Reborn As A Doomsday Villainess-Chapter 150: The school(1)

Qingran nodded slightly and walked a slow circle around the men, measuring them.

One was tall and wiry, his knuckles bruised and calloused — a fighter from what she could see.

The second was a bit older, broad-shouldered, a faded construction vest still hanging on him.

The third had quick, darting eyes and a tight grip on the metal rod he carried — alert, but maybe a little too nervous.

She stopped in front of them. "Names."

They answered quickly, voices rough from thirst and tension. "Luo Feng." "Chen Shi." "Yu Song."

"Good," Qingran said. "You’re going to help quarantine the newcomers and secure the floor."

The three exchanged glances but said nothing.

Qingran continued, her voice clipped and efficient. "First, you check every survivor for bite marks or open wounds. If they resist, you report immediately. No exceptions."

Luo Feng stiffened slightly but nodded. "What if they lie?"

"You restrain them until someone can confirm," Qingran said flatly. "Anyone who causes trouble gets isolated."

She looked them over once more, measuring how much she could trust them — not much yet. But they didn’t flinch under her stare.

"You’ll also set up a basic perimeter. Stack whatever furniture you can against the stairwell entrances. Make it annoying for anything or anyone to come up without making noise."

Meng Nian stepped forward. "I’ll be with them for the first sweep. Make sure it’s done right."

Qingran glanced at him, then nodded. "Good. You three are on probation. You do your jobs, you eat well. You cause problems—"

She didn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t need to.

The three men stood straighter, nodding sharply. Even Yu Song, who looked like he might bolt at the first sign of trouble, tightened his grip and set his jaw.

Satisfied for now, Qingran turned toward the staircase.

"I’m heading out again soon," she said to Meng Nian. "Next group might be deeper in the city. We’ll need a lot more than this if we’re going to survive a flood."

Meng Nian’s expression darkened. "I’ll hold the fort."

Qingran gave a small, approving nod. "Hold it well."

She walked to the elevator and paused. "I also need you three to clear out the 35th floor. It would be turned to a quarantined room. So clean it out, clear out the food and move it to the kitchen. Nothing gets wasted.."

As she got into the elevator, she spoke to Meng Nian.

"Get Feng Yuxi, she’s coming along with me."

Meng Nian didn’t hesitate. He gave a short nod and turned sharply on his heel, already barking orders down the hallway.

Qingran leaned back against the elevator wall as the doors slid shut, exhaling slowly.

For now, the 39th and 38th floor would hold.

It wasn’t much, but it was the beginning of structure. And structure, no matter how fragile, was the difference between surviving and dying in times like this when being outside was dangerous.

A soft ding signaled her arrival at the lobby.

She stepped out just as Feng Yuxi jogged up, a baseball bat awkwardly resting on her shoulder.

She was quick, lean, and despite her youth, there was a steeliness to her that Qingran approved of.

"You called for me?" Feng Yuxi asked, a little breathless but steady.

"We’re heading out," Qingran said, walking toward the SUV parked just outside the glass doors. "There’s more survivors out there. We need them."

Feng Yuxi followed without question, falling into step beside her.

As they reached the vehicle, Qingran tossed her a spare tactical vest she had pulled from the supply stash.

"Wear it. If it’s too big, tighten the straps."

Feng Yuxi caught it and buckled it on hastily, the gear sitting a little loose but secure enough.

Qingran climbed into the driver’s seat, starting the engine with a low, satisfied rumble.

The dashboard flickered to life, the system displaying the tactical overlay Lingquan fed directly to her HUD.

Feng Yuxi slid into the passenger seat, checking the bat on her knees.

Qingran glanced over at her briefly. "Listen carefully. We don’t engage unless necessary. We’re extract survivors, not corpses."

"Got it" Feng Yuxi said.

The SUV rolled out into the dying afternoon light, its tires crunching over debris and broken glass.

As they left the relative safety of the building behind, Qingran spoke again, quieter this time.

"If something goes wrong," she said, eyes steady on the ruined road ahead, "you run back. Don’t play hero."

Feng Yuxi tightened her hands on the rifle but nodded.

Qingran said no more. There was no point in giving false hope. Survival was brutal, unforgiving, and it demanded sacrifices.

She intended to make sure those sacrifices were calculated not senseless.

The SUV rumbled over cracked streets, Qingran’s hands steady on the wheel as broken city ruins blurred past them. Beside her, Feng Yuxi checked her weapon again, she was silent but tense.

They stopped a few blocks short of the school. Even from here, Qingran could see the towering barricades.

The school’s front entrance was a wreck not towering cars, but a chaotic mass of desks, chairs, cabinet shelves, and broken doors piled desperately against the glass.

Some areas were smashed through already, and zombies shambled aimlessly around, noses twitching for the scent of fresh blood.

Through cracked windows and gaping holes, they could see the inside was crawling with infected. Not dozens, hundreds. They staggered through the corridors, slamming against locker doors and banging against classroom walls.

"Front’s a no-go," Qingran muttered, analyzing quickly. "We go in through the second floor. Less cluster."

Feng Yuxi nodded grimly, gripping her bat tighter.

They circled the building quietly, sticking to the overgrown shrubs and broken sidewalks.

At the side of the school, one window on the second floor had shattered, glass still clinging to the frame.

Qingran pulled out a grappling hook a precious tool she’d stockpiled days ago and tossed it expertly onto a twisted bit of metal near the window.

"Follow my lead so you don’t fall, I don’t quite have the strength to carry you on my back."