Global Mutations:I Built a Safe House

Chapter 9 Bandits Breach Building 2

The man eased himself down from the window ledge, inching his way along the gutter until he reached the second floor. He paused at the hallway entrance, then prepared to drop inside—only to draw the attention of a pack of zombies below. With a chorus of snarls, they surged toward the building and clawed at the open window.

Panicked, he let go and tumbled to the ground. He landed hard with a thud, pain lancing through his limbs as the zombies began clawing on the second-floor sill above him. Gathering himself, he shoved aside the agony and scrambled to his feet, hobbling toward the lobby of Building 2.

Residents pressed against their windows in shock as he burst inside. It was Brother Qiang—the same man who’d claimed to be “rescue troops” but had slaughtered his own “civilians” downstairs. He reached the unit’s security doors and yanked—only to find they required an in-unit access card or approval via a button press from upstairs.

Brother Qiang pounded the door, then ran up to each floor’s access panel. No one answered his frantic calls or buzzed him in. Behind him, the zombies clamored louder, their scratching growing desperate. Just when he feared death, the door clicked open.

Some unknown neighbor had finally granted him entry. He bolted into the corridor as the undead smashed against the front doors.

Resident A (in the chat): “Who on earth buzzed this bandit in? Are they trying to kill us?”Resident B: “Let him die out there!”

Their outrage ricocheted through the group as Brother Qiang panted in the lobby, gun still in hand. Unseen, the zombies below lost interest in the sealed doors and shuffled away.

But Qiang wasn’t satisfied. Cursing, he knocked door-to-door. By the tenth floor, frustration gave way to grim satisfaction—every door was the same reinforced alloy, impossible to break. Finally, on the twelfth floor, he came upon an older, basic security door—likely left unupgraded by the original developer.

Confidence surging, he slammed his shoulder into it until the lock began to give. “Open up, or I’ll splinter this door and kill you!” he roared.

Inside, a petite woman peeked out. “Stop battering my door—I’ll let you in!”

A cruel smile twisted his lips. He flung the door wide, barged inside, and snapped a curses at her. “You worthless—why did you wait so long?”

Amid his insults, he tore at her clothing. Her shrieks echoed down the hallway—the very building that had sheltered her now a chamber of violence.

Below, the zombies sensed fresh blood and battered their way back to Building 2. The residents, mouths agape, watched as the shamblers pressed against the doors.

Across the city, the heat climbed past fifty degrees. Several tenants, desperate for relief, risked turning on their air conditioners—only to hear the outdoor units whirr to life, drawing even more zombies to the complex.

In her cool apartment, Luo Qingtian remained oblivious to the bloodshed outside. She slipped into her hidden vault, cradled the now-bigger cub—whom she’d begun calling “Big White”—and fed him a fresh bottle of formula. The cub’s eyes now tracked her every move, and he nuzzled her hand with newfound affection.

Ever practical, Luo Qingtian grabbed a hoe and planted a new row of vegetables in her vault’s fertile soil. In her earlier haste, she’d mixed every seed together; now the plot teemed with an unpredictable—but vital—harvest.

Hours passed like minutes. When she emerged, she was startled to see the cub had grown again and was bearing his first playful pounces. She scooped him up, laughing as he nuzzled into her shoulder. “You’re my little miracle,” she murmured, stroking his silky fur.

Dinner passed in the vault, and when she returned to her kitchen, bread and cheese were gone in moments. She prepared for her nightly training—but the group chat had erupted once more:

Resident C: “Did you hear? They’ve breached Building 2!”Resident D: “Run away? Stay inside? What do we do?”

Luo Qingtian scrolled past their panic and slipped on her headphones. She pinned her hair back and entered the gym—every squat, every push-up executed with laser focus. She trained until the world outside blurred, each rep reinforcing her resolve.

Beyond her walls, Building 2’s metal door splintered under the bandit’s blows—and the zombies pressed their advantage, battering in. But within her secure haven, Luo Qingtian honed her strength, ready to face whatever the apocalypse would hurl at her next.

The moment someone below had cranked on their air conditioner, the whir of the outdoor unit drew a pack of zombies to their door. Screeching claws and splintering wood echoed through the courtyard as the undead began hammering on Building 2’s entrances.

Resident A (in the chat): “Who’s stupid enough to turn on an AC now? Do they want to die?”Resident B: “It’s only going to get hotter—and we’re almost out of food. If the zombies don’t kill us, the heat or hunger will.”Resident C: “I’d trade my gold bracelets for a single loaf of bread!”

On the tenth day of the outbreak, supplies were running perilously low.

On the tenth floor of Building 2, Brother Qiang dragged Shen Yunran through the lobby, pounding door-to-door for scraps of food. But the well-to-do tenants of Hua’an Complex weren’t fools—and no one answered his frantic knocks. Frustration darkened Qiang’s face as he kicked Shen Yunran to the floor.

“Worthless,” he spat. “You couldn’t get us a crumb. Why should I keep you?”

As he prepared to strike again, Shen Yunran scrambled up, tears in her eyes. She forced out her plea: “I can get food for us—I know old Mrs. Jiang on 32 East still has a little left. She and her grandson can’t eat much. Take me there and I’ll knock the door down.”

Qiang paused, considering. Then he sneered, “Fine. But if you fail, I’ll make you regret it.”

They staggered up the stairs, collapsing in exhaustion by the landing outside 32 East. Shen Yunran rattled the door. No answer.

“Try 33 East,” Mrs. Jiang had said. “That young woman up there lives alone. She has air conditioning—and food.”

So they pressed on. When they reached Shen Yunran’s target—the locked double door of 33 East—they began pounding again. From within, Luo Qingtian had just finished her training, fed the cub, and showered. As she settled to eat, her phone pinged with a new friend request:

“Hello, I’m your neighbor in 32 East. Don’t open for anyone—the woman from 10 East is bringing a bandit to your door!”

Luo Qingtian frowned, but didn’t hesitate. She accepted the warning, muted the chat, and focused on her meal.

Below, the thundering knocks persisted. Qiang and Shen Yunran finally abandoned their climb and returned to 32 to beg Mrs. Jiang for a hammer—only to discover she’d locked her door as well. Furious, Qiang raced back to 33 and smashed on Luo Qingtian’s door with a metal tool.

Inside, the racket stopped. Luo Qingtian set aside her chopsticks, her eyes cold with intent. She walked through her apartment and stepped into the hallway doorway.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, voice low.

Shen Yunran froze beside the battered door panel. “Miss, I—I haven’t eaten for days. Please, just a little food!”

Luo Qingtian’s lips curled in contempt. “I have none. And if I hear another knock, I won’t be so polite.”

Before Shen Yunran could respond, Brother Qiang lunged forward from the shadows, wrenching a roar: “B*tch! Open this door—or I’ll bring every zombie in the complex down here to finish you off!”

His threat hung in the corridor as Luo Qingtian’s gaze bore into him—silent, unyielding, and utterly fearless.