"Qiangzi! Forget it, let them go, we'll wait a bit first. Once everything inside is fine, we'll go in." Tang Xiaoquan appeared unusually weak, but even so, he didn't forget to remind Wang Qiang to stay safe.
And to prevent the situation from worsening further, he added reluctantly, "Additionally, Qiangzi, when we get inside later, do not argue with that person. We cannot have internal conflict now."
Seeing the fatigue in his brother's eyes, Wang Qiang was indifferent. The words that were about to come out were stuck in his throat.
Yes, even though he was usually straightforward and carefree, as if missing a link.
But at this moment, even the nerve-racking Wang Qiang vaguely understood his brother's good intentions.
"Alright!" He gritted his teeth, deeply unwilling in his heart, but Wang Qiang still patted Tang Xiaoquan on the shoulder, forcing a smile as he assured, "Don't worry, Quanzi, I won't argue with that idiot."
With Wang Qiang's assurance, Tang Xiaoquan let out a long sigh of relief, and some color returned to his exhausted face.
About five minutes later, once they were sure there was no disturbance inside, Tang Wang and the three of them carried their weapon bundles into the small room.
Inside the small room, it was empty and simple, with only two chairs and one stool, reflecting the owner's destitution.
Without wasting words, Tang Xiaoquan and the others immediately moved to a corner of the living room, as if marking their territory, standing opposed to the uncle and nephew.
The zombies outside continued tirelessly tearing at the wooden door, and the occasional "crack" sound sent a shock of fear through the survivors.
Wang Qiang shot a glare at the big man, who was sitting nonchalantly on a chair, completely unaware that the two chairs under him and his nephew were the only ones in the living room.
Wang Qiang was naturally extremely displeased.
But recalling his earlier promise to Quanzi, he bitterly dismissed the idea of arguing with the big man.
Taking out his phone, Tang Xiaoquan glanced at the dark green screen, where four conspicuous digits flickered softly.
08:15, barely 20 minutes had passed since the start of the operation, yet these mere 20 minutes had already given Tang Xiaoquan and his group a taste of what life and death speed were like!
"Alright, Qiangzi, Yaru, let's not just stand here. Let's sit down and rest for a bit." Tang Xiaoquan, now utterly exhausted, could only think of resting, so he didn't care about the thick dust on the ground and slumped down.
Seeing his brother sit, Wang Qiang reluctantly abandoned the idea of checking the bedroom for any extra chairs or stools, as it was unnecessary under the current circumstances.
On the other hand, Huang Yaru, due to her feminine instincts, couldn't bring herself to sit directly on the dirty floor like Wang Tang and the others.
Thus, the survival bag she brought along naturally became her seat.
Time slowly passed in silence among the five, neither side exchanged words or even glances, as everyone deliberately maintained a subtle vigilance.
Until…
"Crash!" A crisp sound of breaking glass.
With that sound, everyone inside the room was startled. For the first time, they glanced at each other and through their scared eyes, saw the horror reflected in each other's gaze.
No need to explore, the sound came from the back door, which was proven by the growling noise that accompanied the shattering glass.
That was close! A chill ran down Tang Xiaoquan's spine, knowing that if they hadn't left in time, they might have become the zombie's feast by now.
Perhaps not finding any prey made the zombies next door furious, as the noises they made got increasingly intense, with the sounds of items falling and things breaking now and then.
Despite the wall separating them, the survivors couldn't conceal their fear.
Especially Huang Yaru, who from the start of the noise kept her hands pressed against her ears, never letting go.
As if this was the only way to calm her frightened heart.
"Bang," merely seconds after the glass-breaking, a stronger thud suddenly struck everyone's hearts.
"Back door!" Someone blurted out these words. Judging by the location and intensity of the sound, it seemed to have come from the backdoor of the neighboring balcony.
"Damn it!" The big man cursed, suddenly jumping off the chair like a pinprick, grabbing his axe, and storming out.
Everyone was dumbfounded by this abrupt scene, but Wang Qiang reacted quickly and moved to block the man's path.
"Move!" The big man glared fiercely, saying just two words to show his stance.
"What are you doing?" Without politeness, Wang Qiang was also filled with anger, so without hesitation, he raised his head and stared back sharply.
Tensions flared, and a fight seemed imminent, but fortunately, Tang Xiaoquan intervened just in time between them, narrowly preventing a scuffle.
"What are you doing! Do you want to die?"
"He's the one asking for it!" The man's temper was obviously hot, even holding the axe pointed at Wang Qiang across from him.
Wang Qiang was not one to back down. He raised his fist and replied, "What the hell did you say! Try saying it again if you dare!"
"Enough!" Once again, Tang Xiaoquan interrupted the argument, speaking in a slightly softer tone to the big man, "Brother, can you tell me why you want to go out?"
"Nonsense!" The big man was still furious and had no intention of being polite to Tang Xiaoquan, cursing as he replied, "How dare you ask me why! I should ask if you've got brains, throwing away the board before you went in! Now the zombies over there have broken the door down, and soon, they'll follow the board over, and we'll all be screwed!"
With that, the big man raised his hand to push Tang Xiaoquan aside, but at that moment, Huang Yali, who had been sitting in the corner covering her ears, suddenly stood up, looking pale as she walked towards them...