After entering Room 302, he saw Zhang Yurou. She was dressed in a sheer nightgown, her graceful figure faintly visible even in the dim light.
After he closed the door, before Lin Feng could speak, Sister-in-law Yurou rushed forward and grabbed his hands, her eyes welling with frantic tears:
"Lin Feng, what in the world is happening outside?!"
"Why is your brother Youzhi's car parked downstairs? Where is he? His phone isn't connecting…"
Lin Feng took a deep breath, gripping her trembling shoulders firmly. In a heavy voice, he said,
"Sister-in-law, please, calm down first!"
'After his parents passed away, Zhang Yurou was practically family to him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risked his life to save her earlier.'
Under Lin Feng's steady gaze, Zhang Yurou felt an inexplicable sense of security. She gradually calmed down, her tear-filled eyes waiting for his answer.
Lin Feng took another deep breath.
"Sister-in-law... I'm so sorry. Big Brother is gone. He was killed by one of those bugs from earlier…"
"But this isn't the time for grieving. We have to find weapons and figure out a way to escape as soon as possible. Otherwise, we're all going to die!"
"Before he died, Big Brother made me promise him that I'd get you out of here safely… Hey… Sister-in-law? Sister-in-law!?"
He hadn't even finished speaking when Zhang Yurou, her face flushed, suddenly fainted. Fortunately, Lin Feng's reflexes were sharp, and he lunged forward, catching her by her soft back.
With Zhang Yurou wearing only the sheer nightgown, Lin Feng could feel the heat of her body against his arm. It was surprisingly high.
After laying her on the sofa, he touched her forehead. Just as he suspected, she was running a fever!
Lin Feng's brow furrowed. 'This is the worst possible time for this.'
'Zhang Yurou exercised regularly, running seven or eight kilometers every day. How could someone in such good shape get sick with a fever today, of all days?'
He used Identification to check his sister-in-law's Data Attributes:
[Human, lv0/9]
[Life Value 9, Physique 8, Spirit 8]
[Fit Human Female, currently in a State of Upgrading, has great potential]
'After reading the Evaluation, Lin Feng heaved a sigh of relief, a flicker of joy in his heart. If his sister-in-law leveled up and got stronger, their chances of escape would be that much better.'
After covering Yurou with a blanket, Lin Feng turned to Chen Yanyan and said in a low, firm voice:
"What are you standing there for? Go get some water and a cold towel for her forehead!"
Chen Yanyan snapped out of her daze and followed Lin Feng's order.
'The man had a gun, and she needed him to get her out of this alive. Chen Yanyan was a very pragmatic person; she knew exactly what she needed to do.'
'Especially since Lin Feng seemed to care a great deal for this woman—who was probably General Manager Lin's actual wife.'
While Chen Yanyan took care of his sister-in-law, Lin Feng went into the study of Room 302 to find what he was really looking for.
Lin Feng was familiar with the layout of his sister-in-law's apartment, as he used to come over for dinner often.
Soon, after rummaging through cabinets and drawers, he found a box hidden in a secret compartment of the tea table.
He opened it. Inside lay a pistol magazine, a leather holster, and a box of loose bullets.
He counted them—twenty rounds remaining.
After loading the ammunition, Lin Feng had one full twelve-round magazine and another with nine rounds.
He strapped the holster to his waist and secured the pistol. By the time Lin Feng came out, Zhang Yurou was already stirring, groggily awake.
Lin Feng rushed to her side, asking with concern,
"Sister-in-law, are you alright?"
Chen Yanyan came over with a box of medicine and a bottle of mineral water, her expression fraught with worry.
"I found a box of fever reducers. The power is out, and the water in the kitchen is about to be cut off…"
Zhang Yurou mumbled,
"Water... water..."
Lin Feng took the bottle, helped his sister-in-law sit up, and gave her the entire bottle of water. Her consciousness gradually returned, and she slowly pushed herself upright.
Having broken out in a sweat, Zhang Yurou's sheer nightgown was now soaked through, clinging to her body and revealing her voluptuous figure with a wet, alluring look.
Lin Feng looked down and coughed lightly.
"Sister-in-law, you should go change your clothes. We can discuss our next steps in detail after that."
Zhang Yurou glanced down, her face instantly blushing red, and she hurried into the bedroom.
Chen Yanyan sat nearby, fidgeting restlessly, unsure how she should introduce herself.
Just then, the phone on the coffee table chimed. DING.
Lin Feng picked it up. Someone had sent Zhang Yurou a text message. After unlocking the phone, he saw a message from a man named Zhang Erhe, informing his sister-in-law that in twenty-four hours, two rescue helicopters would be arriving at Hai City University, three kilometers away, to evacuate several professors...
This was her only way to evacuate safely.
And it was Lin Feng's chance to escape, too!
Lin Feng backed out of the message and saw several missed calls from Lin Youzhi, placed right before he died. 'She must have been unconscious then,' he figured.
Now that he knew of an escape route, Lin Feng took out the hind leg he had shot off the Red-Armored Beetle. It was half a meter long and as thick as a man's arm, like a limb from a giant king crab. The tip had a row of sharp, serrated barbs that not only provided a powerful grip but could also easily rip away large chunks of flesh.
The Red-Armored Beetle had three pairs of walking legs and a pair of front chelipeds that could retract and strike in an instant, much like a mantis shrimp. One moment of inattention could lead to serious injury.
Its red Back Armor had extremely high Defense Power. To kill it safely, one either had to land a Critical Strike to the head or shoot off the three pairs of legs under its Shell.
Just then, Zhang Yurou, having changed her clothes, walked into the living room.
She had changed into athletic wear—tight pants and a sun-protection jacket—and looked full of energy.
Lin Feng handed her the phone, relayed the contents of the message, and asked who Zhang Erhe was.
Zhang Yurou's eyes lit up as she read the message, but her expression darkened when she heard Lin Feng's question. She explained,
"Oh, that's my father. He used to be the director of the Hai Gang Group factory before he was transferred inland."
'Lin Feng vaguely recalled the story. Back then, Lin Youzhi had apparently sweet-talked his sister-in-law into the relationship. Her father had always disapproved of the marriage, and even though they eventually wed, the relationship between father and daughter grew strained.'
He glanced at Zhang Yurou, who seemed to have regained some of her spirit. Her Data Attributes had changed:
[Human, lv1/9]
[Life Value 11, Physique 9, Spirit 8]
'After the Upgrade, his sister-in-law's Physique was now a point higher than his. It just goes to show that regular exercise really does keep you young.'
Just then, the pistol's Upgrade was also complete:
[Normal Pistol lv2/9, White Quality]
[Upgrade Points 2/10, Damage 4, Effective Range 30m, Remaining Bullets 12/12, Extra Attributes Activated: Bullet Recovery 1/1h]
[Evaluation: This is an ordinary pistol, but in your hands, it will be anything but. Hit your targets to gain corresponding Upgrade Points.]
The gun's power had increased after the Upgrade. The level-up had consumed one of his three accumulated Upgrade Points, leaving him with two. This shattered Lin Feng's original idea of rapidly grinding Upgrade Points while the gun was still low-level.
'Better just to upgrade normally. After all, the higher the equipment's Damage, the safer I'll be.'
The new Bullet Recovery attribute meant Lin Feng wouldn't have to worry about ammunition for the time being.
'Although the recovery rate was only one bullet per hour, he was certain it would get faster with future Upgrades.'
"Lin Feng, we have to leave before tomorrow morning, or we won't make it in time... Lin Feng?"
Zhang Yurou asked, putting down her phone.
Lin Feng snapped back to reality. He looked at the beetle leg in front of him, and an idea flashed in his mind. He gripped his gun tightly.
"Got it!"
"Sister-in-law, find any useful weapons you can in the apartment and put on some thicker clothes. We'll rest for a bit, then take care of that injured beetle outside before planning our escape route."
Zhang Yurou nodded. 'This clear-headed young man really is reliable.' Now that she had someone to count on, her focus returned, and she looked at the young woman in the corner.
"And you are...?"
Hearing them talk, Chen Yanyan mulled it over for a moment, then cleared her throat and stepped forward to introduce herself:
"Hello, Sister-in-law. My name is Chen Yanyan. I'm an accountant at the company. I escaped with General Manager Lin in his car."
"General Manager Lin loved you very much. On the way here, even after he was injured, he kept trying to call you... My condolences, Sister-in-law."
Zhang Yurou's eyes scanned the woman's attire from top to bottom. Then, she smiled, stepped forward, and took her hand.
"Thank you. Come with me, let's get you a change of clothes. You won't get far in that outfit."
Chen Yanyan nodded, surprised by Zhang Yurou's warmth. As she was led into the bedroom, she glanced back at Lin Feng, her eyes filled with a pitiful, pleading look.
Lin Feng looked up at her, a slow smile spreading across his lips.
'Should I expose her?'