Chapter 12: Shampoo Parlor

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Shampoo Parlor

In his mind, an invisible countdown ticked away like a dispassionate observer, clearly showing that only about an hour remained until the next "door opening."

Xu Mo’s gaze traveled across the deathly silent street, settling on the row of buildings opposite him. His eyes locked onto one particular door—a set of double glass doors, their surface smudged with grime. A partially rolled-up security shutter seemed to be hanging on the inside. Through the dirty glass, he could vaguely make out the silhouettes of shelves. It was most likely a convenience store or a small supermarket.

If he were to use that door for his ability, the other side would likely be a convenience store or a small supermarket as well.

What did that mean?

It meant a dazzling array of packaged foods, bottled water, and daily necessities—perhaps even some simple tools or medicine. It would be a true haul, far exceeding any of his previous "door openings"! A score like that would boost his supply reserves by several levels, laying a solid foundation for his planned relocation.

However, the tempting thought had barely formed in Xu Mo’s mind before it was snuffed out by an icy dread that crept up from the depths of his soul.

Night.

The apocalyptic night.

Though the town had been deserted for days and starlight still graced the sky, an instinctive fear of the dark and an extreme vigilance against unknown dangers were already bone-deep. The silence of the day was something he could observe, but the silence of the night felt like it concealed countless prying eyes. Man-eating monsters could leap from any shadow at any moment. The faint, strange sound he’d barely heard last night while performing his Posture Stance—he couldn’t tell if it was the wind or something else—now echoed louder in his memory, becoming terrifyingly clear.

Xu Mo clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the pressure.

He had to admit it. This fear wasn’t cowardice; it was a sober recognition of the vast disparity between his own strength and the dangers of the outside world.

’In the end, it’s all because I’m not strong enough,’ Xu Mo muttered to himself, a bitter smile touching his lips.

He could feel the strength flowing through his body. Yes, he was much stronger than when he first arrived, having just recovered from a serious illness and even gaining a slight boost from his Pile Training. But he was still only a little better off than an average adult. His speed, strength, and reflexes might be enough to handle one or two slow-moving, common zombies, but what if he ran into a slightly larger group? Or a high-level mutant, like whatever had agitated the horde that one night? ’What if I make a noise while exploring and attract some hidden threat?’

The night magnified every danger. Vision was limited, while stress made hearing and perception unreliable. Going out under these conditions was tantamount to dancing blindfolded in a minefield.

The glass door, so close he could almost touch it, now seemed to be on the other side of an invisible chasm named ’Fear and Weakness’.

Finally, with less than forty minutes left on the countdown, Xu Mo let out a long, slow breath. The turmoil in his heart gradually subsided, replaced by a calm born of reason.

He had made his decision.

’I’m not going out today.’

The risk was too high; it wasn’t worth betting his life. The ability’s cooldown was fixed. If he didn’t use it now, the opportunity would still be there later. But he only had one life.

’I’ll wait for daylight tomorrow,’ he told himself, his voice firm.

In the daytime, his vision would be clear, making it easier to spot and react to anything unexpected. After a night’s rest, his body would be in peak condition. Then, he would go out and explore, targeting the glass door for his next "door opening."

Having come to this conclusion, Xu Mo felt his entire body relax. He was no longer tormented by the impatient urge for a quick score. He went back to the sofa, sat down, and closed his eyes to rest, mentally rehearsing his plan for the morning and visualizing various potential scenarios.

Caution wasn’t cowardice; it was the key to ensuring survival.

This time, Xu Mo chose to save his chance for a tomorrow where he would be better prepared.

「The next morning」

Xu Mo woke up bright and early. The first thing he did was check the countdown in his mind—the numbers were still frozen at [00:00:00].

It was just as he’d expected: the countdown wouldn’t reset until he actively used the opportunity. This put Xu Mo’s mind at ease. The ability to choose when to activate his power was, in itself, an advantage.

After a simple meal and some warm-up stretches, Xu Mo took a deep breath, moved aside the barricade blocking the entrance, and stepped out of the house that had been his shelter for so many days.

The daylight banished the gloom of night, giving him an unprecedented sense of security. The street remained desolate and silent, its ruins and abandoned vehicles a testament to the chaos that had transpired. But at least his line of sight was clear, making it difficult for any movement to go unnoticed. He tightly gripped his makeshift Shield—a round piece of sheet metal with curled edges—in his left hand as he warily but quickly crossed the street, arriving at the glass door he had chosen.

Faded, illegible posters were taped to the glass, and a curtain was drawn on the inside, obscuring the view. Without hesitating, he pressed his palm against the cold doorknob and focused his mind.

’Open door!’

A shimmer of light washed over his vision, and the scene before him changed in an instant.

He was immediately hit by a mixed scent of cheap incense, shampoo, and a cloyingly sweet, vaguely intimate odor. The light was dim, tinged with a pinkish hue that cast a strange pall over the small space. Three worn-out barber chairs came into view, with strange decorations hanging on the walls. Behind the chairs, a dark curtain partitioned the room, concealing whatever lay beyond.

’A shady hair salon...’ Xu Mo’s lip twitched. This was a far cry from the convenience store or supermarket he’d anticipated; it was even worse than a regular office.

The sixty-second countdown had begun, leaving Xu Mo no time for second thoughts.

He began searching with swift movements, rifling through a cabinet next to the chairs only to find ordinary bottles of shampoo and conditioner. He pulled open a drawer and found several unopened boxes of condoms. Xu Mo paused for a second before sweeping them aside with a blank expression.

His gaze shifted to a small coffee table, where some sunflower seeds and individually wrapped snacks were scattered. ’Better than nothing.’ Xu Mo swept them all into his bag.

A few bottles of mineral water sat in the corner, but their caps were open, the liquid inside was murky, and the bottles themselves felt suspiciously sticky. Xu Mo frowned and immediately dismissed them. In a place like this, who knew what those open bottles had been used for.

Forty seconds had passed.

Xu Mo’s gaze finally fell on the dark curtain. He took a deep breath and carefully lifted a corner of it with his hand.

Behind it was an extremely cramped space, containing nothing but a messy single bed.

Xu Mo quickly looked away, the last spark of hope in his heart extinguished. The haul from this "door opening" was abysmal. ’This "barbershop" doesn’t even have a single comb,’ Xu Mo thought, silently looking down on them.

With ten seconds left on the countdown, Xu Mo stopped searching. He turned without hesitation and stepped back through the glass door.

Back on the street, the sunlight was a little blinding. He hefted the light cloth bag in his hand, glanced back at the now-ordinary glass door, and shook his head in resignation.

’Looks like matching the door type isn’t enough. You still need a bit of luck,’ Xu Mo thought with a self-mocking laugh, though he wasn’t too disappointed. After all, exploration always came with uncertainty.

Though the haul this time was meager, it at least confirmed that a glass door did lead to a commercial establishment—even if it was a... peculiar one. More importantly, it re-affirmed the viability of exploring during the day.