This kind of sightseeing boat had limited space. They found two, but even then, they only managed to load half of their supplies. They didn’t dare overload them; none of them had much experience with rowing, and if a boat capsized, it wouldn’t just be a loss of supplies—falling into the water would be even more troublesome.
These boats were equipped with engines. Normally, one could just start them up and enjoy the scenery at leisure, but the engines were too loud. If they started them now, they would almost certainly attract the scattered zombies throughout the scenic area.
Lin Po organized the team: “Yun Zhuan, you take Xiaoxing. Duan Yunze, you’re with me.”
Having Yun Zhuan with Xiaoxing ensured her safety, while Lin Po wanted to keep Duan Yunze right under his nose. He felt that although this man looked honest, he was likely full of schemes. After all, anyone who ran down from such a remote mountain and joined their operation without much suspicion was either an absolute “sweet summer child” or someone with a hidden agenda.
However, aside from their supplies, Lin Po and his group didn’t have much worth coveting. More importantly, the most vital resources were kept in a place no one could imagine; thus, Lin Po wasn’t afraid of any plots from Duan Yunze.
Yun Zhuan had a small objection to Lin Po’s arrangement—he didn’t want Lin Po to be with Duan Yunze—but now was not the time to be petty. He didn’t protest and instead reached out to Hu Xiaoxing, saying, “Come, I’ll help you onto the boat.”
Hu Xiaoxing was in the sixth grade. She had already hit a growth spurt and was quite self-conscious about her gender. Her initial intimacy and reliance on Lin Po had stemmed from the panic-induced need for a lifeline, but now that her emotions had settled, she felt embarrassed to rely entirely on these older brothers for everything.
She shook her head and said softly, “I can do it myself.”
Yun Zhuan stabilized the boat for her, and Hu Xiaoxing carefully edged her way in. On the other side, Lin Po and Duan Yunze had already boarded and, wielding oars they had scavenged nearby, began rowing toward the university district.
The scenic area and the campus were separated only by an arched bridge, but the campus side featured a small dock with a guard booth, usually manned by security.
The rowing was relatively smooth. As they drew closer to the university district, they could hear sounds drifting from within—running, shouting—though not many. In Lin Po’s memory, people and zombies were currently in a stalemate. Those with food could temporarily hide in enclosed spaces, while those caught outside during the outbreak or those without food reserves were in a much worse position, inevitably facing head-on confrontations with the zombies.
Before long, the boat docked. Lin Po glanced at the guard booth; it was empty. This wasn’t entirely good news, as the guard might have turned into a zombie wandering nearby.
Lin Po said to Duan Yunze, “Come with me to take a look.”
Duan Yunze gripped his iron rod tightly and swallowed hard. “Can’t I just wait for you on the boat? It’s too dangerous.”
Lin Po smiled. “What’s the use of being afraid now? You’ll have to face this every day from now on, otherwise, you’ll just starve to death.”
Although the government would eventually react and begin rescue efforts, they were simply short-staffed. This was an unpredictable emergency; the “zombification” had nothing to do with physical fitness, and the state had lost too much of its power. Everyone needed to take action.
Duan Yunze continued to hesitate. “But there must be a lot of zombies in the university, right? Aren’t you afraid to go in like this?”
By then, Yun Zhuan and Hu Xiaoxing had already landed and were moving the supplies from the cabin to the shore. Duan Yunze couldn’t help but blush; he was actually less brave than a child like Hu Xiaoxing.
Lin Po said, “I chose this entrance for two reasons: convenience, as we can enter by boat, and the low density of people. There’s only one laboratory building here; the classrooms and dorms aren’t in this area. Even if there are zombies, there won’t be many. Don’t worry—if we see any, just run fast and hide in a tree. They can’t climb trees anyway.”
Duan Yunze wanted to cry but had no tears. He didn’t know how to climb trees either.
Ultimately, he got off the boat. Since they were all leaving, staying here alone was even more terrifying.
Once the supplies were moved, Lin Po covered them with a blanket from the boat. Since it was dark, they wouldn’t have been very noticeable even without the cover.
Lin Po originally wanted Hu Xiaoxing to stay in the guard booth—at least it was an enclosed space to hide in—but she refused. The long hours she had spent alone had left her traumatized, making her very resistant to being left behind.
After weighing the options, Lin Po decided to bring her along. Hu Xiaoxing was nearly twelve and not short; if they encountered danger, she should be able to run.
Lin Po took Hu Xiaoxing by the shoulders and said seriously, “We can’t guarantee your safety 100%, but we will do our best to protect you. You need to be agile—run when you need to, and don’t hesitate. Understand?”
Hu Xiaoxing nodded heavily. She would absolutely not drag the brothers down.
Lin Po glanced at Yun Zhuan, who nodded back. He would protect Hu Xiaoxing as well.
Regarding Hu Xiaoxing, on one hand, since Lin Po had saved her, he couldn’t just leave her on the side of the road and assume she’d be fine. On the other hand, it was because of her ability—the rare mental-type ability. Currently, Lin Po hadn’t actively started collecting crystal nuclei, nor had he told the others they could use them to upgrade their abilities, precisely because they lacked a mental-type user.
While crystal nuclei could enhance an ability user’s power, their unique nature meant they also contained substances from the zombie’s body. These substances couldn’t be metabolized by the human body; they would slowly accumulate, eventually becoming an obstacle to evolution or even causing the user to self-destruct.
Some ability users who didn’t know any mental-type users would recklessly absorb the energy from zombie nuclei out of a thirst for power, eventually dying because their energy became “polluted.” Out of caution, Lin Po had decided to delay the matter of crystal nuclei, but now with Hu Xiaoxing, everything could be moved forward. At the very least, they could accumulate a surge of strength before everyone else realized what was happening.
There was a distance between the small dock and the laboratory building consisting of a wide sidewalk. Lin Po scanned the area but found nothing unusual.
The four of them formed a line: Yun Zhuan led the way, Lin Po brought up the rear, and Hu Xiaoxing and Duan Yunze were placed in the middle. They hugged the green belts to avoid exposing their positions.
Yun Zhuan said, “Even though the laboratory building is usually quiet, there are usually many people here on dates. We haven’t seen a single person yet; it’s a bit strange.”
Lin Po agreed, “I think so too. Both people and zombies are too few.”
Duan Yunze piped up, “Isn’t it better that there are fewer? We’re here to deliver food, not to lose our lives.”
Lin Po replied, “When things are this unusual, there’s bound to be a catch. Who knows if it’s for better or worse.”
As they spoke, they reached the base of the laboratory building. Because the building housed expensive experimental equipment, the doors were very sturdy, but they currently stood wide open, with dried bloodstains on the floor.
Yun Zhuan said, “It looks like something happened here too. But this building is too quiet; it doesn’t seem like anyone is here.”
Lin Po recalled the school’s layout. “If they aren’t in the lab building, everyone must have gone to the small auditorium. The risk of going anywhere else is too high. I don’t think they could cross the entire campus to leave through the main gate.”
Aside from connecting to the scenic area to the north, the location was very far from other exits. To leave through the main gates, one would have to pass through high-density areas like the cafeteria, dorms, and teaching buildings. Most people wouldn’t be able to make a decision to escape that quickly. Lin Po remembered his own past life; he had been trapped in his dorm until he had no choice, waiting several days until some of the wandering zombies in the hallway left before he could escape. Had he left the moment the apocalypse began, he likely would have been bitten to death immediately.
Yun Zhuan said, “Though the lab building is quiet, we still have to go up. Zombies rely on hearing; the people inside might just be too afraid to make a sound.”
Lin Po nodded and gave a soft “Okay.”
They were currently at the right staircase of the lab building. Going up from here and crossing the central skybridge would lead to the left side of the building, which also had its own stairs. The entire lab building was designed in a “回” (square-within-a-square) layout; if you weren’t familiar with the place, it was easy to get lost.
However, neither Lin Po nor Yun Zhuan were very familiar with the layout. To avoid getting separated and unable to find each other, they didn’t split up but acted together instead.
Hu Xiaoxing held an iron rod that Lin Po had given her. She remembered what he had told her.
“If we really run into trouble, run if you can and find a room to hide in. You aren’t very strong, so don’t try to force it. Once Yun Zhuan and I are free, we’ll come for you immediately.”
Hu Xiaoxing didn’t dare gamble her hopes entirely on others, but she was willing to believe Lin Po’s words. She could feel the changes in her physical strength after her ability awakened, but there was still a massive difference between her and an adult. Having survived with great difficulty, she didn’t want to die easily, so she etched Lin Po’s words into her mind.
Duan Yunze felt like there was something wrong with his head. He had originally wanted to follow them for the food and because acting in a group was safer, but now he felt like he was in more and more danger. However, given the current situation, he couldn’t back out. Following Lin Po and the others meant he at least wouldn’t starve.
The laboratory building wasn’t tall—only five stories—but because there were no lights and it was so quiet, the entire building felt hollow and desolate. It was as if a mouth had quietly opened in the darkness, waiting to swallow them whole.
Their flashlights could only illuminate the area directly in front of them; the surrounding darkness held unknown dangers.
Lin Po said, “Zombies don’t set ambushes. They move without hesitation. The first and second floors are quiet, so there shouldn’t be any zombies there, but we must be careful of people.”
When order collapses, the darkness hidden within the human heart often bursts out without disguise, stripping away the human facade to reveal an ugly side.
Lin Po had seen and experienced many things that would make one gag just thinking about them. He maintained a sense of caution toward the world simply because those things had happened before.