Chapter 90: Seeing a Ghost in Broad Daylight

“That just proves she’s not lacking food at all right now. Not only is she not lacking, she’s actually quite well-off!” Qi Mengnan frowned and thought for a second, analyzing the situation.

She was carrying a fire axe in one hand, a loudspeaker slung across her chest. Though she was chatting casually, her eyes were alert, scanning her surroundings.

The announcement from the base earlier had come from the loudspeaker on her chest.

As a temporary supply search squad dispatched by the Anming authorities, their job wasn’t just to look for supplies—they also had to broadcast the news about the official base under construction to any survivors they might encounter.

Zhao Ziyi was more than a little shocked by her words. “Sister Qi, not lacking food? That’s just insane! Even the top officials in Anming City wouldn’t dare say they have enough food!

Besides, even people who aren’t short on food still try to snatch whatever they can…”

“That’s why the real experts are always among the common folk,” Song Qian said calmly. He shot them a look, signaling for them to keep up their loud, casual conversation.

Meanwhile, he pointed silently at the tightly closed general manager’s office door, holding his submachine gun at the ready as he crept closer with barely a sound.

“You’re right, Zhao Ziyi! First, the seventy- or eighty-degree heat and the mutant mosquitoes wiped out a bunch of food and people. Then came the torrential rain and mutant leeches, and another batch of food and people were lost.

If it hadn’t rained, the city’s grain reserves could have held out for a while. But now, after two disasters, most of the city’s stored grain and meat are gone.

Honestly, it’s been tough for the authorities too. It took everything we had to set up temporary shelters underground and in bomb shelters during the heatwave.

But then, before we could even react or relocate, the rain hit, and all our preparations went to waste.

Now the city’s flooded, and everyone’s scrambling to move to higher ground. But who knows what we’ll face next?

If there’s an earthquake, wouldn’t the high ground become the most dangerous place?

Thinking about it, I’ve had the worst luck: school reform in middle school, political turmoil in high school, job market changes in college.

Finally, I managed to land a coveted government job, and before I could even settle in, we’re hit with disasters not seen in thousands of years, and we have to be the ones leading the charge…”

Qi Mengnan finished her heartfelt speech with a deep sigh, but her eyes flicked over to Song Qian, silently asking if they should keep up the “awkward chat.”

Song Qian shook his head slightly and raised his hand, signaling them to stop moving. His submachine gun was now aimed directly at the door lock.

“Pfft!”

The gun had a suppressor, but there was still a faint sound.

The lock shattered.

Song Qian, weapon ready, kicked the wooden door open with a loud bang.

His move was so sudden that it nearly startled the man-eating plant hiding atop the glass window, clinging there like a little gecko, silently watching them.

If Jiang Yan hadn’t ordered it to stay put, it would have loved to drop down and swallow Song Qian whole.

Outside the door, Qi Mengnan rushed in with her fire axe.

Zhao Ziyi followed, gripping a steel crowbar over a meter long, also ready for a fight.

The room wasn’t large, and the three of them quickly checked all possible hiding spots—only to discover, to their shock:

The room was completely empty.

“What the—” The three of them stared at each other in disbelief.

The footprints had clearly disappeared right outside this room.

The footprints inside were dry, which made sense.

But the fresh, wet footprints coming up the stairs to the 13th floor—were they left by a ghost?!

Seeing a ghost in broad daylight?!!

And a female water ghost, at that?!!

That’s just too much!

Zhao Ziyi was about to speak, but Song Qian motioned for silence.

He crept toward the antique display shelf opposite the entrance, gun at the ready.

He felt around the side of the solid wood panel, then gave it a push—“thud!”—and a hidden door swung open, revealing a small secret room.

Zhao Ziyi’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit!!” he blurted, hurrying forward.

Qi Mengnan’s frown finally eased, and she quickly followed.

Inside, the room was pitch black. Song Qian switched on the tactical flashlight mounted on his gun.

Wherever the light shone, the muzzle pointed.

There was only a low, 1.5-meter-wide tatami mat on the floor, with a nightstand beside it.

Further in was a makeshift shower.

Sweeping the light to the other wall, they saw a solid wood wardrobe.

“Damn, Brother Song Qian, you’re amazing! You even spotted a hidden mechanism like this!” Zhao Ziyi exclaimed, hurrying to the wardrobe.

There was no way anyone could hide under the tatami. Qi Mengnan checked the shower—no one there either.

That left only the wardrobe.

Zhao Ziyi gripped his crowbar, slowly reaching for the wardrobe door. Song Qian’s flashlight and gun followed his movement, aiming at the same spot.

Zhao Ziyi flung the wardrobe open. A strong scent of cologne wafted out.

The three of them stared inside—and froze.

Inside was a row of neatly pressed, identical Armani suits. In the corner hung a few bunny girl costumes, complete with black stockings.

On the right shelf were all sorts of indescribable little toys and an open box of condoms.

Below, in a small drawer, were several stacks of crisp, uncirculated hundred-yuan bills, each stack ten thousand yuan.

Zhao Ziyi reached out and tugged at a fluffy, round bunny tail, grinning. “This general manager sure had some… interesting hobbies.”

“So, that girl just vanished into thin air?” Qi Mengnan was incredulous, but quickly pulled herself together.

“Forget it, whether she’s human or ghost, let’s just grab whatever supplies we can. Zhao Ziyi, pack up these clothes and condoms. As for the cash, it’s useless now, but take it too.”

As she spoke, she pulled a large waterproof bag from her backpack.

“Yeah. But our main goal in this building is to find those antibiotics at the clinic. Here’s the plan: Sister Qi, you two pack up here. I’ll go check the air conditioning vent—maybe she’s hiding up there.”

Song Qian finished speaking and quickly left, but soon turned back.

“Sister Qi, did you notice Liu Junsheng is missing?”

“Huh, you’re right! I was just thinking how much quieter it is! Hey, Zhao Ziyi, where’s Liu Junsheng?” Qi Mengnan paused and looked at Zhao Ziyi beside her.

They’d been the last ones in.

Zhao Ziyi glanced at the door, shrugged helplessly, and said, “No idea. When we got to the 13th floor, he said his stomach hurt and he needed the bathroom, told me to go ahead and find you guys. So I came up.

Then I saw those weird footprints and totally forgot about him.”"