Zhang Su knew that relying only on Zhong Xiaoshan and Tan Huajun was a bit of a stretch, but he really needed manpower on his side. If only Song Yijun hadn’t taken Kuang Miao away, things would be much easier with one more person.

“Um… How about I stay here.”

Pei Lan raised her hand shyly and said, “I might not be much help if I go along. I could at least be of some use here.”

“No!” Lu Yubo shook his head and said, “Lanlan, you need more exercise, come along with us!”

“Bozai is right. If you want to survive, you can’t remain weak forever. Toughen up, become strong. Everyone shut up, let me count… Me, Bozai, Xinyu…”

Zhang Su counted on his fingers for a while, then looked at Yuwen: “Teacher Yu, you stay here, but let me say in advance, don’t preach to them endlessly. Old Tan needs concentration while standing guard. Just follow orders, can you do that?”

“Isn’t my purpose here to negotiate?”

Yuwen was quite surprised, thinking Zhang Su wanted him for negotiations.

Zhang Su was even more surprised, frowning: “I never said anything about negotiations…”

“Oh, alright then. It’s just as well I stay and take care of Qingqing. It’s extremely reassuring to have Dr. Zhong here too.”

Yuwen didn’t insist; staying to look after his daughter was pretty nice.

“I’m a nurse, not a doctor…” Zhong Xiaoshan habitually corrected.

“That’s settled then!”

Once the personnel were decided, Zhang Su glanced at the darkening sky and said, “We’ll head out when it’s completely dark and when the zombie horde moves further away so we don’t disturb their rest. Let’s go downstairs to discuss our next moves!”

Zhang Su led the action crew to the first floor, sharing with them the general situation at the Yileiwen Convenience Store. They had prepared various plans in advance and used things from the dry cleaner to reinforce everyone’s defenses.

Though they were dressed quite clumsily, it provided a full sense of security. At least they didn’t have to worry about zombies biting their hands, feet, chest, abdomen, shoulders, or back, and even a machete couldn’t cut through directly!

An hour passed quickly; it was completely dark, and the moon had just emerged. Without electric lighting, the city was extremely dark.

“Let’s go.”

With a faint sound, several shadows left the dry cleaner, sticking close to the shop front as they moved toward the main street.

Leading the way, Zhang Su heard faint zombie sounds coming from some of the shops along the way, but they were trapped and couldn’t come out, only able to emit weak, dry howls.

“Stop!”

Upon reaching a corner, Zhang Su signaled everyone to wait.

“The starlight shouldn’t disappoint travelers, should it? This starlight is pointless…”

Wu Lue suddenly lamented, stretching out his hand and just able to see his five fingers, but further was doubtful.

“Are you possessed by Yuwen?” Zhang Su was peeking around the corner to check the main street, hearing Wu Lue’s mysterious mutterings behind him.

Wu Lue awkwardly replied, “It’s too dark; I’m just complaining.”

Zhang Su didn’t reply, his gaze couldn’t pierce the total darkness, and his ears heard nothing, as if plunged into a void.

“Are there no zombies for quite a distance ahead?”

Zhang Su voiced an assessment he himself found hard to believe.

Zheng Xinyu speculated, “Could that horde have lured all the zombies from along the way?”

“Exactly!” Zhang Su realized and nodded: “It must be like snowballing; otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many zombies gathered!”

“It’s a fascinating biological feature. What attracts them exactly?” Chen Hanzhou, rarely speaking, raised the question.

Zhang Su pondered and said, “Perhaps it’s some electromagnetic field we can’t sense. Anyway, if Xinyu’s right, the road now should be clear, but still, be cautious. Get your weapons ready; mind your footing; avoid stumbling, dropping things, and making noise!”

Of course, caution was necessary; no one would take things lightly. Navigating the darkened streets kept an indescribable fear in everyone’s hearts.

Zhang Su’s pace wasn’t fast, but as Zheng Xinyu had predicted, the street was surprisingly safe; all wandering zombies had joined the horde, their destination unknown.

Though free from zombie threats, stepping on soft spots occasionally still weighed heavily on one’s heart, constantly reminding them of the dangers ahead!

Walking down the road, the group faintly detected a hint of tea aroma amidst the light decay, suddenly recalling Zhang Su’s earlier instruction to stop upon smelling tea!

The group halted, and in the darkness, Zhang Su pointed ahead, the neighboring shop being Yileiwen Convenience Store, behind its rolled-up shutters!

The teahouse’s shattered glass doors and facades, and glass fragments covering the ground, made entry impossible without noise.

Hearing whispering inside, Zhang Su let his companions wait nearby as he crouched to eavesdrop, hoping to gather useful information.

“Damn it, what’s Su Chef’s deal? He doesn’t play with the chick himself, but also doesn’t let us touch her. What’s the point, even if she’s meat? It wouldn’t spoil our fun first!”

As Zhang Su focused intently, a voice came clear, stirring him slightly.

Another voice soon followed: “Stop whining, beware if Su Chef overhears. Haven’t you noticed how off he’s been since his son died? Unless we plan on falling out completely, it’s best not to piss him off!”

“Exactly, we’re counting on him to lead us out to sea. Didn’t you see that zombie horde before? Best not mess around.”

“Why mess with anything? I’m just stifled with frustration, tired of playing with my own hand. How boring! Shame all female employees are dead; not a single woman survivor remains…”

“Luckily the boss favored us. If we lived like the female employees in apartments, we would all be dead now!”

“No point harping on that; it’s just upsetting. Hey, come see how this crossbow works; I’ve fiddled with it, no clue, is it this way you wind it?”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Su’s heart skipped a beat.

Given they’ve got crossbows, it proved they found his hiding place!

The crossbows, high imitations of Beautiful Country’s Horton Company’s Anger Crossbows, were seen on Olympic security personnel and equipped by special forces!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep