Chapter 170 Getting Involved

Su Ze's brow furrowed.

Something was wrong.

Let alone the fact that it was currently a rest period, even during the game period, zombies should be completely dormant during the day.

For a zombie tide of such magnitude to suddenly Burst in the Taoyuan Residential Area, to the point where even the faint sound of screams could reach the university, this was definitely no simple accident.

The rules between different areas were relatively independent.

Even if all the zombies in the Teaching Building were awakened, the zombies on the playground wouldn't have any reaction.

Unless...

Someone had simultaneously made a massive commotion in every corner of the Taoyuan Residential Area!

Was it intentional?

Or were the rules over there different from the ones here?

Was there no similar rule regarding area isolation?

Su Ze immediately clicked on his private chat with Wang Meng.

[Private Chat · Su Ze: There's no Novice Period settlement or area rating over at the Taoyuan Residential Area. Keep investigating and find a way to dig deeper reasons out of those moles.]

[Private Chat · Wang Meng: Understood, Boss! I also think this matter is incredibly strange!]

[Private Chat · Su Ze: Investigate. While you're at it, look into the situation and cause of the zombie riot. I have a bad feeling; maybe someone did it on purpose.]

Yes, Su Ze thought of that family surnamed Zhuang.

Su Ze closed the chat interface and turned his gaze once more toward the direction of the disturbance.

To make such a move, preferring mutual destruction just to disrupt the situation, one would either be a fool or... driven to a dead end.

Could it be Zhuang Qianhao's family?

Thinking of this, Su Ze pondered for a moment.

Perhaps he could go take a look secretly. With his current strength, it was unlikely any opponent could trap him.

The reason he was so cautious was merely to ensure absolute safety and to avoid losing too many people.

After explaining a few things to Jiang Yuwan and the others, he left alone.

Moving with speed and stealth, he secretly slipped toward the Taoyuan Residential Area...

...

Taoyuan Residential Area, on the lawn of the central garden inside the complex.

An elegant, wealthy-looking woman lay in a pool of blood, her body already mangled from being gnawed on.

Countless zombies were crouched over her, biting frantically and making bone-chilling chewing sounds.

The intense pain had long since gone numb, and the woman's consciousness was rapidly fading.

In the final moment of her health, she struggled to lift her head, looking at Villa No. 1 occupied by the Dragon Gang not far away, then at the high-rise building where her daughter was hiding.

A smile of relief actually appeared on her face.

She had succeeded.

First, she had triggered the zombies in the building where she was hiding. The moment she was surrounded, she didn't hesitate at all and jumped straight down from the seventeenth floor.

The massive impact sound and the thick scent of blood on her body successfully awakened all the dormant zombies in the entire central garden area.

The plan was a success.

"Xiao Xin... and everyone... must... survive..."

"And Xiao Hao..."

The woman murmured, her head drooping powerlessly as she completely lost all signs of life.

The disturbance spread through the entire residential area like a plague.

Countless ordinary players in the buildings and the complex who were searching for them saw the zombie riot and began to flee in panic.

"Zombies! The zombies are all awake!"

"How can this be?! Isn't it daytime?!"

"Run!"

Panic exploded instantly, and many people lost their composure.

They screamed and fled, trying to escape, only to run right into the zombies attracted by the noise.

For a time, screams, wails, and cries for help rose and fell; the entire Taoyuan Residential Area was in utter chaos.

However, in the center of this chaos, Villa No. 1 was perfectly peaceful.

Liao Long and several core subordinates sat leisurely on the sofa, listening to the waves of screams from outside. Far from being nervous, their faces carried a hint of playful mockery.

"What a bunch of trash, getting scared like this from such a small commotion," a burly man said disdainfully after taking a gulp of beer.

"It's likely the work of those women from the Zhuang family, trying to muddy the waters so they can escape," another man analyzed. "Thinking pretty, but they won't escape the zombie riot either."

"Who knows, maybe those women felt they couldn't survive and wanted to take everyone down with them?" another burly man sneered.

Liao Long leaned back on the sofa, slowly wiping a dagger, turning a deaf ear to the tragic scene outside.

"Long-ge, aren't we going to do something? If they keep dying like this, there won't be many people left outside." One subordinate was somewhat worried.

"What's the rush?"

Liao Long blew on the edge of the dagger, his lips curling into a cruel arc.

"If they're dead, they're dead. They're just a bunch of useless low-level players."

He lifted his eyelids, swept a glance over everyone, and reminded them unhurriedly, "Don't forget what our Taoyuan Residential Area's halo is."

Hearing this, everyone present showed a knowing, sinister grin.

That's right, the halo!

The halo Liao Long had chosen.

This was something other players didn't know; only the few of them were aware.

[Taoyuan Residential Area Buff Halo — Survival of the Fittest!]

[Effect: The fewer the total number of surviving players in the area, the higher the all-attribute boost obtained by the remaining players!]

This was a rule that encouraged fratricide!

Besides this, they also hid a special building.

It was also hidden in this residential area, right in the basement of Villa No. 1. Aside from them, the core members, no one else knew of its existence.

Even less did anyone know what the function of this special building was.

"Hehe, true. If these pieces of trash die, we can become even stronger!"

"But don't let them die too fast. If they all die out, who will collect resources for us or act as cannon fodder later?"

"What's there to fear!" A subordinate laughed lewdly. "If we run out of people, we'll just go to the nearby Jinghai University and Global Financial Center to snatch some! A bunch of students and office workers—won't they be easy pickings?"

"Hahaha, you're right!"

The villa was once again filled with arrogant laughter.

After a while, the screams outside gradually thinned out.

Liao Long sheathed his dagger and stood up from the sofa.

"Alright, we've seen enough of the show."

He cracked his neck, making a "clack-clack" sound.

"If we let them keep dying, it'll be a hassle if those women actually escape. That item cannot fall into anyone else's hands."

Liao Long pushed open the heavy solid wood door of the villa, and the stinging sunlight shone on his refined yet hideous face.

"Everyone, fall in. Time to get to work."

"Drag those women from the Zhuang family out for me. Also, clear out those eyesore trash outside while you're at it—kill all the infected ones."

"Remember to bring those things."

The "trash" he spoke of naturally referred to those ordinary players still struggling to survive.

With his command, over a hundred elite members of the Dragon Gang filed out of the villa like a pack of released wolves, rushing into the chaotic residential area.