.

"Unfortunately, was there no one spared?"

Qingran shook her head, they were all bitten and she was suspicious as to why there wasn’t any zombies around.

"It was either us or them. I can’t spare them because I haven’t gotten the antidote here.."

Meng Nian nodded as he dragged the bodies, to the corner so Qingran could burn them.

"We’ll clean up this rooms and let the next survivors into these ones. I’d unfortunately have to share you and Feng Yuxi as long. I need you to watch 5 floor each "