Chapter 028 Corpses pour into the community
“Unless the authorities establish a safe shelter, I think stepping outside will just get us killed faster. But, big bro, if you insist on leaving, I’ll follow you,” Duan Sihai said weakly, his eyes devoid of hope.
Hearing his younger brother finally agree to his suggestion, Duan Wuhu felt a bit relieved. He patted his thin shoulder and said, “Sihai, the two of us—brothers united—can overco anything. We’ll find a safe haven and survive!”
“We’ll head to Qing County. The population there is small, so even if there are zombies, there won’t be many. The terrain is complex. We can find an empty farmhouse, grow crops, raise livestock, and live off well water and firewood. We’ll make it!”
Perhaps inspired by the idyllic vision his brother painted, a glimr of light returned to Duan Sihai’s eyes. But it quickly dimd again. “Big bro, you make it sound so easy. Let ask you, even just the zombies in our building are enough to take us down, let alone getting out of the neighborhood…”
“Do you have a plan? How do we escape the building? Which route do we take? Without a plan, rushing out there is a death sentence, bro!”
Duan Wuhu nodded, feeling slightly gratified. “Sihai, it’s good that you’re thinking this way. I already have a rough plan in mind. Let’s analyze it together and refine it. If there’s anything off, help improve it!”
Hearing his older brother had a strategy, Duan Sihai perked up. If there was even a glimr of hope for survival, who would want to sit around and wait for death?
The two brothers gathered around the dining table, laying out paper and pen. They discussed their life-and-death escape plan, their expressions solemn and focused.
Upstairs, Zhang Su returned ho carrying an induction cooker and a stockpot he’d retrieved from unit 902. The trip had gone without a hitch, but he had no idea that, during his absence, the two won at ho had a brief but aningful conversation.
“Are you okay?” Zheng Xinyu asked, noticing the thick liquid dripping from Zhang Su’s axe. She knew he must’ve dealt with a zombie and asked with concern.
“I ambushed it. No big deal,” Zhang Su replied, handing the items to Zhong Xiaoshan, who looked slightly uneasy.
Ambushing wasn’t dishonorable—it was just practical.
As he removed his gear, Zhang Su spoke with so excitent. “Brother Li’s fridge still has a lot of stuff in it. When we have ti, we’ll bring it all back!”
“But where will we put it?” Zheng Xinyu quipped, giving him a sidelong glance. “That stingy landlord didn’t even provide a fridge.”
Zhang Su massaged his temples. If he’d known things would co to this, he would’ve bought a large freezer long ago. But now it was too late to complain.
“We’ll leave it there for now. As for Brother Li’s family…” Zhang Su sighed, fingering the keys in his pocket. “Living doesn’t necessarily an happiness. Maybe dying was a form of release. In any case, their house is empty now.”
In the kitchen, Zhong Xiaoshan paused briefly at his words. Thoughts of her rural parents darkened her mood. But now, just surviving was hard enough; worrying about others was a luxury she couldn’t afford.
Fifteen minutes later, they were seated at the table, eating dumpling soup—or rather, what used to be dumplings. They’d clumped together so badly that they had to mash everything up, turning it into a hearty soup.
In just over a day, they had gone from an internet outage to a water shortage, and now even the gas supply was gone. Things were worsening rapidly. A simple bowl of hot soup had beco a rare luxury.
The three had no complaints. The aroma alone made their mouths water.
“Let’s eat, let’s eat! Quit staring and dig in!” Zhang Su urged, scooping himself a bowl. The lamb dumpling soup tasted fantastic. He even added a spoonful of chili sauce he’d found in Brother Li’s house, making it even more satisfying.
Zhong Xiaoshan, being mindful, only ate a small bowl before setting her chopsticks down, making Zheng Xinyu hesitate to reach for seconds.
Seeing their hesitation, Zhang Su pointed to the half-full pot. “Eat up. We’ll start training after this. If you don’t eat enough, the training won’t be effective!”
“Training?” Zhong Xiaoshan asked curiously.
Zheng Xinyu explained, “Brother Su has a training plan. It’s pretty intense. After yesterday’s session, my arms and legs are still sore.”
Encouraged by Zhang Su, Zheng Xinyu grabbed another half bowl, enjoying the warmth spreading through her body.
“Brother Su, can I ask what you both did before all this? It’s rare to see anyone handle a situation like this so calmly,” Zhong Xiaoshan inquired while ladling more soup.
“Mmmph…” Zhang Su mumbled through a mouthful of food. “I’m just a landlord. She’s the real star—an internet celebrity.”
Their ability to stay calm ca from nearly a decade of life experience—sothing he saw no need to elaborate on.
“Internet celebrity? Hardly! I only had a few thousand followers, and so of them were bots. ‘Celebrity’ is a stretch,” Zheng Xinyu said, blushing slightly. Her livestreams rarely attracted more than a few hundred viewers, often just a few dozen.
“You’re both incredible. Honestly, when I first t you, I thought Brother Su was a retired special forces soldier,” Zhong Xiaoshan said with a teasing glance, delicately sipping her soup.
“You’re exaggerating. I just work out occasionally. Compared to real soldiers, I’m miles behind. Are you both done? If so, I’ll finish the rest.” Zhang Su, seeing the two won wave him off, picked up the pot and started eating directly from it.
His training regin was three tis as intense as Zheng Xinyu’s, so he needed the extra calories. If food ever beca scarce, he’d reduce the intensity to conserve energy for daily survival.
After lunch, it was already past 1 PM. The three took a short break. Just as Zhang Su was about to gather them for training, Zheng Xinyu, who had pulled back the curtains to peek outside, suddenly exclaid, “Oh no! Zhang Su, co quick! There’s a situation!”
“What’s going on?” Zhang Su’s heart skipped a beat as he hurried to the window.
“Look over there! Oh my god, so many zombies!” Zheng Xinyu gasped, her hands covering her mouth. Her eyes were wide with terror, and she trembled slightly.
“What the f***…” Zhang Su muttered, his eyes widening in disbelief.
On the street where the special police had engaged the zombie horde the previous night, waves of zombies were now pouring through a breached section of the periter wall, flooding toward Shengqin Garden. At closer inspection, it beca clear what was drawing them: a drone.
A strange-looking drone hovered in the air, dangling a loudspeaker from its underside.
“Soone’s luring zombies into our neighborhood!” Zhang Su imdiately grasped the situation. Though it was far away, he could faintly hear the loudspeaker blaring sothing, attracting the zombies like moths to a fla.
“Is that… Are those the sa zombies from last night?” Zhong Xiaoshan asked, peering out the window. The sight of the swarm clambering over the wall sent chills down her spine.
The oppressive force of the zombie horde was finally tangible. The previous night’s darkness had concealed their true horror, but now, under the stark daylight, the scene was all too real.
The zombies moved with unnerving speed, their frenzy surpassing that of wild predators. Relentlessly, they pursued the drone, heedless of obstacles or danger. If a living person crossed their path, it would surely end in a grueso fate—ripped apart within seconds.
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