The hallway didn't hold for long against the zombies.
Commander Li Wenqiang saw what would happen before the line Meilan and her men actually broke. It wasn't panic that gave it away. It was the small corrections that came too late, the way the men adjusted instead of controlled, the way their spacing tightened without anyone ordering it. They were reacting, not dictating the pace, and that was more than enough for the zombies to gain the upper hand.
And he didn't move to reinforce them.
He stayed where he was, just inside the room his men held, his rifle steady as he watched the engagement unfold down the corridor. His position gave him a clear angle without exposing his unit, and he had no intention of sacrificing that advantage for a fight that was already slipping out of control.
"Hold," he said quietly, and his men obeyed without question his order. They didn't shift, and they didn't step forward.
