Compared to the warmer weather last night when I went to the courier point, with the ice and snow melting, the temperature has suddenly dropped again tonight. Perhaps for this reason, the zombies have retreated back into buildings that can shelter them from the wind and rain, which is why there isn't a single ghost to be seen on the streets.
The initial, cautious, and deliberately hushed conversation gradually relaxed as they proceeded more steadily. Along with them, the group's nerves also relaxed, so much so that when a shadow resembling a zombie passed by behind a tree by the roadside, only He Zhiwen noticed it.
His steps suddenly stopped, and Zhao He, who was following behind, was not paying attention and bumped into him hard. The latter reflexively said "Damn it!" without controlling his voice at all. By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late.
A zombie suddenly rushed out from behind the tree, its bright red down jacket as vibrant and unrestrained as its attack.
He Zhiwen instinctively wanted to run, but his ten toes twitched wildly as if in battle, and his feet still didn't leave the ground. On the contrary, he gripped the knife in his hand even tighter—he wasn't fighting alone now; he had comrades-in-arms!
In the blink of an eye, the zombie was right in front of us with its gaping maw, so close that we could even see a corner of its front tooth that had been chipped off.
He Zhiwen ignored everything and stabbed the zombie in the right cheek with his knife!
The zombie continued its charge, and He Zhiwen didn't flinch. However, the zombie's strength was clearly greater than his own, and He Zhiwen couldn't hold on for more than two seconds before losing his footing. Fortunately, Zhao He, who had just crashed into him, was right behind him, clinging tightly to He Zhiwen's back. While supporting him, Zhao He's hands were also busy, stabbing a military dagger into the zombie's temple.
Dark red liquid slowly flowed out along the bloodletting groove.
He Zhiwen clearly felt that the force that was resisting him was slowly disappearing.
He forcefully pulled out the knife, and the blood that hadn't yet dried from the bayonet spurted out again from the new hole in his face. Zhao He silently laid the zombie down on the ground before pulling out the bayonet and standing up nimbly.
"This is fucking amazing," Zhao He said, shaking the blood off his military dagger. The more he looked at it, the more he loved this divine weapon. "The person who came up with the idea of buying one of these to keep in the dorm must be a genius."
Looking at his teammates' fluid and skillful movements, He Zhiwen recalled the unwavering strength that had stood against him just two minutes earlier, fighting alongside him against the zombie onslaught. He couldn't help but reminisce, filled with emotion: "Last semester, I confessed my feelings to a girl, and she rejected me because she valued a strong chest more than a brilliant mind. I always thought that was just a common excuse girls use, but it turns out that a sense of security is really important."
"Many male students agree with this statement," Feng Qibai patted his teammate on the shoulder, "but you are probably the first to prove it with your own experience."
He Zhiwen was embarrassed and was about to say something more when the four students from Class 1 who were originally walking in front heard him and turned back.
"Are you alright?" Song Fei looked at the corpse on the ground, then at He Zhiwen, and asked with concern.
He Zhiwen shook his head: "There's only one, we can handle it."
Qi Yan looked around, not entirely at ease: "If there's one, there's bound to be another. We need to leave quickly."
"Could you give me the floral water to spray on before I leave...?" As the classmate who has been bitten by zombies the most times, Qiao Siqi now trembles at the mere sneeze of a zombie.
"Still spraying? You're like you've been soaking in a tub of floral water for three months now. If you keep spraying, the zombies will either get angry or I'll help them take revenge." Zhou Yilu had almost lost his sense of smell from Johns's stench the whole way, and just thinking about it made him furious.
Zhao He chimed in, pointing to the corpse on the ground and saying, "We haven't encountered many zombies along the way, and this is the only one that has rushed out. Don't worry, things will definitely be peaceful from here on out. It's a waste of your breath to keep complaining."
Qiao Siqi was skeptical, frowning and hesitant.
Zhao He pressed on: "Here's the deal, if we encounter zombies again, I'll protect you just like I protected He Zhiwen, is that fair?"
Qiao Siqi's eyes lit up, and he felt as if he saw an even brighter and more holy light of compassion on Zhao He's bald head: "Really?!"
Zhao He nodded without hesitation: "Of course. A gentleman's word is his bond..."
Bang!!!
The deafening explosion shattered the tranquility of the night, and everyone's ears were sore from the shock. For a long time, apart from a buzzing sound, no other sounds could be heard.
Once the tinnitus subsided, thick smoke was already rising in the distance, casting a thick haze over the once clear night sky.
"Qiushi Building!" He Zhiwen accurately reported the name of the location where the incident occurred.
The group had arrived at the department building area. Although they hadn't officially entered, they could already see the Yixin Building in front of them. The Luban Building, Yixin Building, Qiushi Building, and Gewu Building were in a straight line, with the Luban Building being the outermost and the Gewu Building the innermost. Although the direction of the billowing smoke made it impossible to see the building itself, judging from its location, it was undoubtedly the Qiushi Building of the Chemistry Department.
"How could it explode?" Song Fei thought quickly. "Could there be any classmates inside?"
Qi Yan: "Although I really want to find out the truth, I'm afraid it's not possible now."
Song Fei sensed the unusual seriousness and tension in the other person's words and looked at him with suspicion.
Zhao He, standing nearby, understood his teammate's ex-boyfriend's meaning first: "Comrades, what's coming next might be a fierce battle..."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone heard a multitude of chaotic footsteps, first from afar, then getting closer and closer!
The group exchanged glances, then realized—that was the Wenbo Building!
The Cultural Relics Building of the School of Humanities is not on the straight line they are currently standing on, but it is still part of the department building area, which is the direction from which the sound came at this moment.
It was obvious that the zombies inside or near the building were attracted by the explosion and came running at the sound, and there was a large wave of them!
The footsteps grew increasingly alarming, and without further delay, everyone took off running!
But after running only a few steps, countless zombies suddenly rushed out of the Luban Building ahead, as if excited by the explosion, and ran wildly towards the thick smoke without thinking!
The eight men paused, still running forward, but afraid to go too fast. If they caught up with the main force ahead and they all turned around, they would be easy prey. But if they continued running at this pace, they would definitely be trampled by the horde of zombies behind them!
It was just like running exercises in winter, with one class sprinting ahead and another class chasing behind. The eight of them, wandering between the two groups, were just cannon fodder no matter how you looked at them!
Qi Yan made a quick decision: "If you can't go straight, turn!"
By this time, the group had passed Luban Tower and reached the crossroads between it and Yixin Tower. To their left was Yixin Tower in front and Luban Tower behind, while to their right was a large, bare hillside—actually, it had a beautiful name: Flower-Filled Hill. In spring and summer, the hillside was covered in blooming flowers. But now, in the dead of winter, all the flower fairies had returned to heaven.
Without the slightest hesitation, Qi Yan chose to turn left—the building could still provide cover, but the earthen slope offered no way out.
Thus, the group made a sharp turn and squeezed between the School of Architecture and the School of Art, but they couldn't stray too far, since their destination was the Gewu Building, and running away from the departmental buildings would be pointless. Balancing safety and the need for the radio, the combat team began their lap around the Luban Building.
It's also thanks to the fact that the current campuses and teaching buildings are being built much larger, occupying a considerable area, that it's safe to visit.
The group's plan was simple and clear: after circling around a few times, the zombies from the Luban Building would have already reached the explosion site, and the main road would be empty and safe again. Then they would run out to the innermost Gewu Building.
However, everyone underestimated the speed and endurance of the zombies in the Wenbo Building.
After just a few laps, the team had lost their initial pace. After all, it was a 100-meter sprint at full speed, and maintaining that speed for even a few seconds was difficult enough; trying to maintain it for several minutes was simply impossible. So, by the time they finished one lap, everyone was basically in the same condition as when they ran the 800 meters.
Although the zombies behind him showed no signs of fatigue, their physical functions had not improved dramatically, so their speed had also decreased accordingly, but—they were moving very slowly.
The bespectacled female student running at the front of the horde of zombies and Feng Qibai running at the back of the squad were only a little over a meter apart at their closest point. Several times, the other girl suddenly reached out her arm and almost grabbed Feng Qibai's clothes!
"Don't they get tired?!" Feng Qibai's pores exploded, his hair stood on end, and he felt as if his hair strands were turning into porcupine swords, shooting out with a whooshing sound!
The four students from Class 1 who were running ahead answered in unison: "They're from the School of Humanities!"
The zombie's fingertips scraped his back again, and Feng Qibai was practically going crazy: "The Literature Department should just focus on studying poetry and prose, or did they all go to Kenya for long-distance running training?!"
The four classmates in Class 1 simultaneously conjured up the image of the little whale's agile figure: "Very likely."
"Going around like this isn't going to work!" Zhou Yilu could already smell the metallic taste in his throat, and decisively said, "I'll climb out the window and distract them, you guys run forward!"
"No way," Song Fei refused without even thinking, "What will you do if we run away!"
"Don't worry, I won't die. But if you don't get the radio in the end, I'll turn into a zombie and hunt you down."
"What if we get it?"
"Of course! Then pick me up on the way back!"
Zhou Yilu gave his friends a purely threatening look that said, "If you dare not pick me up from home, you'll be sorry." He suddenly accelerated and rushed ahead in an instant. Then he stopped abruptly and leaped onto the first-floor windowsill with both hands. The Luban Building has a modern and bizarre style. There is no balcony, only messy and random windows, windowsills of varying widths, and various irregular and disorderly exterior wall structures and decorations.
In the blink of an eye, Zhou Yilu's right foot had already stepped onto a recessed square structure on the wall outside the window. He grabbed the top edge of the window, pushed off with his foot, and instantly appeared between the first and second floor windows. Just as he was struggling to climb onto the second-floor window, Qiao Siqi, who had already run close, spotted a zombie pressed against the glass in the next window, looking out!
Although it doesn't pose a threat to Zhou Lu for the time being, who knows how many zombies are still in this building.
Qiao Siqi glanced at the zombies that were about to catch up behind him, and then at his comrades who were carrying out the final mission and had no choice but to run forward even if they were unwilling. He decided to go all out and jumped onto a recessed windowsill, following Zhou Lu's example and climbing up!
Zhou Yilu had just settled down on the second-floor windowsill, intending to observe the battle below, but when he looked down, he first saw a small tail.
"Damn it, why are you following me?!"
"You think you're Wonder Woman, fighting one floor by yourself?!" Qiao Siqi snapped, then turned and shouted to her friends who were running and constantly looking back anxiously, "Don't worry, I'm here! Make sure you get the radio!"
Zhou rolled his eyes. There's absolutely no logical connection between "having this guy around" and "you can rest assured"! To be precise, having this guy around is the biggest destabilizing factor!
But the fact that Joschi would voluntarily stay and fight alongside him is something I never dared to dream of.
Is this still the same spoiled, cowardly, arrogant, and ostentatious Qiao Siqi?
"Please put away your admiring gaze, because it's too early to use it now. I will give you more surprises in the future."
"...This is a question!!!"
Qiao Siqi couldn't leave Zhou Yilu here alone. Putting himself in Zhou Yilu's shoes, he couldn't imagine how he would endure the cold night, the loneliness, and the endless fear and solitude.
Zhou Yilu knew why Qiao Siqi stayed with him. Putting himself in Qiao Siqi's shoes, he couldn't possibly leave a comrade behind to hold off the zombies alone. Even one more person would be better. The difference between fighting alone and fighting side by side isn't one versus two, but one versus positive infinity.
They both knew each other's hearts—
Qiao Siqi: "You fucking bastard, why don't you give me a hand?!"
Zhou Yilu: "Two tigers cannot share one windowsill, you go over there!"
Josh: "Fuck!"
Zhou Yilu: "You are welcome."
As the six men completed the final lap and returned to the main road to begin their charge again, a desperate shout from their comrades rang out behind them—
Qiao Siqi: "Aaaaaah, stop chasing! Look this way—"
Zhou Yilu: "Don't miss out! A quick look won't hurt you, a quick look won't fool you—"
Qiao Siqi: "I sent you away a thousand miles, you are silent and indifferent~~~"
Zhou Yilu: "Screw you! My door is always open~~ I'm waiting for you with open arms~~"
Joss: "Come back~~ Come back, you wanderer who has roamed the world~~"
Zhou Yilu: "Speak louder, you're attracting too few people!"
Josh: "It's not a volume issue, it's a song issue! They love catchy tunes!"
Zhou Yilu: "Little Apple?"
Josh: "You're so low!"
Zhou Yilu: "Then give me something stylish!"
Joschi: "Om Banjasado~~Samayamanubalaya~~Banjasadodenuba~~Dichajichomebawa~~Sudokayumebawa~~Supokayo~~mebawa..."
Zhou Yilu: "..."
On the other side, Zhou Yi felt as if the windowsill beneath his feet had become a cloud, ready to be lifted into the sky by a gust of wind. Meanwhile, the soldiers rushing across the intersection dared not look back, afraid of wasting the time their two brothers had so painstakingly gained.
But running doesn't diminish curiosity—
Wu Zhou: "What exactly is he singing? I will definitely avoid this song from now on!"
Zhao He: "How could you possibly recognize that!"
Song Fei: "He sang 'All Things Grow' off-key; you can hear it if you listen carefully."
Feng Qibai: "Even if you listen carefully, you can't hear it!"
Song Fei: "Oh, his Sanskrit pronunciation isn't very accurate either."
Comrades: "You know too much!!!"