Skinwalker Belle – Chapter 26 – Power Outage

The city was plunged into a dead, silent darkness.

Lin Fan stood by the window, watching as the streets, which had previously held a few scattered lights, went completely dark.

The power was out.

She knew better than anyone what this meant.

No electricity meant the air conditioners would stop, refrigerators would fail, and cell towers would go offline.

The survivors hiding in the high-rises would soon face a life-or-death choice.

Either be trapped and die in their homes, or risk going downstairs to search for supplies.

And in the stairwells, hungry zombies were already lying in wait.

“Ruyan? What’s wrong?”

Zhou Ming’s voice came from behind her.

He struggled to sit up, hissing as the movement pulled at his wound.

“The power’s out.”

Lin Fan’s voice was calm.

“Good thing we were well-prepared.”

Lin Fan walked to a corner of the balcony.

Several power banks and a foldable solar charging panel were neatly arranged there.

They had scavenged all of this from an outdoor supply store.

“Ming-ge, give me the flashlight.”

Her voice was still gentle, but it carried a calm strength.

Zhou Ming obediently handed her the flashlight.

Lin Fan flicked the switch, and a dim yellow beam illuminated a small patch of space.

“From today on, we have to be even more careful.”

She checked the locks on the windows, confirming every detail.

“We can use the solar panel to charge things during the day, but we should try not to use lights at night.”

“Most importantly, we absolutely cannot let anyone find out we have a large amount of supplies here.”

Zhou Ming nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.

He was growing more and more impressed by this girl’s wisdom.

Without her advance planning, he would have been as helpless as the people who ended up in the zombies’ mouths.

“Oh, right, Ruyan.”

Zhou Ming remembered something.

“Are we still going to the cleanup operation in three days?”

Lin Fan stopped what she was doing.

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Of course she was going.

It was the perfect opportunity to get close to Lei Li and Chen Yao.

But she couldn’t appear too eager.

“I… I’m a little scared.”

She turned around, her eyes filled with conflict.

“But, Lei Li and the others have a lot of people. It’ll be safer to follow them than for the two of us to be alone.”

“Besides, Doctor Chen said they’re short on medical supplies.”

“We can use this to trade for their protection.”

Zhou Ming nodded in agreement.

“You’re right. It’s definitely safer to stick with a large group.”

“Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Lin Fan nodded obediently, her eyes full of dependence.

For the next two days, the city descended into complete chaos.

Looking down from the window, scattered figures began to appear on the once-quiet streets.

They were survivors, forced out of their homes by hunger.

But soon, screams would ring out.

Followed by the sounds of tearing flesh and chewing.

Then, a few more staggering figures would appear on the street.

A vicious cycle.

The number of zombies was increasing rapidly.

On the first night, Lin Fan heard knocking from downstairs.

“Help us! Please!”

“I know you have food! Open the door!”

The voice was miserable, sounding like a middle-aged woman.

Zhou Ming wanted to open the door but was stopped by Lin Fan.

“Ming-ge, how do you think she knows we have food?”

Lin Fan’s voice was soft, but each word was like an icicle.

“If she’s certain we have supplies, it means she’s been watching us for a long time.”

“People like that are more dangerous than zombies.”

The realization dawned on Zhou Ming.

If he really opened the door, what awaited them would not be gratitude, but robbery.

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Or worse.

The knocking continued for the entire night.

It only stopped the next morning.

Lin Fan peeked through the peephole.

The hallway was a mess.

Bloodstains were everywhere.

The woman who had been knocking was now a zombie.

“See?”

Lin Fan said softly to Zhou Ming.

Zhou Ming nodded, a lingering fear in his heart.

During the day, they used the solar panel to charge their devices.

Lin Fan also took out the medical supplies scavenged from the pharmacy and reorganized them.

“Ming-ge, how’s your wound?”

She gently changed Zhou Ming’s dressing.

Her movements were light and meticulous, but Zhou Ming could feel the coldness of her fingertips.

“Much better. It shouldn’t affect my movement.”

Zhou Ming moved his shoulder.

Though it was still a bit sore, it was no longer a hindrance.

“That’s good.”

Lin Fan nodded in satisfaction.

“Tomorrow is the day. We have to appear valuable, but not too conspicuous.”

She had already thought of a strategy.

Use the medical supplies to gain Lei Li’s trust.

Then, during the cleanup operation, find a chance to get close to Chen Yao.

As for how to make her move, she would see how the situation played out.

On the morning of the third day.

The two of them, fully armed, prepared to set out.

Lin Fan carried a backpack full of medical supplies, while Zhou Ming shouldered a homemade weapon.

The moment they stepped out of the building, they felt the change in the world outside.

The air was thick with the stench of blood and rot.

On the streets, the number of zombies had at least doubled.

They wandered in every corner, searching for the scent of the living.

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“Stay close to me.”

Lin Fan lowered her voice.

“Remember, avoid fighting if we can. Our target is Fragrant Hills International.”

The two of them moved cautiously between abandoned cars.

Every few steps, they had to stop and observe their surroundings.

It took them a full half-hour to cover a distance that would normally take ten minutes.

The Fragrant Hills International tower appeared before them.

The building was now surrounded by barbed wire and wooden fences.

Several fully armed people were on patrol.

“Those are Lei Li’s people.”

Lin Fan said, looking at a familiar figure.

They went to a side door.

The guard recognized Lin Fan and immediately let them pass.

“Miss Liu, Lei-jie is waiting for you.”

One of the guards said.

“She said today’s operation is very important.”

Lin Fan nodded her thanks and led Zhou Ming into the building.

When they reached the sixth floor, dozens of people were gathered in the hallway.

Everyone was fully armed, their faces tense.

Lei Li stood at the front, laying out the battle plan.

“Starting from the second floor, we’ll sweep through one floor at a time.”

Her voice was loud and full of authority.

“There could be survivors on every floor, but there could also be zombies.”

“Our goal is to clear out threats and rescue who we can.”

“But remember, no one is to act on their own. Everyone follows my command.”

Lin Fan noticed that Chen Yao was not in the group.

“Where’s Doctor Chen?” she asked proactively.

“Xiao Yao is staying in the infirmary,” Lei Li replied.

“Her job is to prepare medical supplies and be ready to treat the wounded at any time.”

A flicker of joy went through Lin Fan’s heart.

This was exactly what she had hoped for.

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During a battle, the infirmary would be relatively safe, with fewer people around.

If she could create the right opportunity…

“Little beauty, did you bring medical supplies?”

Lei Li walked over.

“Yes.”

Lin Fan took out some of the medicine from her backpack.

“Anti-inflammatories, painkillers, bandages, and some surgical tools.”

Lei Li’s eyes lit up.

“Very good. You two will stay at the back of the team, mainly responsible for support and medical aid.”

“Understood.”

Lin Fan nodded obediently.

But her mind was already calculating.

The back of the team meant relative safety, but it also meant it wouldn’t be easy to break away.

She needed to find the right moment.

“Everyone, check your gear!”

Lei Li commanded loudly.

“The operation begins in ten minutes!”

The crowd began to bustle.

Checking weapons, organizing gear, confirming signals with each other.

Lin Fan took the opportunity to observe everyone’s position and equipment.

These were all Lei Li’s trusted followers, well-coordinated and well-equipped.

Making a move right under their noses would be difficult.

“Ruyan, what are you thinking about?”

Zhou Ming asked in a low voice.

“Nothing.”

Lin Fan shook her head with a smile.

“Just a little nervous.”

“Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

Zhou Ming squeezed her hand.

“We’ll definitely make it back safely.”

Lin Fan nodded, her mind already scheming how to shake off Zhou Ming later and go to the infirmary alone.