svetikya Page 197
Page 197
Chapter 73: Could this be... some kind of NTR (Netorare)?
"Can you speak Chinese?"
As Wang Meng finished speaking, he extended a finger and lightly tapped the pink-haired girl's stiff back.
It's like flipping a switch.
The despairing numbness that had gripped her entire body dissipated rapidly, like the receding tide.
Sensation returned to her limbs and bones in an instant.
The first thing to return is touch.
It was the biting cold of the concrete ground beneath her, the slight itch from the twin ponytails that had gotten stuck on her face when she fell, and the nauseatingly strong, sticky smell in the air—a mixture of blood, the stench of corpses, and… a woman's bodily fluids.
She... lost control of her bladder.
Then comes the sensation of pain.
It was the dull pain coming from her knees and elbows that she had bumped when she fell.
The pink-haired girl's body trembled violently, and suppressed, heavy breathing finally escaped from between her tightly clenched teeth.
She breathed greedily and painfully, like a cat pulled ashore from the water, each breath feeling like a knife scraping across her parched throat.
Slowly, with all her might, she used her arms to prop herself up.
Her movements were stiff and slow, as if the body no longer belonged to her.
When she finally raised her head and looked again through her dusty glasses at the man standing before her like a demon, all that remained in her intelligent eyes was the purest, most primal fear.
Her brain, the one hailed as "genius," capable of processing massive amounts of information and performing complex logical deductions in an instant, was now like a supercomputer filled with magma, on the verge of collapse in a frantic, meaningless spin.
Everything that had just happened was like the most terrifying nightmare, replaying in her mind over and over again.
The scene of Takashi and Toda being thrown out like trash by that man, being torn apart alive by zombies... Rei being stripped down to her underwear in public and thrown on the ground like a female dog, her empty and desperate eyes at the end... and herself, unable to even resist, like a piece of meat on a chopping board, frozen in place, watching hell unfold.
She is different from Li on the ground.
Li's despair stemmed from the complete shattering of her worldview and the trampling of her beliefs in justice and innocence into nothingness.
But her fear stemmed from a deeper, colder... understanding.
Because she understood.
"You can speak Chinese, right?"
Those words, like a red-hot key, precisely and effortlessly inserted themselves into a pre-prepared lock in her brain, and then, with a "click," unlocked all her self-deceiving illusions.
As the daughter of the Takashiro family, elite education was a compulsory course for her from childhood to adulthood.
English, French, and of course Chinese, which is an important language in neighboring countries, are all part of her course schedule.
Her pronunciation may not be perfect, but her hearing and comprehension skills are enough for her to understand the meaning of every word the man asked.
He wasn't asking randomly.
He is screening.
His cold eyes were now scrutinizing her from above, as if assessing the value of a tool.
The pink-haired girl's heart pounded wildly, almost leaping out of her throat. Her proud, ever-functioning logical thinking now pointed her towards two crystal-clear paths, both leading to hell.
remain silent.
Pretend you don't understand.
What will be the outcome?
A useless and uncooperative "tool" will most likely be disposed of like garbage, just like Xiao and the others.
Answer him.
Use Chinese.
What does that mean?
It means acknowledging one's own "value," acknowledging that one understands his orders, and acknowledging that one is someone who can be used and controlled in his presence.
She will completely lose the right to play dumb, putting herself in a position where she can be completely at the mercy of others.
A silent scream emanated from within her, causing her to bite her lower lip so hard it almost drew blood.
Surrender to this monster?
Should I respond to his question?
This is worse than killing her!
But... the instinct for survival, like a cold and powerful hand, gripped her ridiculous self-esteem tightly and mercilessly.
She doesn't want to die.
She didn't want to be torn apart like Xiao.
She didn't want to end up like Li, a mere tearful plaything in a complete breakdown.
She wants to live.
As long as I can survive... no matter the cost... this thought, like a black seed, sprouted wildly under the nourishment of fear.
The pink-haired girl's lips trembled violently. She opened her mouth, but only made dry, unintelligible "hoarse" sounds.
Her vocal cords seemed frozen by fear, completely out of her control.
She took a deep breath, the air thick with the smell of blood, which made her cough violently.
"Cough...cough..."
She seemed to have used up all her strength.
"I...I...will...a...little..."
Her Chinese pronunciation had a distinct, stiff Japanese accent; each word sounded broken and trembling, as if she had used all her strength to pronounce it.
A hint of satisfaction finally appeared on Wang Meng's face.
He spoke again, his voice calm, yet carrying an unquestionable command.
"name!"
The pink-haired girl's body stiffened again.
She closed her eyes, and glistening tears clung to her long eyelashes.
When she opened her eyes again, the pride that belonged to a genius had been completely crushed, leaving only the most humble obedience for the sake of survival.
“Taka... Takashiro... Sha... Ye…”
Wang Meng kicked open the door to an empty classroom on the third floor and gestured for them to go in.
He casually dragged the heavy classroom podium over.
"Clatter!"
After a screeching sound, the podium pressed firmly against the door, forming a fragile but somewhat comforting barrier.
Most of the desks still had books lying open, and half of the writing on the blackboard remained.
Wang Meng walked straight to the window. The location was excellent; he couldn't see the playground and gymnasium below, where zombies might be gathering, but his view extended beyond the school wall to the street outside.
Several cars were parked crookedly in the middle of the road, as if silently telling the story of their owners' hasty escape.
Bloodstains, not yet completely black, were visible to the naked eye on the ground.
And a large number of corpses writhing in those buildings.
Wang Meng reached out and, as if by magic, pulled several cans of chilled cola from his backpack.
"Clang, clang..."
After a few crisp metallic clanging sounds, he casually tossed the cans of cold drinks onto the floor near the women's feet. They gathered some dust, rolled a few times on the floor, and then stopped.
He then expertly pulled the tab with a "pfft" sound and tilted his head back to take a swig.
The icy, sweet, bubbly liquid flowed down his throat, but it did nothing to diminish the coldness in his eyes.
"Takajo Saya!"
"I...I...am..."
Her voice, thick with nasal tone, was squeezed out from deep in her throat.
Wang Meng didn't even turn around, saying, "Use your brain."
"Draw a map of all the places around the school where you could potentially obtain supplies and weapons."
He paused, then added, "Find some paper yourself, and draw a detailed map: convenience stores, supermarkets, hardware stores, anywhere that might have knives or blunt objects... don't miss a single one, if you want to live!"
"Yes... senior!"
With a soft "plop" sound.
As a white, chilly mist sprayed out, Mu Wanqing instinctively tightened her grip on the cold metal can.
Her clear, cool eyes, like autumn water, were filled with wariness and surprise.
Is this thing... alive?
A strange and domineering smell, unlike anything she had ever smelled before, instantly entered her nostrils.
It has a honey-like sweetness, mixed with a herbal, slightly pungent flavor.
She had never smelled such a complex aroma before, and for a moment she couldn't tell whether it was fine wine or poison.
She secretly raised her eyes and quickly glanced at the man.
Wang Meng was leaning against the window, watching her with a leisurely air.
"The taste is a bit strong, so if you don't like it, don't drink it and don't waste it!"
The girl in the black veil felt a slight flush on her cheeks, and a stubborn, unyielding spirit welled up within her.
She imitated Wang Meng, lifting the black veil from her face and bringing the cold mouth of the jar close to her red lips.
The dark brown liquid in the jar churned with tiny bubbles, emitting an eerie sound.