As wave after wave of zombies was gunned down, Belle Bloom and the others, as if seeing their saviors, shouted toward the source of the gunfire, "Help! Are you here to save us?"
The gunfire roared on, and the shooter had already reloaded two or three times. But there were still too many zombies. Devoid of pain, they wouldn't stop their forward charge unless they were shot in the head.
Finally, the gunshots ceased. Dozens of zombies remained. One group lunged toward Belle Bloom and the others in front of the shop, while the rest charged at the culprit who had just been gunning them down.
"Shit, we're low on bullets! What do we do?"
The speaker was a punk-looking guy with a head of dyed-blond hair. He tossed aside the gun in his hand, hefted a Wolf Fang Club, and warily eyed the approaching zombies.
"Are you an idiot? We retreat, obviously! With that many zombies, you got a death wish?!"
The one who answered was a middle-aged man in a filthy A-shirt. A scar ran down his left cheek, and his arms were corded with bulging muscles, a clear sign he'd been a gym regular before the apocalypse.
"Hold on. I think there are people over there."
This came from a man in casual clothes. He had a tall, straight build and handsome features, but the dark circles under his eyes and his weary expression showed he hadn't been resting well.
His words caught the attention of the blond punk and the muscle man.
The blond punk, in particular, had sharp eyes and immediately spotted Belle Bloom's pitifully lovely face among the crowd.
His eyes lit up, and all thoughts of retreat vanished from his mind.
"Bro, check it out! That chick. I've never seen a college girl that fresh before!"
The muscle man followed the blond's finger. The moment he saw her, his Adam's apple bobbed. Having not gotten any action in days, he found it impossible to tear his eyes away from Belle Bloom.
He snatched up a long blade, raised his arm, and let out a rallying cry.
"Brothers, let's tear these zombie bastards apart! With these Crystal Cores, we can go back and claim our reward from the boss!"
There were about twenty men who had come with the convoy to hunt zombies, and nearly all of them were armed. At the mention of a reward, a lecherous glint appeared in every man's eyes.
And so, the twenty-odd men—all except for the one standing with the blond and the muscle man—charged at the zombies as if they were on stimulants.
With a sudden, ferocious momentum, they quickly made short work of the remaining zombies.
Seeing that all the zombies had been killed by the newcomers, Belle Bloom and her friends cried tears of joy as they watched the three men walk toward them.
"Thank you so much. Are you here to rescue us?"
Scott stepped forward to thank the blond punk and the muscle man. Although these men looked decidedly shady, they had at least saved them from falling prey to the zombies.
Ever since the muscle man had walked over, his eyes hadn't left Belle Bloom. The intent in his gaze was obvious to anyone with eyes. This made Scott take an instant dislike to the man, and as he spoke, he deliberately positioned himself in front of Belle Bloom.
The muscle man's brow furrowed at this. He looked ready to lash out, but the blond punk grabbed his arm, signaling for him to stand down.
The blond punk, grinning, started cozying up to Scott. He learned that they were college students who had escaped from the university town and had nearly been devoured by a horde of zombies.
From their conversation, it became clear that this group of student survivors was completely defenseless.
Looking at the naive and innocent college students before him, the blond punk quickly invited them to come with his group.
"We used to work at the Splendid Equestrian Club. After the apocalypse hit, we banded together and turned the club into a temporary settlement."
Hearing this, several of the students immediately let down their guard and asked excitedly.
"Really? Is it safe inside the club? Do you have food? I haven't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon. I'm starving!"
The speaker was a short but very voluptuous girl.
The blond punk offered her a smile dripping with false kindness. "Don't worry," he replied. "Once you're there, we'll take care of protecting you."
The girl's guard dropped completely, and she eagerly agreed to go back with them.
When Belle Bloom heard that someone could protect them, she suddenly stepped out from behind Scott and said she also wanted to go with them. The moment she appeared, the muscle man looked like he was about to start drooling. If not for a pointed warning from the blond punk, he probably would have grabbed Belle Bloom and had his way with her right then and there.