The figure burst out of the darkness—
Almost slamming straight into Lin Wu's line of sight.
A man.
Late twenties.
His dark blue tactical jacket was soaked—rain and blood blending into one.
Right shoulder collapsed.Left leg dragging badly.
But in his arms—
He clutched a silver-gray case.
Like his life depended on it.
No.
That wasn't right.
People on the brink of death—
They usually hold onto their lives.
But the way he held that case…
It looked like he was protecting something
more valuable than his life.
Behind him—
Shadows.
Fast.
Too fast.
Not the slow, stiff infected from earlier.
These were different.
Faster. More aggressive.
Their bodies moved low to the ground, limbs striking water with explosive bursts—
Almost like they had learned how to hunt.
Su Yu's face turned pale instantly.
"They're catching up—!"
Qi Ye's hand tightened around his blade.
Lin Wu didn't move.
She just watched.
The man crossed into the expanded defense zone.
Nine meters.
Eight.
Seven—
At the exact moment the leading mutant lunged—
The barrier flared.
A faint golden arc—
Then—
Impact.
The creature hit it like it had slammed into a high-speed steel wire.
Its body twisted midair—
Then—
Shredded.
Black ash exploded outward.
The two behind it couldn't stop—
BANG. BANG.
More ash.
Rain washed it into nothing.
Silence.
The man stumbled forward—
Crashing against the glass door.
His grip on the case?
Never loosened.
He looked up.
Face pale as paper.
Lips trembling.
"Help… me…"
His voice was cracked. Broken.
Barely human.
Wang Defa shrank back instantly.
The sight of those things dying behind him—
That wasn't relief.
That was terror.
What if this guy brought something worse?
But Lin Wu wasn't looking at him.
Her gaze had already locked onto—
the case.
System interface:
[High-Value Target Detected][Special Item Resonance Detected][Warning: Partial resonance with store rules][Recommendation: PRIORITY ACQUISITION]
Lin Wu's eyes sharpened.
Resonance?
Now that—
Was interesting.
She walked to the door.
Didn't open it.
"Name."
The man froze for half a second.
Like he couldn't believe that was the first question.
"…Xie Lin."
"Bitten?"
"No."
He was breathing hard, but his mind was still clear.
"Shoulder dislocated. Leg cut."
"No infection."
Lin Wu didn't trust words.
She checked the system.
A few seconds—
[Low Infection Probability]
Good enough.
"What's in the case?"
His grip tightened instantly.
Too obvious.
Lin Wu confirmed it on the spot.
That case—
That was the item.
His voice came out hoarse:
"…Something that can buy my life."
Lin Wu smiled.
"I like that answer."
She tapped the authorization panel.
"Xie Lin. Entry approved."
Golden light flashed.
He stumbled inside—
Collapsed forward—
Barely caught himself.
Qi Ye grabbed him.
"You're in bad shape."
Xie Lin glanced at him—
Instinctively defensive—
But he had nothing left.
All he could do—
Was hold onto the case.
Lin Wu scanned him quickly.
Dislocated shoulder.
Deep leg wound.
Body temperature dropping.
He was hanging—
Right on the edge.
No wasted time.
She grabbed water.
A hemostatic spray.
Tossed them over.
"Drink. Then put the case down."
Xie Lin caught them—
But didn't drink.
He stared at her.
"You guarantee… safety here?"
Lin Wu's tone didn't change.
"If you can pay—"
"You're safe during the trade."
That was enough.
He drank.
Hard.
Like his throat was burning.
Then—
Sprayed his wound.
Hiss—
His body locked.
Then—
His eyes changed.
"…This medicine…"
The bleeding—
Stopped.
Fast.
Too fast.
Lin Wu leaned against the counter.
"Good product."
"Costs extra."
Xie Lin almost laughed.
Didn't.
But something in him—
Relaxed.
Just a little.
Because this woman—
She wasn't pretending to save people.
She was just doing business.
And that?
Was safer.
Slowly—
He placed the case on the counter.
Less than 50 cm.
Red seal.
Covered in impact scars.
Like it had been dragged through hell.
"I got it from Heng'an Bio Lab."
His voice was rough.
"They ordered it transferred before the blackout."
"To an underground facility in the east."
"We never made it."
"Driver died. Comms cut."
"I ran."
His hand never left the case.
Knuckles white.
Lin Wu looked at him.
"So you're trading it for your life."
"…Yes."
"And for medicine."
"And a chance to live until tomorrow."
Even Su Yu's expression shifted.
She could hear it—
This man was at his limit.
Lin Wu only asked one thing.
"Key?"
Xie Lin froze.
"…What?"
"For the case."
"I'm not buying a locked mystery box."
He almost smiled.
Didn't.
"No key."
He raised his wrist.
A black band.
"Biometric lock."
"Linked to me."
System:
[Special Item: Sealed Case (Bound)][Unlock Medium: Biometric Wristband][Resonance Increasing]
Lin Wu narrowed her eyes.
So—
It wasn't just the item.
It was a package deal.
She tapped the counter.
Three times.
"My offer."
Xie Lin looked up.
"The case."
"The wristband."
"And everything you know about that underground facility."
"I give you—"
"Water. Food. Medicine."
"A place to rest."
"You follow rules—"
"You live through the night."
Silence.
Fair deal.
Not cheap.
Not generous.
Just—
Precise.
He studied her.
"…You're not curious what's inside?"
"I am."
She answered instantly.
"But curiosity ruins deals."
"I don't like bad trades."
Qi Ye glanced at her.
…This boss was terrifyingly steady.
A long pause.
Then—
Xie Lin removed the wristband.
Placed it down.
"…Deal."
[Transaction Complete][Reputation +5][Unlocked: Tier 2 Appraisal][Reward: Rest Pod ×1]
Lin Wu's eyes lit up.
Tier 2 appraisal—
Now that was valuable.
No more misjudging high-end goods.
No more blind pricing.
She laid out supplies.
Water.
Bread.
Painkillers.
Spray.
Antibiotics.
"Eat."
"Then give me your shoulder."
Xie Lin blinked.
"…What?"
"It's dislocated."
"You won't sleep like that."
He hesitated.
Then—
Said nothing.
She stepped behind him.
Checked alignment.
His muscles tensed instantly.
Sweat beaded.
"Hold still."
Then—
CRACK.
His vision went black.
Pain slammed through—
Then—
Gone.
He moved his arm.
Stunned.
"…You've done this before?"
Lin Wu wiped her hands.
"Worked in a store."
"People fall. You learn."
(Not entirely true.)
Xie Lin didn't push further.
But the way he looked at her—
Had changed.
This woman—
Didn't just sell things.
She pulled people back—
From death.
Then—
The case.
Moved.
Just slightly.
Like something inside—
Twitched.
Lin Wu's eyes sharpened.
System flashed red:
[WARNING: Resonance Increasing][Retrieve to Store Core?]
Store core?
First time she'd seen that term.
"What happens if I do?"
System paused.
Then—
[Unknown][High probability: Positive upgrade]
Lin Wu: "…"
Of course.
A gamble.
She was about to decide—
BANG BANG BANG.
Knocking.
Urgent.
Panicked.
A stranger.
Pale.
Shaking.
"Turn off the lights—!"
"Military vehicles—coming this way!"
Everything froze.
Wang Defa rushed to look—
Face drained.
"Two vehicles—armed!"
Qi Ye frowned.
Su Yu held Sui Sui tighter.
Xie Lin's breathing collapsed instantly.
He looked at Lin Wu.
Voice low.
Tight.
"They can't see that case."
"If they're here for it—"
Too late.
Headlights.
Sharp.
Focused.
Scanning.
System:
[Armed Unit Detected][6 Personnel][Objective: Retrieval]
Lin Wu looked at the lights.
Then—
At the case.
Her fingers tapped the counter.
Slowly.
Then—
She smiled.
"…Good."
"Looks like tonight—"
"We're getting an even bigger customer."