Even if they had entered the door, it didn’t mean that they were safe. The zombies outside were blocked by the main gate, but there were still quite a few zombies inside the police station. Some were wearing police uniforms, while others donned orange suspect vests, swaying and wandering under the sunlight. Although not as densely packed as outside, they still posed a threat.
The crisis had not yet been averted. The group only took a moment to catch their breath at the entrance, and thankfully, no one was found to have any wounds. This was fortunate, as it was broad daylight, and the zombies moved slowly. Moreover, they were dressed in thick clothing, which the zombies couldn’t tear through immediately. So, although their clothes were damaged to varying degrees, their skin remained intact, which was a stroke of luck amidst their misfortune.
“These filthy things!” Dong Xiu said with disgust as he tore off the hem of his clothing, stained with zombie blood, and threw it to the ground, stomping on it with his shoe before looking into the police station courtyard, frowning. “Why can’t I see any zombies in military uniforms?”
Jiezi swung a steel pipe in a flourish and casually replied, “I don’t know.”
Looking at those decayed and terrifying zombies, Jiezi seemed to be getting a thrill from it, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
Xiong Jiabao couldn’t stand it any longer and elbowed Jiezi, “Why are you so happy? Don’t you think these man-eating monsters are terrifying?”
“Ah?” Jiezi was taken aback, then smiled, “They are scary, but I used to really enjoy playing zombie games. Now it’s like a real-life version, thinking about it makes me a bit excited.”
Xiong Jiabao shivered, utterly impressed by Jiezi. Was this what they called ‘the bold are skilled’? He wished he could have such courage, but he and Jiezi were on completely different levels in terms of strength, so he could only fantasize about it.
This place was called a police station, but it was more like a public security bureau. From the map, it covered a considerable area. They were currently standing at the entrance, and beyond the open space in front of the door was a nine-story office building, probably the tallest structure in the entire town aside from the shopping mall. It didn’t look as dilapidated as the buildings outside; if it weren’t for the broad daylight, it would have been eerily silent, almost like before the apocalypse. Behind the public security building was an open area used as a parking lot, and behind the parking lot was a small building.
The group hurriedly discussed their next plan. Xin Meng asked Jiezi, “Didn’t you say you saw a lot of soldiers outside? How come we haven’t seen a single one?”
Jiezi scratched his head, looking troubled. “I was far away at the time, just got a rough idea. I don’t know where they went. Did they run outside?”
Xin Meng shook his head. “No, even if they left, they wouldn’t have left so cleanly. Could they be in the building? Should we go take a look?”
Just as Jiezi was about to speak, Dong Xiu snorted coldly and said irritably, “No one knows what the situation is inside the building. If there are too many zombies, wouldn’t that kill us?”
Dong Xiu had an inexplicable aversion to Xin Meng. He was used to being the center of attention since childhood, relying not only on his good background but also on his excellent work abilities. Whether it was business acumen or contract negotiation skills, he was top-notch. At a young age, he had already climbed to an executive position and was always the one being flattered and catered to.
In his mind, even if he found himself in a strange place and joined a strange team, he should naturally be the absolute leader. Others should revolve around him, and any confusion should be directed to him first. He expected everyone to look to him for guidance, yet there was this Xin Meng.
He couldn’t understand why this young boy, who was not only quiet but also seemed harmless like a neighbor’s younger brother, had no special qualities. Shouldn’t he be trembling in fear during a crisis and following closely behind him, flattering him and seeking his protection? Or at least sticking with Jiezi? Why was he so calm and able to analyze things clearly?
On the surface, it seemed that everyone regarded Dong Xiu as the leader, but every time Xin Meng spoke, he could immediately draw everyone’s attention, even overshadowing Dong Xiu. Just this alone was unacceptable to Dong Xiu.
If the team were larger, with more people, he could still manage to keep his composure. After all, with more people come more ideas, and he knew he couldn’t make everyone submit to him. But this team had only a few members!
Not being able to fully dominate such a small team was a disgrace for Dong Xiu!
Of course, he would never voice this thought. In his heart, he believed Xin Meng was still far from being on par with him. In fact, the others didn’t truly respect Xin Meng; they were just occasionally influenced by his calmness, which drew their attention. If it came to speaking with weight, Dong Xiu was still superior. However, this made Dong Xiu develop a notion against him, inevitably leading him to speak contrary to Xin Meng.
“We must make a plan before we act; otherwise, if we fail, it will be the end! I think we should consider our escape route before looking for weapons. First, let’s check the parking lot behind for any usable cars, then find a safer temporary shelter. The sun is about to set; we must find a place to stay before dark. Otherwise, even if we get guns, we can’t recklessly expose ourselves at night!” Dong Xiu spoke to the others without looking at Xin Meng, his gaze slowly sweeping over their eyes. This was a simple psychological hint that made his words carry more weight in their minds, a tactic he often used in negotiations.
Jiezi was the first to respond, raising his hand foolishly. “I agree; it’s okay to take it slow. Safety comes first! And… I think we can go to that small building behind; there should be fewer zombies inside!”
Xiong Jiabao naturally supported his buddy, while Li Yougen, upon hearing words like “escape route” and “safety,” nearly raised his feet to vote in favor. The girl remained silent as usual, and of course, no one thought to ask for her opinion.
With the unanimous support of the others, Dong Xiu couldn’t help but show a smug smile towards Xin Meng.
Xin Meng: “…”
He looked back innocently, but inside he was frantically complaining—does leading such unreliable and frustrating teammates really bring any sense of accomplishment?
He was utterly uninterested!
However, Dong Xiu would never believe that, so Xin Meng didn’t bother to explain. The vote was four to one, and the majority ruled. The group decided to follow Dong Xiu’s lead and first circumvent the building to head to the parking lot behind.
In fact, this decision was correct. The situation inside the building was unclear, and no one knew how many zombies were there. It would be dangerous to rush in. In contrast, the outside was much more open; as long as they were careful, they wouldn’t be overwhelmed by zombies. If they couldn’t fight, escaping would be easy. If they could find a usable car, that would be even better. It was clear what choice to make. Even if Dong Xiu was angry, he wouldn’t joke about his own safety.
Xin Meng was quick-witted and had already thought of this. The reason he hadn’t suggested it at the beginning was that he had a nagging bad feeling, though he couldn’t pinpoint why. Ultimately, he couldn’t just rely on his baseless sixth sense to make everyone follow him, so he said nothing more and prepared to follow the others, gripping the steel pipe as they walked along the wall.
Some wandering zombies were attracted and charged over, but Xiong Jiabao knocked one away with a swing of his pipe. He had also figured out some patterns and directly broke the legs of the zombies. Once their legs were broken, the zombies couldn’t catch up with them.
After taking down another, he shook his arm and excitedly said, “Xin, how’s my hand? I used to be scared to go out, but once I killed one of these things, they don’t seem so scary anymore. With so many of us together, I feel so confident! I finally understand why Jiezi is excited. I would have never dared to hit someone before; I would have been arrested by the police. Now, I can just beat these things up, it feels great!”
Xin Meng frowned, seeing Xiong Jiabao getting carried away by Jiezi, his face flushed with excitement. His bad feeling grew stronger, and he couldn’t help but advise, “Don’t get too excited; stay calm, or it could lead to danger.”
Xiong Jiabao laughed heartily, “It’s fine, it’s fine! Aren’t you all here? I won’t get into trouble! Jiezi and I will just take care of these monsters and let them eat shit!”
As he spoke, he swung his wooden stick and knocked two more zombies away. Xin Meng couldn’t dissuade Xiong Jiabao, and Jiezi was over there happily high-fiving him, making Xin Meng increasingly worried.
The timid Li Yougen huddled in the middle of the group, shamelessly occupying the safest position, even pushing the girl to the back. Hearing Xiong Jiabao’s reckless laughter made his face turn pale, and he anxiously shouted at him, “Lower your voice! Keep it down!”
The group was noisy, almost attracting the dozen or so wandering zombies outside. Fortunately, they managed to resolve the situation without incident, but it added a lot of unnecessary danger, and Dong Xiu’s face turned green with anger.
After they rounded the building and saw the parking lot behind, the group suddenly widened their eyes in shock.
In the center of the parking lot was a massive pit, as if something had smashed through the concrete floor, creating a large hole that exposed the dark soil beneath. Almost all the vehicles parked around were ruined, and the cars surrounding the pit were all blackened, with charred remains still visible on the ground.
“What the hell! Did someone throw a bomb here?” Xiong Jiabao said, resting his chin on his hand, incredulously murmuring.
“Don’t you have a brain?” Li Yougen shot him a disdainful glance. “If it were a bomb, this place would have been blown to bits!”
Xiong Jiabao, furious, swung his fist at him, “Why do you always insult me? Are you looking for trouble?”
Aside from the two inexplicably bickering, the others couldn’t help but take a few steps forward, reaching the edge of the pit, where a streak of red caught their eyes.
“Oh my god!” Jiezi stared intently at the flowing brilliance, which looked like flowing lava in the dark pit, resembling a devil’s beating heart, filled with the unbelievable and… temptation.
“What is this thing?” Even Dong Xiu couldn’t believe it, his eyes wide as he nervously adjusted his glasses, unable to take his gaze away as he stepped forward. “It’s… so beautiful…”
Xin Meng also silently watched, pressing his lips together. He had to admit that Dong Xiu was right; what it was, no one could accurately say. It looked viscous like lava but had no heat. It emitted an extraordinarily beautiful red that kept flowing, like a small sun radiating light without warmth, stunningly beautiful yet… eerily strange.
Don’t touch it.
A thought suddenly popped into Xin Meng’s mind.
No matter what, they couldn’t touch it.
