MM Racing Chapter 12 Hair Salon
Chapter 12 Hair Salon
In my mind, the invisible countdown, like a calm observer, clearly showed that there was only about an hour left until the next "opening of the door".
Xu Mo's gaze swept across the desolate street, landing on the row of buildings opposite. His eyes were fixed on one of the doors—a pair of slightly dirty glass doors, with what appeared to be a half-rolled-up curtain hanging on the inside. Through the not-so-clean glass, the outlines of shelves could be vaguely seen. It was most likely a convenience store or a small supermarket.
If you use it to open the door, there might be a convenience store or a small supermarket across the street.
What does that mean?
This means a dazzling array of packaged foods, bottled water, daily necessities, and possibly even some simple tools or medicines. It will be a true harvest, far surpassing any previous "opening"! Enough to elevate his supplies several levels, laying a solid foundation for his upcoming migration plans.
However, the moment this tempting thought arose in Xu Mo's mind, it was enveloped by a chilling coldness seeping from the depths of his heart.
night.
The night of the apocalypse.
Although the town had been deserted for days, and the starlight still shone through, the instinctive fear of the dark and the extreme vigilance against unknown dangers were deeply ingrained in his bones. The silence of the day could still be observed, but the silence of the night seemed to conceal countless prying eyes, ready to pounce and devour a monster from any shadowy corner at any moment. The faint, strange noise he had vaguely heard last night while practicing his stance—whether it was the wind or something else—was now magnified in his memory, becoming clear and terrifying.
Xu Mo clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
He had to admit that this fear was not cowardice, but a clear understanding of the vast disparity between his own strength and the dangers posed by the outside world.
"In the end, it's because we're not strong enough," Xu Mo muttered to himself, a bitter smile playing on his lips.
He felt the power flowing through his body. Yes, it was much stronger than when he first transmigrated. He had just recovered from a serious illness, and even benefited slightly from his stance training. But this only meant he was slightly better than an average adult. His speed, strength, and reaction time might be enough to deal with one or two slow-moving ordinary zombies, but what if he encountered a larger number, or perhaps some advanced mutants like the ones that caused the horde's unusual movement that night? What if he made a sound during his exploration and attracted a hidden threat?
Nighttime amplifies all dangers. Vision is limited, and hearing and perception become unreliable due to tension. Going out in this state is tantamount to dancing blindfolded in a minefield.
That glass door, so close yet so far, now seemed to be separated by an invisible chasm called "fear" and "weakness".
Finally, with less than forty minutes left in the countdown, Xu Mo let out a long, slow breath. The turmoil in his heart gradually subsided, replaced by a calm based on reason.
He made a decision.
I'm not going out today.
The risk factor is too high; it's not worth gambling with your life. The cooldown period for skills is fixed; if you don't use them this time, the opportunity remains. But you only have one life.
"Wait until tomorrow during the day," he told himself firmly.
During the day, the open view makes it easier to observe and respond to emergencies. His physical condition will also be at its peak after a night's rest. At that time, he can go out to explore again, using that glass door as his target, to "open" the door once more.
Having figured this out, Xu Mo felt a sense of relief wash over him. He was no longer tormented by the anxiety of wanting to achieve quick results. He returned to the sofa, closed his eyes to rest, and at the same time, mentally rehearsed his route for the next day and the various situations he might encounter.
Caution is not cowardice, but a means to survive more securely.
This time, Xu Mo chose to leave the opportunity for a better-prepared tomorrow.
The next morning, Xu Mo woke up on time. The first thing he did was to check the countdown in his mind—the number remained steadily at [00:00:00].
Just as he expected, the countdown wouldn't reset as long as he didn't actively use this opportunity. This reassured Xu Mo; having the right to choose when to activate the opportunity was an advantage in itself.
After eating something simple and warming up, Xu Mo took a deep breath, moved aside the obstacle at the door, and stepped out of the house that had sheltered him for so many days for the first time.
The daylight dispelled the gloom of the night and gave him an unprecedented sense of security. Although the streets were still empty and desolate, with ruins and abandoned vehicles silently telling tales of past chaos, at least the view was open, and any disturbance could not be hidden. He gripped his homemade, slightly curled, round metal "shield" tightly in his left hand, and cautiously and quickly crossed the street to the glass door he had already chosen on the other side.
Some faded, illegible posters were pasted on the glass door, and a curtain was drawn inside, obscuring the view. Without hesitation, he placed his hand on the cold doorknob and focused his attention:
"Open the door!"
As the light shifted, the scene before my eyes changed in an instant.
A pungent, sweet scent, a mixture of cheap perfume, shampoo, and something else entirely, wafted over. The dim lighting, tinged with pink, gave the small space an eerie feel. Three slightly worn barber chairs came into view, and incomprehensible decorations hung on the walls. Behind each chair was a dark curtain, dividing the space, leaving one wondering what lay hidden behind it.
"A hair salon..." Xu Mo's lips twitched slightly. This was far from the convenience store or supermarket he had imagined, and even worse than an ordinary office.
The sixty-second countdown had begun, leaving Mo no time to think.
He quickly began searching, rummaging through the cabinet next to the barber chair, finding only some ordinary bottles and jars of shampoo and conditioner. Pulling open a drawer, he discovered several unopened boxes of family planning supplies. Xu Mo paused for a moment, then expressionlessly swept them aside.
His gaze shifted to the small coffee table beside him, where some sunflower seeds and individually packaged snacks were scattered. Better than nothing, Xu Mo swept them all into his pocket.
Several bottles of mineral water sat in the corner, but the caps were all open, the liquid inside was murky, and the bottles even had a suspiciously sticky feel. Xu Mo frowned and rejected the water without hesitation. In a place like this, who knows what these open water bottles had been used for before?
Forty seconds have passed.
Xu Mo's gaze finally settled on the dark curtain. He took a deep breath and carefully lifted a corner of the curtain with his hand.
Behind it was an extremely small space containing only a messy single bed.
Xu Mo quickly averted his gaze, the last glimmer of hope in his heart vanishing. This "opening" had yielded a dismal result. This "barbershop" didn't even have a comb, and Xu Mo secretly despised them.
With ten seconds left on the countdown, Xu Mo stopped searching and turned around without hesitation, stepping through the glass door.
Back on the street, the sunlight was a bit dazzling. He weighed the light cloth bag in his hand, looked at the glass door that had returned to normal, and shook his head helplessly.
"It seems that matching the door type alone isn't enough; you also need a bit of luck." Xu Mo chuckled self-deprecatingly, not too disappointed. After all, exploration itself is accompanied by uncertainty.
Although the results were meager, it at least confirmed that the area behind the glass door was indeed a commercial space, albeit of a unique type, and reaffirmed the feasibility of exploring during the day.