Chapter 7: The Alien Hound

“Enough, Sister Lu. We still don’t know what’s happening outside. Let’s keep a low profile and wait for Li Ye to arrive.”

A stout figure approached, his narrow eyes full of worry.

The three men in floral shirts gradually took on a hostile expression.

“This entire processing plant belongs to me! Why should I hand over the finished goods warehouse... ugh... ugh...”

Before Lu Xue Ning could finish speaking, a pair of hands covered her mouth from behind and dragged her away.

Suo Hao watched the three men, smiling politely as he nodded, then slowly slipped out of their sight.

“Mom! What are you doing? I’m trying to reason with them!”

“Do you still care about me, your mother? I told you to stay in the office and not move, but you insisted on wandering out.”

“Did you forget everything Xiao Ye told you? Hm?”

A beautiful woman crossed her arms and sneered coldly at Lu Xue Ning.

“I’m just worried...” Lu Xue Ning lowered her head slightly and mumbled.

Suo Hao, Li Ye’s close friend, found himself caught between the mother and daughter, trying to smooth things over.

“Aunt Lu, you take Xue Ning back to the office first. I’ll go find Uncle Chen and the others, and wait for Yezi by the main gate.”

“Be careful yourself. Don’t go out.”

“Alright, I understand.”

...

The processing plant wasn’t small; there was a large open space in the middle where workers had gathered.

Most of them anxiously fiddled with their phones, surrounding a young man who was explaining something.

The young man occasionally demonstrated frightening movements, prompting gasps and questions from the surrounding workers.

“Is it like those zombies in the movies?”

“It looks similar, but it moves way too slowly. I can easily outrun it in just a few steps.”

After hesitating briefly, many workers gathered together to discuss.

“How about we all go out together? There’s a big bus parked outside. Don’t you all want to check on your families?”

The speaker was a broad-faced man, clutching his phone tightly, worry etched across his features.

The squinty-eyed man next to him shook his head. “The red fog outside is too thick. Driving is too risky, not to mention that monster.”

“Let’s go! Xiao Qi just said those things can’t outrun him. What’s the fog to us? We’ll drive slowly. If we make it to the city, maybe the fog will clear!”

At this, many people responded positively. Human hopefulness held sway in this moment.

Yet, others remained skeptical about the monster the young man described.

Could he have been mistaken?

How could such creatures exist in the real world?

“You guys planning to go out? It’s not safe out there right now,” Suo Hao called out anxiously as she approached the workers.

Among the dozen or so present, only the squinty-eyed man glanced at her—but just briefly.

In these unusual times, no one wanted to heed a stranger’s advice.

The broad-faced leader ignored her completely, signaling a few men beside him to prepare to leave the factory together.

Suo Hao, feeling out of place, shook her head helplessly and retreated to the entrance of the first workshop.

Before they opened the door, the squinty-eyed man at the end of the line hesitated and looked back at the young man called Xiao Qi.

“Are you sure you only saw one monster?”

“Uncle Yu, you know with this red fog, visibility is only five or six meters. I really only saw one,” the young man replied firmly, meeting Uncle Yu’s eyes.

Muttering under his breath, Uncle Yu made some gestures with one hand in the air, then followed the others out through the gate, his figure soon swallowed by the dense red fog.

Since his muttering was faint and muffled by the fog, Xiao Qi couldn’t catch what he said.

Judging by his bowed head and gestures, it seemed like he was offering a prayer.

Outside the factory, the sun was already dipping westward, casting red-tinged light through the fog.

This place had once been a human industrial park, but now wild grass and trees seemed to have taken over.

Plants of all kinds sprouted vigorously from the cracked concrete, breaking apart the entire road.

“Let’s walk in a line. It’ll widen our field of vision and make it harder to get separated.”

The broad-faced man took charge calmly, organizing everyone into a single file and stepping forward over the broken concrete and scattered weeds.

“That bus is parked just by the roadside. If we keep going, we should see it in about ten minutes.”

No one answered; only the rustling sound of crushed weeds underfoot could be heard.

At the rear of the line, Old Yu suddenly grew alert, scanning the surroundings. A sudden chill gripped his heart.

It was too quiet.

Even with the red fog dampening sounds, there should still be subtle noises—wind whispering, leaves rustling. Yet now, there was nothing.

Hurriedly, he grabbed the clothing of the person in front to stop them.

But it was too late.

A dog appeared not far ahead.

Everyone in the park knew this dog well.

They called it Three-Legs because it truly had only three legs.

Its right front leg was lame, just a short stump. The wound looked clean-cut, clearly not congenital, and its instinctive hostility toward humans hinted at the cruel treatment it must have endured.

Before the apocalypse, even if people just passed by, it would intimidate them with continuous low growls. Coupled with its fierce appearance, it struck fear deep into everyone’s hearts.

As for now, it was even more terrifying.

Its body, originally just over a meter long, now stretched nearly two meters, standing an astonishing height of over a meter.

The matted, tangled fur under the red fog had become sleek and glossy. Its taut muscles made the burly men’s legs tremble, forcing them to step back involuntarily.

“Suddenly, the monster Xiao Qi described doesn’t seem so scary.”

The broad-faced man’s face stiffened, his feet trembling as he muttered.

As the crowd stepped back, the creature emitted a terrifying low growl.

Old Yu’s pupils contracted. With all his strength, he leapt awkwardly to the side just as a gust of bloody wind swept past his ear.

The man ahead of him was thrown to the ground by the beast, his terrified screams lasting only moments before descending into hopeless whimpers.

Those who had set out with hope now understood: this was no ordinary red fog.

It was a blood-stained stage crafted by death itself—one on which they were not players.

Old Yu patted his trembling legs and forced himself to stand.

He knew the only chance for survival was to retreat back into the factory.

Perhaps the sturdy metal gate could keep the monster out.

Some others panicked and fled recklessly in unknown directions.

But for this mutant, once it appeared within sight, no prey could escape its hunt.

“Ahhh!”

“No! Go away! Stay away from me!”

The harrowing screams rippled through the red fog and reached Old Yu’s ears. His small eyes shrank further, hidden beneath his eyelids.

It was close! The familiar gate was just ahead.

“Open the door! It’s Old Yu! Open up quickly!”

His heavy breathing mixed with frantic cries for help, while the howls behind him suddenly fell silent.

Three breaths passed, but the cold metal door remained unmoved. Old Yu’s heart sank to the depths as he angrily slammed his fists against the gate.

“Xiao Qi! Old Baldy! Open the door! I’m still alive! What are you waiting for?”

The low growls drew nearer, the stench of blood invading his nostrils.

“Please, open the door. I’m begging you... I don’t want to die!”

“My daughter, A Xue, is still at home waiting for me. I can’t die... Please open the door... She’s so adorable, and if she finds out I’m dead, she’ll cry... I beg you...”

His pleas gradually faded. Old Yu stopped pounding, slumping against the door.

Despairing, he gazed at the shadow emerging through the fog, accompanied by a soul-chilling growl.