I Attacked Because I Was Afraid Of Death

Chapter 5: Surrounded

No matter what information Jing Xiubai wants to get from Chi Xin, she avoided his gaze expressionlessly.

Chi Xin: Don’t look at me, I haven’t come up with an excuse yet.

She, who was supposed to be escorted into the base as a sinner to face trial for her actions, was now calmly walking toward the conference hall after her intense performance earlier.

The surviving soldiers formed a protective circle around her. Even those with ulterior motives didn’t dare to touch her. It seemed as if they were all escorting her forward.

Chi Xin discreetly glanced to the sides, trying her best not to appear as if it were her first time here.

Although she had seen the appearance of Base L in the movie, walking through it herself was an entirely different experience than watching it on a screen.

According to the timeline of the movie, it had been three months since the outbreak of the apocalypse. Due to an unscientific setting, the world was essentially in a state without any governing systems. Base L was fortunate enough to have been constructed with the combined efforts of the entire city, erecting a massive wall before the social system completely collapsed. This allowed them to protect its inhabitants properly and fend off the zombies.

The person in charge of the base was none other than Cao Yan, the same individual who had previously attempted to attack Chi Xin.

Now, he no longer showed the madness from atop the city wall. As the remaining people gathered in the conference hall, he produced an instrument from somewhere. “Is everyone here? Let’s perform a test.”

Chi Xin stared at the device for a moment.

In the movie’s setting, humanity survived such a terrifying virus outbreak because of this very testing device.

It was specifically designed to detect whether someone is infected with the zombie virus. After the outbreak of the apocalypse, a company named Tobila managed to invent this device at an extremely fast speed, and had made considerable profits.

The company was only mentioned briefly in the movie, and Chi Xin hadn’t paid it much attention while watching. Her focus was all on the intense romance between the main characters and how they defeated the zombie king, along with the organization that injected the male lead with the biopharmaceutical agent (bio-agent), in an attempt to create bio-enhanced soldiers (super soldiers).

Up until now, Chi Xin still hadn’t seen the female lead. After a moment’s thought, she recalled that the female lead had health issues. At this point, she should be unconscious due to a fever. She would wake up when the male lead was being questioned everyone and she would firmly step forward to protect him, regardless of the male lead’s abnormality and his ability…

“How did this happen? What have you all been through?”

A startled exclamation came from the door. Chi Xin looked up to see a tall and gentle-looking young woman with a hand over her mouth, looking in terror at the people in the room.

When the protagonist group first arrived at the base, they provided many suggestions for improvement and took the initiative to search for supplies outside multiple times. Because of this, Jiang Congyun wasn’t blamed for the recent attack.

Seeing Jiang Congyun, Cao Yan’s expression softened slightly. “Sister Congyun, don’t come over just yet. We haven’t finished the testing.”

Jiang Congyun’s gaze landed on Jing Xiubai and Yu Xiang. After they both nodded, she stood still in her place.

Then her gaze fell on Chi Xin, who stood tall and straight among the soldiers, her posture as dignified as theirs. Jiang Congyun’s brow furrowed noticeably.

Chi Xin remembered that she still had the personal storage space the original character had snatched from Jiang Congyun. Subconsciously, she delved into her consciousness to search for it.

This is a must-have item for the protagonists in the last days, useful for storing food and weapons…

Chi Xin’s expression froze.

She didn’t see any food or weapons, only piles of cosmetics piled in a mess; toners, essences, lotions, foundations, lipsticks…even false eyelashes.

There are also all kinds of beautiful clothes, accessories, diamonds, and other things that are useless during the apocalypse.

This is truly worthy of a meticulously crafted vicious supporting female character and the grasp of her character design extended into every aspect.

Chi Xin withdrew from her consciousness expressionlessly.

Wait until she gets rid of all these things, and then she would think about how to return the space to the heroine.

 

Someone held up the instrument and tested people one by one, similar to how a thermometer was used. If the display turned green when placed against the forehead, it meant no infection. If it turned red…

“Bang.”

Chi Xin watched in disbelief as someone whose test result turned red was shot without hesitation amidst terrified screams. Her heart trembled.

Indeed, this world is really too dangerous!

However, the others all looked numb, they just quickly evacuated from the man’s body, as if the person with a headshot could still get up and bite them.

The tester approached Chi Xin.

Chi Xin shifted her gaze away from the corpse, her natural cold detachment born out of fear piercing directly at the person holding the device.

The person stiffened for a moment, then awkwardly explained, “It’s the protocol, you know it.”

Chi Xin: ?? I didn’t stop you from testing me.

However, the hand that the man reached out to Chi Xin’s forehead was still trembling, as if he was afraid that she might suddenly perform a flying kick, just like she did with the high-level zombie, and kick his head off.

When the test was over, there were not many people left and a few more infected people were identified. They were all shot in the head and then dragged out for the subsequent unified incineration afterwards.

This had become a common occurrence in the last days. Even if there are relatives of the survivors among the people who were shot, they could only suppress their cries. The atmosphere in the council chamber grew even heavier.

After the testing was completed, Jiang Congyun rushed in and stood beside Jing Xiubai.

She looked at him with evident concern in her eyes, but Jing Xiubai simply gave her a reassuring glance, not showing any further emotions.

Witnessing this scene, Chi Xin couldn’t help but take a look at Jing Xiubai with a newfound level of admiration.

He was currently in a tricky situation. If he didn’t explain his supernatural abilities clearly, he might be labelled as a monster. Under these circumstances, if he showed too much concern for the female lead, he might inadvertently implicate her. Hence, he deliberately acted distant and cold, distancing himself from her.

Clever, really clever.

“I understand that everyone is exhausted, and many have lost their family and friends. Everyone is grieving,” Cao Yan stood at the front, addressing the crowd, “But we are a community. If there’s a problem within this community, we must resolve it immediately.”

Amidst the mix of emotions, some were crying, some were numb, and a few had narrowly escaped danger and were now scrutinizing the overall situation.

“It should be resolved,” someone voiced, “Chi Xin and Chen Xiang violated regulations by leaving the base without permission and attracting the zombie horde, causing so many people to die. They should be severely punished!”

“Yes, they should be punished.”

“Even though Chi Xin killed the high-level zombie, it was her actions that caused this trouble in the first place. She should be held accountable.”

“My husband, my husband is dead. I want them to pay with their lives!”

The situation became chaotic, with some suggesting weighing their merits against their mistakes due to the life-saving actions they took, while some people will not give up unless they kill Chi Xin.

The soldiers didn’t fully understand the situation, but they continued to stand firm around, Chi Xin, shielding her from the accusations of the survivors without wavering.

Chi Xin is surrounded by stars and the moon, like an emperor surrounded by beauties.[1] (TN: I kind of prefer, “like a ruler surrounded by her loyal subjects.” But I guess I’ll just go with the proper translation.)

All of this left Chi Xin feeling both strangely moved and overwhelmed.

At this moment, Jing Xiubai, who had been silent from the beginning, spoke up, “Chi Xin and Chen Xiang went out together, but where is Chen Xiang?”

As soon as these words came out, everyone looked at each other.

Indeed, as the other culprit, where had Chen Xiang gone?

At least Chi Xin fought bravely to make up for her mistake, but where was Chen Xiang?

Only now did Chi Xin remember this name.

She searched the crowd, but did not find the featureless face in her memory.

On the contrary, the people who met her gaze fell silent and all of them lowered their heads, not daring to meet her eyes.

“Maybe she died in the horde,” said Cao Yan. He looked at Jing Xiubai with a troubled expression, “Xiubai, I don’t want to question you, but the abilities you displayed on the battlefield…”

“He’s not a monster,” Jiang Congyun stepped in front of Jing Xiubai. “Everyone has their secrets. No matter what, he saved all of us. He won’t hurt us with his abilities.”

“Sister Congyun, that’s not the point,” someone in the crowd spoke up. “This is obviously a power that humans don’t have, and it’s only natural that we want an explanation.”

His words received lot of approval. Jiang Congyun’s gentle expression into one of anxiety, and she was about to refute when Jing Xiubai patted her shoulder.

Jing Xiubai had remained calm all this while. He listened to the doubts from the crowd and sighed, “Originally, people like me once swore not to use our abilities when we returned to society. But now, the current situation is critical, and I don’t care about being exposed.”

The soldier who was always by Chi Xin’s side and was still holding the zombie’s head suddenly said: “I heard that the country once trained a secret army with some individuals possessing special abilities. Are you one of them?”

Chi Xin was dumbfounded. Where did this idea come from?

The male lead’s ability originated from an organization in Country A that attempted to create super soldiers. When did it get involved with the secret army again?

The movie is only two hours long, and the information shown in it is still too little.

The soldier noticed Chi Xin watching him, and his rough, darkened face turned red. He didn’t dare to look at Chi Xin, but he still remained by her side with a serious expression.

“If you have any questions, feel free to ask Base A’s research institute,” Jing Xiubai politely added.

Of course, feel free to ask there, since it’s under the male lead’s father. Chi Xin secretly rolled her eyes. Even the biocannon used against the zombies this time was something he requested from Base A. How could they not help him hide his secret?

With a capable soldier vouching for him combined with Jing Xiubai’s status, no one doubted Jing Xiubai anymore. Even though they remained wary and in awe of his abilities, they wouldn’t openly show it.

One question resolved, leaving behind the next issue – Chi Xin.

Chi Xin didn’t show the slightest hint of panic. Instead, she looked back at each person with unwavering resolve. Her voice was not as soft as they had imagined, but rather it resonated like clear springwater, carrying a refreshing sound.

“You’re all content to huddle in this corner, not bothering to see what’s happening outside. Eventually, you’ll become complacent and let the zombies overrun us.”

She accused everyone of being short-sighted as soon as she opened her mouth, hitting them right where their deepest fears and weaknesses lay, which infuriated them.

Some people even shouted to throw her back into the crowd of zombies.

The soldiers all grew tense, and the young soldier stood in front of Chi Xin, “I don’t know how sinful she is to you, but I do know she saved everyone here. Treating her like this, aren’t you afraid of retribution?”

The crowd became even more enraged.

“What retribution? She is the one who deserves retribution!”

“Why didn’t she die in the horde?”

“That’s right, throw her back!”

Those who had escaped danger began to turn against the protective wall that had kept them safe. [2]

Chi Xin noticed that the protagonist group were just observing the situation, and Yu Xiang looked uneasy. He was still thinking about Chi Xin’s “life-saving grace” and wanted to speak up for her, but he couldn’t find a reason to justify her actions.

The soldiers protecting her stood their ground. They didn’t know whether what these people said was true or not. But it was Chi Xin who overcame all difficulties and managed to save them. That much was undeniable.

The young soldier, in particular, tightened his lips and glared angrily at the crowd that seemed ready to attack. He was almost unable to control himself, wanting to teach a lesson to everyone who insulted the girl behind him.

Suddenly, he felt his hand were empty. The head he had been holding was taken away from, and he surprisingly didn’t react.

With a thud, the eyeballs fell, and the head of the high-level zombie with its grotesque expression was thrown into the center by Chi Xin.

The indignant crowd immediately forgot about criticizing Chi Xin and scattered in all directions. No one dared to approach the head.

Even after it died, the threat it posed still remained in the hearts of everyone, and the people looked at that head with fear.

“Heh.”

Someone chuckled softly, and the girl who kicked off the head herself not long ago smiled coldly.

“You don’t even know that something like this was lurking right next to the base. I wonder if you’re just arrogant or simply fearless,” Chi Xin’s gaze turned icy, sweeping slowly across the entire room, “Unfortunately, my plan to kill it quietly failed, but there are still more powerful things that haven’t shown up yet. So, are you going to continue fighting among yourselves instead of considering how to strengthen your defense?”

Thinking of the chill she felt when killing the high-level zombie, Chi Xin was almost certain it was the zombie king himself.

He had appeared much earlier than in the movie, and Chi Xin had a terrible feeling about it.

Her words sent chills through everyone, and they stared at each other in silence.

However, seeing that she had managed to control the situation, Chi Xin’s face suddenly became gloomy.

She was filled with anger as if hating that iron cannot become steel.[3]

She asked the dog system angrily, “Is it wrong for me to stop them from killing me? Why did you deduct my points!”

Just now, Chi Xin suddenly received a notification that her 0.08 trouble points were deducted

System: [I saw you having so much fun playing just now and didn’t want to interrupt you. But you haven’t caused any trouble for the past two hours, and not causing trouble for a day will get 1 trouble point deducted. Since this is the first time you’re getting points deducted for this reason, I thought I’d kindly notify you.]

 

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[1]

池芯众星拱月，如坐拥美人的帝王。: This translates to “Chi Xīn is surrounded by stars and the moon, like an emperor with beautiful women.” This metaphor describes the scene where Chi Xin is being protected by the group of soldiers, akin to an emperor being surrounded by his concubines, suggesting that she is the central focus and receiving significant attention and protection. It’s a vivid way to illustrate how the soldiers are guarding her amidst the chaos and accusations.

[2]

In this sentence, “脱离了危险的人” (people who had escaped danger) refers to those who were previously in a perilous situation but managed to get to safety. “反过来推翻阻挡危险的城墙” (began to turn around and undermine the protective walls that had kept them safe) means that these individuals, who were initially protected by certain measures or safeguards (symbolized as “城墙” or protective walls), are now figuratively turning against those same measures (aka people who protected them).

In this scenario, this sentence metaphorically describes a situation where individuals who have been saved or protected from danger are now turning against those who had previously protected them. The “escaping danger” refers to those who were initially in a perilous situation but were saved by others, and the “began to turn against the protective wall that had kept them safe” implies that these individuals are now criticizing or blaming those who had ensured their safety. This highlights the complex dynamics of gratitude, fear, and shifting loyalties in a challenging and uncertain environment. This phrase also highlights the tendency of some people to forget the value of safety measures or allies once they are out of immediate danger.

[3]

The phrase “充满了恨铁不成钢的怒气” can be translated to “filled with the anger of hating that iron cannot become steel.”

This idiom is often used to describe a feeling of frustration or disappointment when someone’s efforts or attempts to improve someone or something have not yielded the desired results. It conveys a sense of exasperation and impatience, similar to when someone hopes for progress or transformation but is met with resistance, inadequacy, or slow development. In this context, it suggests that Chi Xin is feeling frustrated and angered by the lack of progress or change despite her efforts and intentions.

But in the next paragraphs, it looks more related to the system deducting points from her just for helping instead of making trouble. I just put this sentence here since it’s in the raw.

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TL Rhenae: Hi, I’ll be updating this novel once a week and update extras if I have more time. If there’s no update within or at the end of the week, know that I’ll be adding the updates I owe for the next week or the next. I’ll be basing it on the day I posted the first chapter. That’s all, enjoy reading.

No. of owed chapters: 1