Youche's view wasn't as good as Chu Yian's side, but he could still see many hidden corners of the community. The eight men clearly had ill intentions. Taking advantage of the poor visibility, they sneaked in.
These men were also clever.
They didn't directly enter the residential area but wandered beneath each building. More precisely, they weren't wandering aimlessly—they were searching for targets.
The trash under the buildings reflected the residents' supply situation.
Who had more supplies, who had less—that could be inferred from the garbage.
"Big Bro, no kidding, these people here are pretty well-fed!"
One of the shorter men rummaged through the trash and said this. Though the garbage was covered with thick mold, from its original shapes they could still guess what it used to be.
"There's even meat!"
Ignoring the rotten smell, he grabbed a bone covered in mold.
"I say this building—it's gotta have fat residents!"
The leader was a man in a black trench coat, wearing sunglasses and a mask, fully armed so no one could see his face.
Unlike his men digging through garbage, he stood far away. Hearing his men's words, he looked toward the building where Chu Yian and the others lived.
Meanwhile, another report was even more exciting.
"Damn! Big Bro, this building should be even better—someone actually threw away food!"
The younger member excitedly showed a half-pack of moldy biscuits he'd found in the trash.
These biscuits were normally sealed tightly. Wasting food was a sin. Yet in the trash, they found not just moldy biscuits but also apple cores and watermelon rinds almost unrecognizable.
Comparing the trash from the two buildings, the other building obviously had more worth looting.
But just then, a window suddenly opened in a random apartment in Chu Yian's building. A child poked his head out, holding a trash bag, and deliberately threw the garbage toward the crowd below.
Smack!
The trash bag instantly burst.
Although the trash didn't hit anyone, the splattering juice soaked the leader, carrying a strong stench.
"Hahaha."
The child upstairs clapped excitedly at the scene.
The trench coat man took off his glasses and smiled at the child.
"Hahaha, idiot."
The child made a silly face at the trench coat man, then pulled out a water gun and sprayed the men below.
"Biubiubiu, die, you stinking beggars..."
"Yaozong, what are you doing alone in your room?"
An adult, hearing the child's laughter, came in to check and was shocked to see the boy spraying water at the strangers below. The boy's mother quickly shut the window and drew the curtains.
"Mom, block the door! Someone's under our building. Yaozong was just spraying water at them."
The mother snatched the water gun from the boy.
"Mom already told you—you can't open windows or spray water downstairs!"
The boy cried, clutching his grandmother tightly.
"Oh, kids don't understand,"
The grandmother protected the boy and said, "He's so big, looks dumb as a rock, doesn't even know to get away."
She held him close and soothed, "Why so harsh? You scared our Yaozong. Can he pay you back?"
The adults upstairs defended the boy's actions, but the men downstairs had now focused on this building.
Counting from the bottom up, the boy was on the eighth floor.
[Neighbor Youche]:
"Damn, they're here. They're inside the community."
[Neighbor Youche]:
"All eight are carrying steel pipes and knives. Looks like they've pried open the main gate lock."
[Neighbor Youche]:
"Elder Chu, they're all inside. Damn, can our door hold them off?!"
Chu Yian read the messages while pressing close to the window, trying to look down.
Unfortunately, her view was blocked.
[Chu the Elder]:
"Don't panic. We're on the 16th floor. Even if they rob the place, they can't reach us up here—at least not yet."
She sent this to Youche, then scrolled up in the chat while searching for "Kuishan Research Institute."
Found it!
She began researching the institute's location and all related info, marking a sheet of paper as she worked. In her notes, "Asidimi Mountain Range" in X City appeared most frequently.
Chu circled that name in red.
Asidimi Mountain Range!
She pulled up the map of X City on her phone. The problem now was pinpointing where the survival zone was within that mountain range.
As she tried to find more clues, a sudden scream came from downstairs.
"Bastard, let go of my grandson!"
"Help! Murder!"
…
An eighth-floor window was pushed open, and a child was hoisted out by a pair of hands. The child screamed and struggled, calling for his grandmother.
Then,
The hands let go.
The child fell from the eighth floor, his body twisted, blood and brain matter splattered everywhere.
"Yaozong! Our Yaozong!"
"I'll fight you!"
"Mom!"
Inside the apartment came the family's piercing screams. Within about ten minutes, the community fell silent again.
At the same time, in another apartment on the eighth floor, the door was knocked nervously…
There's a difference between robbers who've taken lives and those who haven't.
Chu Yian had been reluctant to use the food in her house, but now, survival meant sacrificing the small to save the large.
With that thought, she messaged Youche.
[Chu the Elder]:
"Is your Vehicle Manufacturer ability ready to use?"
[Neighbor Youche]:
"Yes, yes. I haven't used it these days."
[Chu the Elder]:
"Good. Pack your things, stay alert for those people on the eighth floor. Once they leave, we leave immediately."
Chu Yian hoped for the best, but from day until night, they still hadn't left.
Clearly, these men weren't just here to rob once and leave—they were treating this place as a base to settle.
Even more dangerous!
Next, they might take control of the building, then the whole community.
There were plenty of supplies here, enough for them to establish a foothold—but at the cost of everyone else.
No waiting!
Chu Yian packed up her treasure chest full of supplies, put some decoy items in her backpack, grabbed the crossbow, and prepared to meet Youche.