Seven or eight people stepped out from the crowd. Among them were four devoted members of Xu Wanluo’s fan club.
Before Xu Mingfan arrived, they had been gathered around Xu Wanluo, chatting and laughing while eating snacks together…
A short while later, the group struggled to carry the two generators into the cafeteria hall.
One of the boys looked troubled.
“There are no screwdrivers here. We can’t take them apart.”
Before Xia Yan could say anything, Xu Mingfan silently stepped forward, his expression indifferent.
“What kind?”
The boy looked slightly uncomfortable when Xu Mingfan asked. He gave an awkward smile and replied, “Just a regular Phillips screwdriver.”
Xu Mingfan’s face was pale as he activated the little ability energy he had left. A golden glow flashed in his palm before finally condensing into a Phillips screwdriver.
The boy took the screwdriver Xu Mingfan handed him and immediately focused on modifying the generator with his companions.
They worked with practiced skill. The screwdriver turning produced faint clicking sounds…
After a series of adjustments, the modified generator began emitting a deep, muffled hum.
Inside the cafeteria, smiles appeared on everyone’s faces as they looked at the two generators expectantly, their gazes filled with hope for survival.
Xia Yan issued his instructions solemnly.
“Su Yan, you’re responsible for wetting the ground outside the door. Be careful not to let any water flow into the cafeteria.”
Su Yan’s delicate face was filled with nervousness. She looked toward the doors and answered in a trembling voice, “O-Okay.”
After saying that, she walked over to the entrance and activated her ability, causing water to spread through the gap beneath the doors and flow outside.
Xia Yan turned toward several boys.
“Bring the generators over and place them side by side.”
The boys immediately lifted the modified generators and placed them behind the doors.
A moment later, Su Yan withdrew her ability, and the boys immediately got to work.
The electrodes were extended through the gap beneath the doors. The instant they came into contact with the wet ground outside, they emitted a sharp sizzling sound.
The zombies near the entrance were electrocuted and immediately let out shrill, agonized roars. Their bodies convulsed violently before collapsing to the ground. Before long, they stopped moving altogether.
Xu Mingfan and Zhong Zhenye immediately stepped forward, removed the metal strips from the small wooden door, and opened it.
Xia Yan immediately ordered someone to turn off the generators.
Zhao Weiguang, Ye Shinan, and Liu Heyuan, the three earth-type ability users, had already been standing by.
It was worth mentioning that Liu Heyuan had been one of the people who escaped here together with Xiao Yukun.
As it turned out, Xiao Yukun possessed a speed-type ability. No wonder he had been able to run at the very front of the group while simultaneously screaming like a slaughtered pig.
The moment the door opened, the three men stepped forward and activated their abilities, rapidly building a five-foot-high earthen wall a short distance from the entrance to block the advancing zombies.
Song Weiyi stood behind the earthen wall and quickly splashed gasoline toward the horde.
The pungent smell of gasoline soon filled the air.
Luo Lixin condensed a fireball in his palm and hurled it toward the zombie horde.
In an instant, the sound of crackling flames rang out as fire erupted among the zombies.
The zombies’ agonized roars rose and fell, sending chills down everyone’s spines.
Seeing that the flames had taken hold, Xia Yan hurried forward and activated his ability, sending a powerful gust of wind sweeping outward.
The flames, which had previously been burning chaotically, seemed to receive orders. They immediately spread toward the outer edges of the zombie horde, growing fiercer and fiercer.
Before long, the entire horde had become a blazing sea of fire…
“Boom!”
A tremendous explosion suddenly erupted from within the sea of flames, startling everyone.
It turned out that Xu Mingfan’s car, which had been parked near the entrance, had caught fire. The explosion generated a powerful shockwave that sent all the zombies within ten meters flying.
The zombies were killed instantly by the force of the explosion, their severed limbs and body parts scattered across the ground.
Huo Mian looked at the sorry state of the car and felt a little guilty toward Xu Mingfan.
She really hadn’t considered this beforehand.
But even if she had thought of it, the outcome probably would have been the same.
Although Xu Mingfan had already mentally prepared himself for the possibility that his car might be sacrificed, he still couldn’t help feeling a pang of heartache deep down.
But then he thought about it.
The apocalypse had already arrived. Things like cars were practically worthless now.
On his way to F University, he had seen abandoned vehicles everywhere along the roads, including plenty of luxury cars.
If he wanted one, he could simply pick another. Even without a key, with his metal-type ability, couldn’t he just make one?
With that thought, the pain in his heart quickly faded.
Right now, staying alive was what mattered most. Once a person lost their life, everything else became meaningless. There would be no second chance.
The fire continued burning for nearly an hour before gradually dying down.
By then, the zombies’ roars had become sparse, but no one relaxed.
If the zombies outside weren’t completely dealt with, their roars would continue attracting more zombies. When that happened, everyone would once again find themselves in the same dangerous situation.
Xia Yan’s expression was solemn as he shouted loudly,
“Everyone, we have to eliminate the zombies outside. Check your weapons first. Once everyone is ready, we’ll move out immediately.”
His voice echoed through the spacious cafeteria, causing a stir among the crowd.
Some of the girls finally couldn’t withstand the enormous pressure any longer and broke down emotionally.
One girl complained through tears, “We girls are physically weaker than the boys. If you make us go out and kill zombies, how is that any different from sending us to our deaths?”
Her words immediately drew agreement from many other girls.
“Exactly! We girls are already the weaker group. You boys should step up and use your physical advantages to protect us…”
For a moment, resentment and fear spread throughout the girls.
The boys reacted differently. Some were displeased by the girls’ demands, while others softened at their pleas.
The atmosphere inside the cafeteria became delicate.
One boy suggested, “Let Xiao Yukun and the others go out and deal with them. Those zombies were originally attracted here because of them. If they refuse to deal with them, we should kick them out of the cafeteria.”
As soon as he said this, everyone’s eyes turned toward Xiao Yukun and the others.
Seeing the blame being directed at him, Xiao Yukun’s expression immediately changed. He loudly cursed,
“You bunch of cowards! With this many people here, even without us, you’d eventually be surrounded by zombies.
“All we did was bring the potential danger to the surface ahead of time. If a horde like this came at night, do you think you’d still be safe? By then, things would probably be several times worse than they are now!”
However, his seemingly reasonable defense only earned him even louder condemnation from the crowd.
Everyone cursed him for being shameless and trying to shirk responsibility.
Someone in the crowd deliberately fanned the flames.
“Ability users should take on the responsibility of killing the zombies. They possess powerful abilities, so killing zombies is much easier for them than it is for ordinary people…”
Song Weiyi had always been straightforward and hot-tempered. Hearing this, his face immediately flushed with anger.
Before the person could even finish, Song Weiyi launched into a furious tirade.
“Do ability users owe you something? Were we born to serve you?
“You’ve got some nerve! We’re not your parents. We have no obligation to protect you!”
The person’s face turned bright red from the retort, but he stubbornly raised his chin and continued.
“If Heaven has bestowed abilities upon you, you should be grateful and take care of those of us who are weaker…”
Everyone argued their own side, refusing to back down.
The entire cafeteria descended into a heated, endless quarrel.
Bai Ningrong frowned deeply and shouted impatiently,
“Enough! Anyone who refuses to go kill zombies doesn’t get dinner tonight!”
That single sentence triggered a huge backlash.
The moment she finished speaking, a large number of girls began sharply protesting.
“Why?! We helped move the supplies earlier too. What right do you have to withhold our food?”
One girl angrily shouted, while the other girls immediately joined in. The cafeteria was instantly filled with indignant questions.
“Exactly! We earned those supplies through our own labor. You have no right to decide how they’re distributed…”
Bai Ningrong’s expression remained cold, her eyes icy.
She replied coolly, “Killing zombies is dangerous and exhausting. Since you don’t want to contribute, then use food as payment.
“Other people are risking their lives to deal with the zombies outside. Since you’re enjoying the protection they provide, you should pay for it. That’s only fair.”
Bai Ningrong’s words left everyone deep in thought.
Although some people were still furious, others began to realize just how cruel reality had become.
Expressions shifted across everyone’s faces. In the end, most people said they were willing to pick up their weapons and face the zombies.
Only a dozen or so girls remained huddled in the corner of the cafeteria, some with terrified expressions, others shrinking back in unwilling resentment.