Song Jinhe did not hide anything. “I took advantage of the chaos to hide in a cabinet. I had no other choice and had to risk running out.”
Zhang Yi shared some food with Song Jinhe. Although the mother and son were somewhat unhappy, they couldn’t say much since the food had been brought by Cheng Yan and the others.
Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened. The torrential rain that had lasted for over half a month finally ceased, and the atmosphere in the room grew somber.
There was only one single bed. The middle-aged woman’s son, who was in his early twenties, was asleep; no one bothered to argue over it. They either pushed chairs together or simply slept on the tables to get some rest.
Every minute and second of the night felt interminably long. The roars and the sound of nails scraping against the door never stopped, making it feel as if the horde of corpses would burst through the door at any moment to tear into their flesh.
Even the earliest people to awaken their talents would die if they ran out alone at night without firearms and encountered three or more zombies, let alone ordinary people.
Exhausted, Song Jinhe finally closed her eyes and slept for a while.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city.
Bright lights were accompanied by the cold electronic sound of a countdown reminder.
Outside the tidy office was a scene of devastation. Black blood soaked confidential documents, and zombie corpses lay scattered everywhere.
In the sealed laboratory next door, several zombies wearing white coats and work IDs pressed against the specialized glass, roaring.
[Sector C energy is below 5%, non-essential equipment will shut down automatically!]
[Sector B energy is below 1%…]
Inside the office, a man methodically removed his gold-rimmed glasses from the bridge of his nose. He took off his white coat, hanging it neatly in the wardrobe, followed by his work ID.
Underneath the formal photo, his name was written—Jiang Shian.
[The laboratory will close in 3 minutes; self-destruct mode initiated.]
His expression was too calm, especially in contrast to the roaring zombies outside and the empty laboratory.
The flickering lights outlined the exquisite, smooth lines of his features and his deep, pitch-black eyes. He was as composed as if today were just an ordinary day, and the countdown of less than two minutes on the wall was merely the time to get off work.
However, this top-secret underground research institute was about to cease to exist, much like the civilization fading away outside.
He opened a drawer and skillfully assembled a handgun. After a moment of hesitation, he put his work ID and a fountain pen into his pocket.
Then, he picked up a half-person-tall suitcase with one hand and walked out of the office.
*Beep—Beep—*
The countdown jumped to 50 seconds.
A gunshot rang out, and the lights behind him suddenly went dark.
The next day, as dawn broke.
A hint of ruthlessness was hidden within Shen Wu’s anxious expression.
He thought back to a few days ago, to the image of those two old geezers screaming his name while being torn apart by zombies.
Before the apocalypse, those two old fossils had spent so much money on their illnesses. That money should have been his; every bit they used was a bit less for him. Later, when the apocalypse arrived, they still wanted to drag him down and die with them.
Since he could abandon his burdensome parents back then, he could certainly choose one of these people to push out now.
He had a small fruit-peeling knife hidden in his pocket.
If he found a chance to kill Cheng Yan, he would be the one in charge here. He had long been unable to stand this idiot, and even before the end of the world, he had despised these money-grubbing doctors.
The zombies outside the door had not left. Song Jinhe silently took out two glass bottles from the cabinet and cut up the clothes she had wrapped around her arm yesterday.
Cheng Yan opened his mouth to ask, “What are you doing?”
“This door doesn’t look like it will hold much longer. It’s best to leave while the rain has stopped. Do you have a lighter?”
Song Jinhe took the lighter handed over by Peng Zhixue. “I looked at the items here; I can make two simple Molotov cocktails.”
“You even know how to make Molotov cocktails? What exactly do you do for a living?” Peng Zhixue looked at Song Jinhe again, his eyes filled with curiosity.
“If you learn a bit of physics and chemistry, you’ll know how,” Song Jinhe made up an excuse.
Knowing these things was a memory from three years of struggling in the apocalypse. She was a liberal arts and arts student who had even taken a leave of absence due to health issues; how could she have studied physics and chemistry well?
She did know a bit about traditional handicrafts, which she had learned in her spare time during her medical leave.
“My car is parked about 400 meters away, with dozens of zombies wandering in between,” Cheng Yan paused. “Are the Molotov cocktails you made really okay? This isn’t a video game.”
Song Jinhe picked up a Molotov cocktail and gave one to Cheng Yan, just as Shen Wu reached out to grab one. “They’re fine. I can go out first.”
“Xiao Cheng, it’s not that I’m unwilling to help, but look at me.” Jiang Hongrong stepped forward, looking at Cheng Yan with a troubled and earnest expression.
“Your teacher, Dr. Zhou, has known me for over ten years. You know my situation. I’m a sick woman and can’t run fast, and my son doesn’t know anything. We’ll only hold you back when the time comes.”
“How about this? We’ll follow behind. Once you get the car, pick us up first. We are just a widow and her son relying on each other; you can’t just ignore us. Once we reach the shelter, I’ll find an acquaintance to arrange everything for all of you.”
Their family car was in the underground parking lot and couldn’t be driven because it had been submerged in water. Cheng Yan’s car couldn’t fit everyone even if they used the trunk; she had to ensure that she and her son got in first.
As for what happened after reaching the shelter, who cared about these people?
Cheng Yan tactfully indicated that he wasn’t even sure if he would survive himself and couldn’t take responsibility for their safety. With such a grown son needing protection, he wasn’t a bodyguard.
“I’m doing this for your sake, because I don’t want to hold you back.” Jiang Hongrong’s face flashed with displeasure when she didn’t get the answer she wanted.
Cheng Yan could open the door to let others in, so how could he not be responsible for the safety of a patient like her? He had no medical ethics at all.
Shelter?
Song Jinhe shook her head secretly upon hearing the keyword. Like the places where survivors gathered in hospitals before, the appearance of a single zombie would be a devastating blow.
The earliest zombies were not caused by bites. No one knew the source of the zombies; people simply developed a sudden fever, died, and then were resurrected.
After the first stage, this situation no longer occurred, but less than thirty percent of the living remained.
While they were talking, Song Jinhe used strips of cloth, a baseball bat, and a badminton racket, combined with alcohol, to make two simple torches.
*Click, click.*
The sound of the doorknob turning frantically made everyone’s scalp tingle.
“Zombies can actually open doors!” Cheng Yan’s eyes widened.
“There’s no time.” Song Jinhe tucked the Molotov cocktails away, pushed open the window, and climbed out.
The door was forced open a crack by the zombies. Jiang Hongrong, who had just claimed she couldn’t run, climbed through the window with surprising agility.
There were quite a few zombies outside, especially near the intersection.
“What should we do, Xiao Cheng? They’re coming! Quickly, think of something!” Jiang Hongrong urged from behind.
Song Jinhe looked at Cheng Yan. “Give me some time; I can lead them away.”
“Alright.” Cheng Yan did not hesitate and took the simple torch from Song Jinhe.
Song Jinhe lit the first Molotov cocktail and smashed it into the crowd of zombies.
Flames erupted instantly.