Chapter 22: Activation of Psychokinesis

"Very good." Pan Guang nodded with satisfaction. "Xiao Mu, take them upstairs and arrange a place for them to stay. Remember, without my permission, no one is allowed to come back downstairs!"

"Understood, Brother Guang." Xiao Mu signaled to the two men, "Follow me, you two."

Just as the three were about to step onto the stairs, the man in the hoodie, who had been silent all this time, suddenly went mad. He spun around and bolted toward the main entrance!

"I'm done!" he roared as he ran. "This place is nothing but a den of monsters! I'm not staying here anymore!"

His movements were fast, but Pan Guang's reaction was faster.

Psychic power, instantly unleashed!

*Crack!*

With a sharp snap, a waist-high ceramic vase standing by the door frame shattered instantly. Countless sharp fragments transformed into lethal projectiles, raining down upon the fleeing man in a massive, inescapable barrage.

"Ah—!"

The man in the hoodie let out a gut-wrenching scream and collapsed heavily to the ground. His back was riddled with ceramic shards of all sizes, and bright red blood instantly soaked his clothes, gushing out.

"Trying to run? Did you ever ask my permission, you bastard?" Pan Guang walked slowly to the man, raised his foot, and stepped down hard on his head, his tone devoid of any warmth. "Since you've come here, don't even think about leaving alive!"

He exerted sudden, brutal force with his foot.

*Crunch!* A sickening sound of bone fracturing echoed clearly through the room.

The man in the hoodie convulsed violently, then went completely still.

The man in the suit felt his legs turn to jelly. Barely able to stand, his voice trembled uncontrollably: "Is... is he dead?"

"Obviously, he's dead." Pan Guang wiped the blood and brain matter from his shoe sole as if nothing had happened. "Xiao Mu, drag this corpse to the granary. Don't let him dirty my territory."

"Right away, Brother Guang." Xiao Mu, long accustomed to such scenes, dragged the corpse away without a second thought, muttering, "A guy who doesn't know his place deserves to die."

The man in the suit stared blankly at the rapidly spreading pool of blood on the floor, shivering uncontrollably. "I... I will obey completely... I won't resist at all..."

"That's more like it." Pan Guang walked over and patted his shoulder hard enough to make the man stagger. "Remember what you saw today. This is what happens when you defy me."

***

Meanwhile, on the 17th floor of Building 8.

Chen Si paced back and forth at the doorway in agitation, glancing from time to time at the closed bedroom door.

"Xiaoxiao! Are you done yet? You've been dawdling for over an hour!" she finally couldn't help but urge.

"Almost done! Just a second!" Chen Xiaoxiao's slightly impatient voice drifted from the bedroom. "You can't rush makeup. What if I mess it up?"

Unable to wait any longer, Chen Si pushed the door open.

Chen Xiaoxiao was facing a full-length mirror, meticulously drawing her eyebrows. By her feet sat a massive suitcase, nearly half her height.

"Are you insane?!" Chen Si pointed at the absurd suitcase, her voice rising in pitch. "We're going to seek shelter, not moving house! Why are you bringing a case that big?"

Chen Xiaoxiao didn't even turn her head, continuing her work with a matter-of-fact tone: "When a woman goes out, she must bring all her gear. What if we end up staying there for a long time?"

"What gear?" Chen Si walked over suspiciously and yanked the zipper open.

The suitcase was packed to the brim with cosmetics, beautiful clothes, dresses, and countless bottles and jars.

"Are these things even important right now?" Chen Si couldn't comprehend it.

"Of course they are!" Chen Xiaoxiao finally turned around. Her makeup was nearly perfect, making her look radiant. "Sisi, you're still too naive. In times like these, a woman's weapon is her beauty."

Chen Si's brow furrowed tightly. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean it's simple: crying won't keep you alive." Chen Xiaoxiao stood up and elegantly smoothed the hem of her silk dress. "Men are animals who think with their lower bodies, especially in the extreme, repressive environment of the apocalypse. Their desires only intensify."

"So, you intend to trade your beauty for protection?" Chen Si's voice held a note of disbelief and faint repulsion. "Xiaoxiao, is this... really okay?"

Chen Xiaoxiao let out a dismissive laugh. "What does 'okay' have to do with it? Being alive is what's best. Besides, we're both top-tier beauties; we can cooperate and play a one-two punch."

"Cooperate in what?" A strong, ominous feeling rose in Chen Si's heart.

"You, you keep playing that pure, innocent act—stay soft and naive." Chen Xiaoxiao fluffed her carefully styled curls in the mirror with satisfaction. "I'll be the one to take the initiative and be more provocative. One of us plays the saint, the other the temptress. With both tactics, those filthy men will crawl at our feet, treating us like goddesses."

Chen Si instinctively took a step back, her face turning pale. "Xiaoxiao, I... I don't want to do that..."

"Then what do you want to do?" The smile on Chen Xiaoxiao's face vanished instantly, and her tone turned cold. "Do you want to wait here and starve to death? Or be torn to pieces by those monsters?"

"Sisi, get real. In this screwed-up world, if a woman doesn't rely on a man, what else can she rely on?"

"But..."

"No 'buts'!"

Chen Xiaoxiao snapped, dragging the heavy suitcase toward the door with great effort.

"Either you come with me, or you stay here and wait for death. Make your choice!"

Chen Si bit her lower lip, her fingertips turning white.

In the end, the instinct to survive overcame her unease, and she followed quickly behind.

The two walked one after the other down the dim staircase. The entire building was filled with a deathly silence, and apart from their footsteps, no other sound echoed in the empty stairwell.

"It's... so quiet here..."

Chen Si's voice trembled. She couldn't help but hunch her shoulders, looking around nervously.

"Could there be any danger?"

Dragging the suitcase, Chen Xiaoxiao wiped beads of sweat from her forehead and panted, "Don't worry, Pan Guang said Building 6 isn't far from here, and he'll send people to meet us."

She complained again, "Damn it, why did I pack so much in this stupid box? It's so heavy..."

Just as she finished speaking, they reached the landing of the 15th floor.

At the bottom of the stairs, two men's figures appeared without warning.