With the divine music gaining momentum, Qiao Siqi and Zhao He successfully left a quarter of the zombie horde at the foot of Luban Tower. (Search "read the latest chapters every day" on Baidu.) In fact, this was already a great success, because the attraction of rapidly moving prey is instinctive; no matter how much they shouted, more people were not buying it than were.
When the four students in Class 2 climbed onto the windowsill on Monday, their inner monologues were all invariably, "Holy crap!" Shouldn't this kind of suicidal baiting tactic be the domain of patriotic hero movies? In reality, who would be so foolish as to sacrifice themselves for the sake of countless others?
But when Qiao Siqi, who always cried out for fear first, resolutely jumped up with him, the four of them underwent some changes in their mentality.
Fearless, I laugh as I brandish my sword towards the sky—that is the spirit of a great hero.
Being terrified, yet still facing that fear head-on, is the courage of ordinary people.
Heroes are rare indeed.
All living beings have passion.
Having passed Yixin Tower, at another intersection, Zhao He, who was running like a bullet in the lead, glanced back at the relentlessly pursuing army of zombies, He Zhiwen who was lagging behind and almost out of breath, and Qi Yan, who could have run faster but kept up with his pace, and Song Fei, who kept encouraging him and shouting that victory was just around the corner and that he must not stop. The moment his right heel landed, he twisted, and his whole body turned forty-five degrees to the left!
Wu Zhou, who was right behind him, saw through his actions at a glance and immediately said, "I'll go lure him, you guys continue!"
Zhao He was speechless: "Why would you steal something that could kill you!"
Wu Zhou wasn't trying to compete with him for the sacrifice spot, but rather considering the practicalities: "You're more skilled, so you're more useful!" Without waiting for Zhao He's agreement, he turned ninety degrees first, accelerated, and rushed between Yixin Building and Qiushi Building.
The upper half of the Qiushi Building was completely shrouded in smoke and dust, indicating that the explosion had occurred on the upper or middle floors and was accompanied by burning, but no open flames were visible; only thick smoke continued to billow out from the shattered windows. It sounded like someone was shouting from upstairs, a distressing sound, but in this situation, no one could care about anyone else.
Wu Zhou decisively chose Yixin Building as his hiding place, and his running direction became even clearer. Feng Qibai, who had watched his classmates scrambling and fighting over the whole time, was filled with complaints but didn't know where to begin.
Is this some kind of adventure into the Gewu Building or a hot air balloon ride? Are they even throwing sandbags down along the way to reduce weight?!
He rolled his eyes to the sky, but stomped his foot angrily and ran after Wu Zhou!
Zhao He was taken aback. He knew that when they were fleeing to the cafeteria, this kid was incredibly independent, wielding a carving knife and killing anyone who stood in his way. Even they had to avoid him for fear of being accidentally hurt. But once in the kitchen, even after a long time and seemingly letting his guard down, he remained quiet and often appeared somewhat gloomy, which suited the temperament of an artist.
However, the artist has now incongruously borrowed a quote from his wealthy second-generation comrade-in-arms—
"Don't worry, I'm here. You must get the radio!"
Zhao He was actually a little worried, and judging from Wu Zhou's surprised expression when he turned around, the latter seemed to be unsure as well.
Using the same tactic as luring enemies with Lu Ban Tower, the difference is that Wu Zhou started singing wildly while running, directly leading a large wave of zombies behind him astray.
The remaining four men, Zhao He, He Zhiwen, Song Fei, and Qi Yan, didn't have time to wait until Wu Zhou and Feng Qibai were safely at the window. They could only pray for their comrades' safety.
Look up and gaze into the distance.
The Gewu Building has come into view.
Unlike the Luban Building with its bizarrely shaped exterior walls and numerous footholds, or the Yixin Building with its beautiful, dynamic, and artistic European-style patterns that make it easy to climb, the Gewu Building, true to its science and technology affiliation, is simple, neat, and practical. The exterior walls are just exterior walls, and the windows are just windows. There are no balconies, no fancy designs, no patterns, and no decorations. It is a rectangular teaching building that wouldn't have looked trendy even in the 1980s. The only thing that shows any sense of the times is its twelve-story height.
He Zhiwen was already out of breath from running. If it weren't for the hope that he was almost there, he might have really given up and stopped running. So what if he became a zombie? At least zombies don't feel tired when they run.
Zhao He was running and anxious, his forehead already covered in sweat. When he finally saw the simple design of the Gewu Building, he immediately despaired: "How am I supposed to get in?!"
Zhao He had never been to the Gewu Building before. To be precise, he rarely came to the teaching building area. The sports institute's building was near the track and field stadium, so this place was no different from an unfamiliar school to him.
Qi Yan knew exactly what Gewu Tower looked like with his eyes closed, and naturally he had already made a plan: "Climb the tree, lure the enemy, and enter through the door!"
This was the route they took to the courier point, and Zhao He understood it immediately. The problem was, when he looked up at the solitary Gewu Building standing at the end of the road, even though he wasn't right in front of it, he could tell at a glance it was an open area. Perhaps because the Gewu Building was too far inside, belonging to an undeveloped part of the campus, its facilities were even worse than the courier point; there weren't even any bushes or greenery, let alone any trees or shrubs.
"Where's the tree?!" Running in the lead but unable to lock onto the target, Zhao He was so anxious he felt like he was going to vomit blood.
He Zhiwen was about to vomit blood: "Why so many questions? You'll find out when you get ahead!"
Zhao He wasn't very happy about being scolded, but as he spoke, he had already run quite a distance. The main gate of Gewu Building had come into view, and Zhao He finally understood what He Zhiwen had said. Gewu Building was surrounded by wasteland, and there were two trees about seven or eight meters tall right in front of the main gate. Because the leaves had all fallen, only bare branches remained, but the dead branches were still intertwined, and it was not hard to imagine how lush and leafy the trees were in spring and summer.
The two trees are about five meters apart, both on the left side after coming down the steps from the main entrance of the Gewu Building. The one closer to the steps is slightly taller, and the one farther away is slightly shorter. Two benches are placed between them, adding a touch of warmth and romance to the serious and solemn teaching building.
With a goal in mind, Zhao He ran with even more energy, almost running in one breath to the tree that was a bit far from the building but still quite a distance away, and then leaped up it. By the time he reached the fork, the other three had finally arrived, and without a second thought, Zhao He simply said, "You all go to that tree!"
The three of them didn't have time to think further; their immediate reaction was that Zhao He wanted to monopolize the tree, but their intuition told them otherwise. Amidst their confusion, they all hurriedly climbed the tree.
The endless run finally stopped, and the long-awaited rest made the group want to breathe as deeply as possible. He Zhiwen was panting so hard that he almost couldn't hold onto the tree branch.
Zhao He was better off; although he was also panting heavily, he recovered quickly.
When he felt he had calmed down enough, all the zombies that hadn't been taken away by his four comrades gathered under the tree.
There are at least forty or fifty of them, densely packed together.
Zombies occasionally emerged from the main entrance of Gewu Building, drawn by the commotion, to join the fun.
"Luckily, the school planted two trees for your college," Zhao He said, still feeling a chill, as he hugged the branches even tighter. "Otherwise, we wouldn't even know how we died."
Qi Yan didn't know whether to be angry or amused: "Only you don't know there are two trees in front of the Physics Department building."
Song Fei testified: "Even I, a terrible student, know this!"
Zhao He was baffled: "I don't take classes here. Besides, even if I did come, who would notice two trees?"
He Zhiwen: "Do you think these are just two ordinary trees? Do you think these are trees that the school randomly planted in front of our courtyard? You're so wrong! These were planted by our own courtyard!!!"
Even from five meters away, Zhao He could feel He Zhiwen's spit. He chuckled, "Even if your academy planted it themselves, there's no need to be so indignant. Besides, I didn't see anything unusual about this tree; it just has more branches and a fuller shape..."
He Zhiwen: "This is the apple tree that smashed Newton's back then!"
Zhao He: "Uh, I admit I'm not as good at studying as you guys, but I don't look like an idiot, do I..."
Song Fei burst out laughing and quickly chimed in, "He didn't say it all. He should say that this tree is a descendant of the apple tree at Cambridge University that knocked Newton down. It's said that their department head went through a lot of trouble to get it from England."
Zhao He: "..."
Qi Yan: "Actually, the tree at Cambridge University isn't the real apple tree that hit Newton. Some say it was planted separately, while others say it was a branch taken from the original tree and planted again. Their department head probably believes the latter, so he brought in a descendant of a descendant and planted it here to inspire the students of the Physics Department."
Zhao He swallowed hard and asked seriously, "Do you think this sounds credible?"
Qi Yan smiled: "Very witty."
Zhao He breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, at least some of his comrades were still intelligent.
He Zhiwen remained adamant in his defense of the college's honor, and Zhao He didn't argue further, taking it as tacit agreement. But the former persisted, leaving Zhao He with no choice but to finally say, "I believe you, it's true."
He Zhiwen turned his face away, full of grievance: "I don't believe it!"
Zhao He was speechless for a moment, and quickly and earnestly said again and again, "This tree is different from the other broken trees in the school, it's definitely different!"
He Zhiwen: "You're just giving me the runaround."
Zhao He: "I didn't!"
He Zhiwen: "Then tell me your different reasons."
Zhao He: "I've been lying on it for so long, and not a single branch has broken!"
Song Fei and Qi Yan: "..."
He Zhiwen: "I believe you."
After catching his breath, Zhao He revealed his intention to monopolize the tree: "I will lure out as many zombies as possible from under the tree and inside the building, at least from the lobby on the first floor. You all wait for the right moment, quietly climb down the tree, and run into the building as soon as you land. As for inside, I can't help you there."
Song Fei was almost dumbfounded. She knew without a doubt that it was impossible: "Qiao Siqi and Wu Zhou can at least get into the building, but you're in the tree. Once we're all inside, how are you going to escape? Fly back?"
Zhao He was quite philosophical about it: "If we can fly back, we will; if we can't, we'll just wait for you here."
Qi Yan disagreed: "We don't know how long we'll be stuck inside. Let alone a night or two, you might not even be able to endure a few hours."
Zhao He certainly didn't want to die; he just believed that things would work out in the end. But the other three academically inclined candidates clearly needed more persuasion.
"Here's what we'll do. I'll wait here. As soon as you enter the safe room, open the window and lure the zombies under the tree away. As for how I run or where I escape to, you don't need to worry about that. I definitely won't die." Zhao He thought for a moment and added, "Of course, if you still haven't made a move by the time I can't stand it anymore, don't blame me for running away first."
"If you can really slip away first, we'll be thanking our lucky stars!" Song Fei said, feeling both amused and exasperated, and her eyes welled up with tears.
This is Zhao He—never sentimental, just straightforward and brutally delivering a punch to your heart.
"Don't look at me like that." Zhao He felt uncomfortable under Song Fei's gaze, as if something was off. Shaking off the chill, he cleared his throat. "I'm starting now. You guys keep an eye on the door."
The three comrades obediently listened and turned to stare intently at the main entrance of the Gewu Building.
Soon, in the night sky where the very distant divine songs and the relatively distant popular R&B were mixed, a third voice appeared.
It's just that there's no singing anymore, just a primal, testosterone-fueled roar—
"Fuck your mother! How many times have I said I don't want to train in hurdles? I don't want to train in hurdles?! I don't want to train in hurdles?! Who do you think you are?! Are you my father?! You motherfucker, forcing me to switch sports! If you keep forcing me, I bet you'll secretly record a video and expose me on Weibo for forcing athletes to take performance-enhancing drugs! I just want to throw the javelin for the rest of my life!!"
A sudden gust of wind blew, and the apple tree with three people hanging on it still swayed wildly.
Song Fei nervously clung tightly to the tree branch, then turned back to He Zhiwen and sincerely instructed him: "Remember to tell Wu Zhou and Fu Xiyuan when you get back, so they can remind Zhao He's teacher and coach to be careful when going in and out."
Whether this warning would reach the coach's ears was unknown, but many zombies in the Gewu Building were indeed drawn out. Perhaps it's true that when people are emotionally agitated, even their voices can take on a vivid human quality; compared to the previous four decoy partners, Zhao He was clearly more efficient.
Five minutes later.
Zhao He finally shouted his heart out. Looking up, he saw that quite a few zombies had already emerged from the Gewu Building. At least from the main entrance, it was basically empty now. But when he turned his head again, he saw that his three comrades on another tree, whether they were too engrossed in listening or had other concerns, showed no intention of coming down.
By now, his tree was already teeming with corpses, a lively scene, with the outermost group still very close to Song Fei's tree. After a moment's thought, Zhao He carefully turned around, facing Song Fei's tree and Gewu Tower, and changed his roar into a song—in terms of intimidation and attraction, a roar is invincible, and in terms of endurance, only a song is unbeatable.
Zhao He's music library is full of inspirational songs, sometimes soaring beyond dreams, sometimes bursting with life. The unrestrained rhythm gradually led the zombies astray, until the entire horde of zombies was facing Zhao He, with their backs to Song Fei's tree and the main entrance of Gewu Building.
The three friends who had been waiting finally found their chance. Holding their breath, they quietly climbed down from the tree and ran into the building without looking back!
The moment his companions landed, Zhao He's already rousing singing voice soared into the vast sky, and some zombies forgot whether they were reaching out their arms to grab people or to dance to the rhythm.
The lobby on the first floor of Gewu Building was brightly lit.
The zombie horde broke out during the day, so normally the lights shouldn't be on. There's only one explanation for this phenomenon—someone came to or was in the Gewu Building after the zombie horde broke out, and at least waited until nightfall, which is why the lights were turned on.
But what happens after the lights are turned on?
Are they alive or dead? Are they still stubbornly holding on in the building, or have they already rushed elsewhere? Or... have they been infected and mutated?
All three of them couldn't help but overthink, but they all stopped themselves from doing so.
In the vast lobby of the Gewu Building, only five zombies were visible to the naked eye. Clearly, these six or five were unmoved by Zhao He's singing, and were more interested in the bust of Newton in the center of the lobby. They were lined up in a row, facing the statue, admiring it.
Although only their backs were visible, Song Fei could tell that these five were He Zhiwen's fellow students, because when he entered the hall, the latter also looked up at the great pioneer of physics with reverence.
This is an academy with integrity.
Three against five, and with He Zhiwen possibly only having 0.5 of the fighting strength, they had no chance of winning. Therefore, the three dared not make a sound, moving slowly along the wall towards the elevator at the end of the hall. But the elevator was just behind the statue; once the three approached, the zombies could easily spot them from their field of vision. Their only hope was that the five zombies would be focused enough, or that they would be discovered late enough for the zombies to open the elevator.
However, the great Newton did not hear their prayers. Just as the three entered the zombies' field of vision, the two former physics students abandoned their faith and chose instinct! The remaining three, led by their companions, also spotted their prey, their faces instantly turning excited and ferocious as they pounced!
"Get in the elevator quickly!" Qi Yan threw down these words and, without waiting for Song Fei and the others' response, started running and quickly circled around to the other end of the lobby.
Without exception, all five zombies began chasing their moving prey and were lured in as well.
Seeing Song Fei in a daze, He Zhiwen made a tough decision and pulled him towards the elevator!
The two zombies turned around at the sound and saw Song Fei and He Zhiwen. Just as they were about to change their target, Qi Yan suddenly shouted!
The two zombies hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose Qi Yan.
But the shouting also attracted three zombies outside the door. No matter how Zhao He sang off-key, the three of them still relentlessly returned to Gewu Tower to find the source of the sound. What's worse, they came in right in front of Qi Yan!
Caught between two attacks, Qi Yan was in a dilemma!
Song Fei and He Zhiwen had already pressed the elevator button. Fortunately, there were no zombies inside, and the two immediately entered. Song Fei immediately shouted to Qi Yan, "Come over here quickly—"
He shouted for Qi Yan and also for the zombie, and the latter ran over even faster than the former!
Qi Yan's heart tightened, and he shouted, "Close the door—"
At the same time, he flipped over and climbed onto the base of the giant globe sculpture placed in the corner of the hall.
Although the globe is round, it is large enough, and the continents, oceans and islands are carefully engraved on its surface, making it not smooth. Although it takes some effort, it is enough for Qi Yan to stand on the base, which is more than half a person high, and continue to climb up the globe, eventually succeeding in reaching the top!
Just as Qi Yan reached the top, the elevator doors closed.
Qi Yan didn't see Song Fei's face clearly, but the moment the elevator doors closed, she couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief, feeling even more at ease than if she had escaped death.
Coming to his senses, he saw that two of the eight zombies surrounding the globe were almost climbing onto the base. Qi Yan gripped the surface of the round boulder tightly with one hand, and with the other, he took the mop gun off his back and fired two shots, repelling them, but neither hit a vital spot.
The remaining few seemed unable to climb; their movements were stiff, and they couldn't hold onto the edge of the base even after several attempts.
Qi Yan suddenly felt very fortunate that this was in the Physics Department building, not the Physical Education Department building.
Huh?
Qi Yan's muscles suddenly tensed up. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but it seemed like his body had slid forward a little bit.
Click.
The sound was faint but clear, and what was more alarming was that Qi Yan was certain that his body had moved forward two centimeters.
No, strictly speaking, it can't be considered moving forward. Rather, it rolled two centimeters forward along the equator, with the steel axis running through the sphere as the center...
This globe can be rotated.
So this isn't a stone sculpture that looks like a globe, but a globe that looks like a stone sculpture... Does it have to be so lifelike?!
*Smack*
The lights suddenly went out, plunging the entire hall into darkness in an instant.
Qi Yan instinctively looked for the door, but couldn't find it. Even if someone or a zombie had turned off the lights in the hall, there were still many streetlights near the two apple trees by the door; it was impossible for no light to shine through the still-open main entrance.
But the reality is that the whole world has turned black, completely black, absolutely black.
It wasn't that someone turned off the lights; the entire Gewu Building, and even the entire area including the streetlights outside the building, lost power.
A chill ran through Qi Yan's heart; Song Fei was still in the elevator!