Seeing the hand reaching for his throat, Jiang Hao finally sensed the full extent of Huan Tian's chilling intent to kill.
"Wait! You can't kill me—if you do, you'll die too!"
"How about we both take a step back? I swear, I'll never bother you again!"
The cold, iron grip halted abruptly, just half an inch from Jiang Hao's neck.
Jiang Hao let out a long breath of relief. So, Huan Tian wasn't completely insane—he still understood that laws existed in this world.
But as he begged for mercy, a glint of ruthless malice flickered deep within his eyes.
Law? It was a joke to him. As long as Huan Tian let him live today, he had a thousand ways to make him suffer later.
But in the very next second, he watched in disbelief as Huan Tian grabbed the handmade knife from the table and ruthlessly drove it through his right palm.
The blade pierced straight through the flesh, nailing his hand deep into the hardwood floor of the office.
Blood gushed out instantly, soaking the carpet beneath their feet in red. But Huan Tian had already stepped back gracefully, not a single drop of blood staining his body.
It all happened so fast. Jiang Hao saw everything, yet his body couldn't react in time.
By the time the searing pain hit, it had already engulfed his entire body.
"Ahhh! My hand! Get a doctor—someone call a doctor!"
"I was wrong! I won't bully you anymore—please, just let me go!"
His screams echoed like a pig being slaughtered, his face contorted in agony. But when he looked up, all he saw was Huan Tian's eyes—cold, cruel, and smiling.
"A little gift. Those monsters out there... they love the smell of blood."
"W-what monsters? What are you tal—AHHH!"
Crack!
With a sudden twist of his wrist, Huan Tian snapped the blade off inside Jiang Hao's palm.
The pain hit like a tidal wave. The massive man—over two hundred pounds—shuddered violently, the fat on his face bunching up in grotesque folds of agony and terror.
Just then, he saw Huan Tian walking step by step toward another desk, casually picking up a second utility knife.
Jiang Hao was already scared out of his wits. A large patch of yellow, foul-smelling liquid had soaked through the crotch of his slacks.
"Don't come any closer! Please—I'm begging you, let me go!"
"I'll give you money! A lot of money!" he cried, voice shaking and incoherent with fear. "I know you've been working overtime just to buy that Patek Philippe watch for Wang Susu—I'll buy it for you! I'll pay for it!"
"You do know everything, don't you?"
Huan Tian's eyes suddenly turned cold, like a lone wolf prowling the wasteland, filled with hunger and murderous rage.
He grabbed Jiang Hao's only remaining hand, wrenched it open, and stomped on his wrist.
"Enjoy the last moment of your life."
The utility knife pierced straight through Jiang Hao's palm. Huan Tian twisted the handle, snapping the blade off and leaving a jagged piece embedded deep in the wound.
Without another glance at Jiang Hao writhing in agony on the floor, Huan Tian turned and strode toward the elevator, pressing the button for the upper floors.
Watching him leave, Jiang Hao gritted his teeth against the pain and shakily dialed the security office.
"Jiang Hao? What is it?"
"Leave one guard downstairs. The rest of you—grab your gear and get up here. I want that bastard Huan Tian crippled!"
"You got it. We're on our way."
He hung up and, gritting his teeth, struggled into his chair. A vicious gleam lit up his eyes.
"Huan Tian… just you wait. I'll fucking kill you."
CRASH—
Rain poured down outside without warning, a torrential storm mixed with icy blue hailstones. Blinding flashes of blue lightning tore through the sky, as if trying to rip the heavens in two.
Through the window, Jiang Hao saw people on the streets below frantically rushing toward the nearest shelter—
Supermarkets, hotels, shopping malls, subway stations…
And this office building.
At that moment, outside the building—
"Xiaomei? What are you doing back?"
"I forgot something at the office. Just came to grab it."
"Come in, quick. Let me help you take off that coat—it's soaked."
"Thanks. This rain... it came out of nowhere. And there's even hail."
As she spoke, Xiaomei unbuttoned her coat and turned around, letting the security guard grab the collar and peel off the drenched leather jacket. Her shoulders gave a light, playful shrug, the kind of gesture that hinted at effortless charm.
She was already known as the beauty of the sales department, and now, her deep V-cut, figure-hugging dress clung tightly to her soaked body, tracing every curve with maddening precision. Rainwater trickled slowly down her ivory-toned legs, but under the dim, flickering lights, her once-pale skin was starting to show a strange, reddish hue—almost like a rash, or worse.
"It's so itchy… Am I allergic to the rain?"
Xiaomei began rubbing her arms and thighs. But the more she rubbed, the worse it got—as if something under her skin was crawling. At first, her movements were controlled, but soon she lost all restraint, clawing at her body with frantic desperation. Her nails left pink welts across her skin, but still, it wasn't enough.
Suddenly, she began tearing at her clothes, ripping them off and flinging them aside.
Under the trembling lights, her skin turned a deep, flushed red, like a shrimp scalded alive.
"Don't worry, I'll scratch it for you…" The guard murmured, stepping closer.
But before he could even react, Xiaomei lunged at him, throwing her arms around his neck and writhing in his embrace. The guard's breath caught in his throat. For a moment, instinct overrode reason.
Then—
"Aaagh!!"
A scream split the silence.
Agonizing pain exploded in his chest—Xiaomei had suddenly bitten down, hard, tearing into him like a rabid animal. Blood gushed from the wound, soaking through his uniform in seconds.
She jerked her head like a savage beast, ripping out a chunk of flesh through the fabric with a sickening crunch.
Her mouth dripped with blood. It sprayed across the floor.
"What the hell—Xiaomei! Get off me!!" he screamed.
But it was too late.
Xiaomei's body, though slim, unleashed a terrifying force. She pinned him down with ease, straddling him as she let out a guttural snarl, inhuman and wild.
"ROAR!!"
She sank her teeth deep into his throat.
The guard kicked and thrashed, his legs scraping wildly across the floor—until his movements slowed… weakened… and finally stopped altogether.
Fifteen seconds later, Xiaomei rose from the floor, soaked in blood from head to toe. Her blank eyes stared into the dim corridor as she turned and strolled into the depths of the building.
Behind her, the guard's corpse twitched once… then moved.
He staggered to his feet, lifeless gray eyes staring forward.
And elsewhere in the world…
The same nightmare was beginning to unfold.
...
Top Floor of the Corporate Building, Outside the CEO's Office
"Mr. Jiang, you're something—the door isn't even closed, and you're already tearing off my clothes. Aren't you afraid that loser downstairs might hear?"
"Relax. Jiang Hao is keeping an eye on that loser. Besides, he's too busy saving up to buy you a watch to have time to come upstairs."
"Hmph! Saving up my ass! I set my eyes on that watch three months ago, and he still hasn't scraped together the money. What a pathetic loser."
"Hahaha, no doubt about that. But hey, look at this."
"Oh my! That's the Patek Philippe, the upgraded diamond-studded version! Mr. Jiang, you're so generous. Hurry and help me put it on."
"If you know how good I am to you, then you'd better perform well. Jiang Hao gave that loser enough work to keep him busy for three hours. We've got all the time in the world."
"Hehe, Mr. Jiang, lie back. I promise to make these three hours worth your while."
The CEO's office door was slightly ajar. Even before Huan Tian approached, he could hear waves of lewd laughter coming from inside, quickly escalating into uninhibited moans.
"Bitch!"
Bang!
A loud crash echoed as the massive office door was kicked open. Huan Tian stood at the threshold, cold and fierce, radiating murderous intent.
The two half-naked people on the sofa snapped their heads around like startled birds.
"Huan Tian… how… how did you get here?"
Wang Susu instinctively grabbed a piece of clothing from the sofa to cover her most private parts. The flush of excitement on her face vanished, replaced instantly by a pale fear, and her movements froze.
Jiang Qing sneered and wrapped an arm around Wang Susu's slender waist.
"What are you afraid of? You think that loser dares lay a hand on you in front of me?"
"Huan Tian, let me make it clear—your girlfriend has been mine for three years. If you have any sense left, just get out of here now!"
"Wang Susu, make it clear to him and send him away."
He squeezed her thigh sharply as he spoke.
The panic in Wang Susu's eyes flickered briefly before being drowned by a thick, icy coldness.
"Huan Tian, let's break up. You're a loser who can't give me the life I want. If you want to keep whatever pathetic pride you have left, then leave now. I'll pretend none of this ever happened."
She lightly brushed her hair aside and began dressing, as if nothing had happened.
Not a hint of guilt.
Not a single word for Huan Tian.
To her, even looking at him was a waste of time.
In her eyes, it was Huan Tian who was the third party ruining their "happy" arrangement.
Huan Tian's gaze swept over the woman who was his girlfriend in name only.
He had to admit, Wang Susu had a smoking-hot figure, and those foxlike eyes had once bewitched him completely.
But compared to the soulmates he'd met during the apocalypse, Wang Susu was nothing more than a low-rent prostitute openly plying her trade at the black market entrance—not even worthy to be their servant.
His eyes landed on the Patek Philippe on her wrist.
Noticing his stare, Wang Susu deliberately raised her wrist, showing off the watch.
"See this? Mr. Jiang specially bought it for me today. It's worth at least ten times more than the one you were going to buy me."
"This is the kind of man I want. You, broke loser, should just get lost and stop ruining the mood for Mr. Jiang and me."
A cold smile slowly curled Huan Tian's lips.
"So, your worth as a woman… is equal to that watch on your wrist?"
His voice was emotionless, laced with scorn.
"You are a first-class bitch."