Apocalypse: After Being Reborn, I Stocked Up on All Supplies

Chapter 128: Chapter 128 Eavesdropping at the Corner

The silvery-gray fire door leading to the 29th floor was left open.

Next to the two fire doors, there was a pile of disorganized tables, chairs, benches, and sofas.

There were also a few dirty plush teddy bears among them.

Whether it was the hallway or the fire door, only enough space for one person to pass sideways was left.

The lighting in the hallway was too dim, and various objects blocked the view, leaving Jiang Yan unable to see further inside no matter how good her eyesight was.

Loud voices of men and choking smoke wafted from inside.

At that moment, the outdoor temperature was only about two or three degrees, and there was a downpour.

Not a few people in the hallway or in their homes were heating by burning fires.

Ye Qing gently patted Jiang Yan on the shoulder, signaling her to pause her footsteps slightly before taking a big step forward himself.

Though he was tall, he walked with great skill.

His steps were light and silent.

It was then that Jiang Yan clearly saw that he had slung three fish shooting guns, previously confiscated from Scarred Man, on his back, and was tightly holding a sharply gleaming dagger in his hand.

He also had a dark green, narrow canvas bag slung over his body, which appeared to contain a long sword.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ƝονǤ0.ƈο

He was quite well-prepared.

After listening and observing beside the fire door for a few seconds, Ye Qing then gestured for Jiang Yan to come down.

Jiang Yan walked down just as quietly.

She was holding a handgun.

Since the primary purpose of going downstairs today was reconnaissance rather than deterrence, she had equipped the handgun with a silencer in advance.

“Cough, cough, cough!” Someone choked on the smoke and coughed heavily a few times.

“Damn, this smoke and fire—it’s nearly turning me into smoked meat! My life is just getting more and more primitive!” a hoarse-voiced man cursed.

“Second brother, they say smoke seeks the rich! Looks like you’re about to strike it rich, hehe!” a young man said ingratiatingly.

“Yes, yes! We have that saying too!” another young man chimed in.

A few others nearby were cracking sunflower seeds and peanuts.

Judging by the sounds, there were quite a few people.

“Smoke my ass! While others are cozying up with smokeless coal, cuddling a girl, and sipping on fine liquor, here I am, freezing cold, keeping warm by shivering, damn it!” the hoarse man finished, spitting a great gob to the side.

Perhaps sensing his displeasure, the others immediately fell silent.

Only the crackling sounds of burning firewood remained.

Second brother?

Jiang Yan and Ye Qing glanced at each other, silently exchanging thoughts: This seemed undoubtedly to be Ma Longbiao’s gang.

She remembered the last time they encountered Scar-faced, who was referred to as “Third Brother” by others.

This “Second Brother” must be the second-in-command of this gang.

If he was here, then perhaps Ma Longbiao was as well.

Thinking this, Jiang Yan quietly opened her backpack.

She then took out an inspection mirror with a telescopic rod that could rotate 360 degrees, which was actually from her “Space.”

The mirror was small, and it was specially coated with a matte finish.

It ensured some clarity for the viewer without too much reflection.

Catching sight of her taking out this item from the corner of his eyes, a flicker of surprise crossed Ye Qing’s gaze, but he quickly understood what Jiang Yan intended:

She wanted to use the inspection mirror to check out the scene in the 29th-floor hallway.

However, considering the mirror’s small size, its matte surface, and the dim light in the hallway, it demanded high visual acuity from the observer.

Ye Qing, with his uncorrected visual acuity of 5.0, happened to be standing in the front, so he instinctively reached out to take the inspection mirror from Jiang Yan.

But he saw Jiang Yan shake her head, then she gestured with her hand behind her, signaling for Ye Qing to step aside and let her go.

Ye Qing furrowed his brows and hesitated for a second, then quietly said, “Be careful,” letting her take the lead.

Jiang Yan slowly crouched down, then extended the telescopic rod before carefully inserting the inspection mirror into the gap among the furniture.

The image of the hallway appeared on the small mirror surface.

In the hallway near 2904 close to 2903, a large fire had been lit.

There was a pile of chopped-up chair legs and stools beside it.

A pot blackened by smoke was set over the fire.

White hot steam billowed from the pot, its contents unknown.

On either side of the fire, against the wall, sat two men each.

Another man, with a buzz cut and a large black backpack, had his back to the fire door, warming his hands over the fire.

A small part of a black steel tube peeked out from the corner of his backpack.

Judging by the circumstances, it was undoubtedly the “Second Brother.”

The five men were dressed in a bizarre and wrinkled mix of padding jackets, vests—anything they could layer on themselves.

One even wore a ladies’ beret on his head.

Jiang Yan raised her left hand, showing five fingers.

Ye Qing immediately understood.

However, curiosity flickered in his heart; the image he saw had been extremely blurry—how could Jiang Yan see it so clearly?

“Second Brother, just staying in here like this, Brother Ma might not be too pleased when he comes back and sees us,” a young man with yellow hair nervously shrank his neck and said.

“Yes, Second Brother, shouldn’t we patrol the hallway instead?

Besides, I’m responsible for watching the 29th floor, so maybe I should just stand there. If those guys from the 32nd floor come down and we don’t notice, it’ll be too late…” The beret-wearing man spoke these words, attempting to rise, only to be harshly rebuked by the buzz-cut man: “Zhang Xiaoguang, sit down! Did I fucking tell you to get up?!”

Caught off guard, the beret-wearing man’s rear end had just lifted before he reluctantly sat back down.

“Afraid of what? Today’s Young Master Xue’s birthday, Brother Ma and Meng Daxiao are too busy flattering him to care about coming back! Maybe they won’t even return tonight!! What’s so important about patrolling the hallway? If those troublemakers dare to make a move, they’ll end up just like those zombies on the 22nd floor!”

Young Master Xue?

Hearing this name, Jiang Yan and Ye Qing’s brows both instinctively furrowed tightly.

Especially Jiang Yan, her heart unconsciously sank deeply.

After her rebirth, she had mostly cut ties with the people around her.

The name “Young Master Xue” didn’t belong to anyone in her circle.

But it struck a chord like a dark stone, shivering echoes through the icy fissures of her memories.

However, now was not the time to dwell on the past.

It might just be a coincidence that the nickname clashed with another.

After all, in her memory, that tyrannical and villainous beast from her previous life, Young Master Xue, had long since died in prison.

He had even made the hot news for a while.

Besides, what was that “zombies on the 22nd floor” the buzz-cut man mentioned?

It seemed she would have to actually go downstairs later and see for herself.

Thinking this, Jiang Yan narrowed her eyes slightly.

She was about to quietly retract the inspection mirror,

but she saw the buzz-cut man take off the backpack from his back, cursing as he extracted the black tubular object.