After finishing breakfast, they prepared to set off. Once they packed the necessary supplies, the other three, except for Jack, all wore reluctant expressions. However, no matter how good this supermarket was, they still had to leave. Without a proper human society, it would be difficult for just four people and a dog to survive here. Not to mention the supplies, the monotonous life ahead could drive anyone mad.
"Hmm?"
As they passed the escalator in the center of the mall, Michael suddenly stopped, furrowing his brow and letting out a soft "eh." However, the few people in front of him ignored him completely, treating him as if he were air. Only Hu Laoda, unconcerned, picked his nose and turned back to say, "I say, Dog Master, what new discovery do you have this time?"
It was no wonder everyone reacted this way; Michael was just too annoying. Throughout the journey, his mouth had been non-stop, spouting nonsense and splattering saliva everywhere. He either talked about how the zombie used to be a great beauty or pointed at some incomplete corpse in a corner, unable to tell if it was male or female, claiming it was still a virgin. Only Jack, who had long since gotten used to it, remained unfazed. The real suffering fell on Hu Laoda and the other two, whose heads were buzzing from the noise. They had grown accustomed to it by now.
"It seems like someone is here!" Michael said, standing still and twitching his nose.
"Someone?" Hu Laoda asked, puzzled.
"Well, they are living people!" Michael said, frowning in a mock-serious manner.
"Of course they are living people, there are four right in front of you!" Boss Hu rolled his eyes and said irritably.
"What he means is that there are more living people!" This time Jack finally turned around and said to Boss Hu.
"No way? Then why don't they come out?" Upon hearing that there were more living people, Boss Hu was startled and immediately pulled out his frozen meat knife from his belt. Joking aside, in this day and age, living people can be even scarier than zombies, especially those hiding in the dark. A small stab in the back could lead to their doom.
"I think they must be trapped on the second floor, right? Michael?" Jack looked up at the escalator leading to the second floor, which was already covered in dust, and the transparent glass had several spots stained with blackened blood.
"Yes, I can smell the scent of people coming from upstairs; there should be at least ten of them!" Michael nodded affirmatively. He was quite reliable and never played tricks on Jack during critical moments.
Jack looked at the escalator beside him; the entrance to the second floor was completely sealed off by a fire shutter. This thick door was hard to open without professional tools, and even having a gun wouldn't help.
"Let's go, we'll take the fire escape to get up!" Jack thought for a moment and decided that the fire door they came in through should lead to the second floor.
"No way, man? You're planning to go up?" Boss Hu, Thomas, quickly said, "There might be even more zombies up there, and we have no idea who those people are. If they have weapons, we'll be in trouble!"
Jack glanced at him and said expressionlessly, "You can choose to stay down here, but I have to go up and see who's up there, no matter what!"
After saying that, Jack walked forward without looking back, while the two women followed him without any hesitation, leaving Boss Hu behind, shouting anxiously, "Wait for me! I didn't say I wouldn't go up!"
The fire escape was pitch black, and the originally rechargeable LED evacuation sign had long since stopped working. A strong musty smell filled the entire nostrils, but it could still invigorate a person's spirit.
Jack turned on the powerful flashlight in his hand. The once blinding light had now dimmed somewhat. Jack frowned, knowing this was a sign that the battery was about to run out. However, he could only recharge it once he got back to the car. At that moment, he could only pray that the flashlight wouldn't fail him; otherwise, in this dark place, he certainly didn't have a pair of night-vision eyes.
"Hmm? This door seems to be blocked by something!" Afraid of being isolated, Boss Hu, eager to show off, rushed forward with a frozen meat knife to open the door. Unfortunately, the metal fire door didn't budge at all, and even though he nearly twisted the doorknob off, it was of no use.
"It's not blocked; it's just that this type of door has a lock that can only be opened from the inside. It can't be pulled open from the outside!" Jack signaled Boss Hu to step aside, pulled out his gun, and fired three shots to knock off the lock. Even so, Jack still had Boss Hu find a steel bar, and with a hard pull, they finally managed to open the door.
As soon as the door opened, a foul stench rushed out, nearly knocking Boss Hu, who was standing at the front, off his feet. Before he could start complaining, several shadowy figures with sharp teeth charged out instantly.
"Ah... help!"
One shadow tackled Boss Hu to the ground. Feeling the skin like dry wood and the stench that could suffocate a person, Boss Hu could tell that the thing pressing him down was a living corpse. However, his knife had already fallen, and he was weaker than the living corpse. Realizing that the creature's teeth could bite into his throat at any moment, Boss Hu could only let out a piercing scream, like a poor little wife whose pants had been torn.
The living corpse's mouth was getting closer to Boss Hu's neck. He even began to imagine his carotid artery spraying blood, with tender human flesh being swallowed by the living corpse. But just at that critical moment, someone finally saved him. The not-so-skinny living corpse was kicked in the neck without mercy, rolling off Boss Hu and pulling his clothes down with it.
Boss Hu gasped loudly, cold sweat dripping down his forehead like it was free. He raised his head to thank Jack for saving him, only to find that the person standing beside him was actually Cao Mei, who had always been against him. Cao Mei looked at him with disdain and said mockingly, "A grown man is actually crying. I really regret saving you just now!"
Boss Hu was taken aback and quickly wiped away the liquid from the corners of his eyes, not even knowing if it was sweat or tears. The words of gratitude that had reached his lips were immediately swallowed back. He could only force himself to say to Cao Mei, "That was sweat, but don't worry, I will repay this favor!"
"Genius is rare!" Cao Mei turned her head and immediately joined A Xue's battle group. Seven or eight live corpses had been swiftly dealt with by Jack and Michael, leaving only one that was happily fighting with A Xue. Alone, A Xue could only struggle to hold on, while Jack beside her seemed to have made up his mind, standing by and watching.
But as soon as Cao Mei joined in, the situation on the battlefield changed dramatically. The two women worked together to kill the live corpses with remarkable skill. A Xue used a large pot lid she had brought from the noodle shop as a shield to attract the live corpse's attention, while Cao Mei crouched down carefully beside her, waiting for the right moment to deliver a fierce axe strike. Even if she couldn't chop off the opponent's head in one blow, it would at least render it immediately incapacitated.
"Yay…"
The live corpse fell to the ground, convulsing, and the two women excitedly clapped their hands together. Perhaps due to fighting side by side, the barrier between them had lessened, and they felt a sense of mutual appreciation.