March 21st, 3:18 PM — Outskirts of Longwan Mall, South Sector Streets
John Wang POV
——
We moved quietly.
Boots against concrete. No chatter. Just the shuffle of packs and the occasional creak of gear straps.
South of the mall, the air felt fresh. Cleaner. Sharper. Like the wind could move again, now that the Ghouls were dead. But I didn't trust it. Calm wasn't safety. Silence wasn't peace.
Ahead, the high-class district rose like another world—gated roads, elegant signage, private driveways with stone lions still standing guard.
This was where the rich lived.
Or died.
Most homes were sealed shut. A few had signs of looting—broken glass, scorched walls, rotten drapes fluttering through shattered windows. But others looked untouched. Too untouched. Like something had kept scavengers away.
"There," Zhou Xue pointed toward a low-rise apartment block behind a vine-covered gate. "That looks sturdy."
I nodded. "Worth checking."
