Chapter 17 (1/2)
Chapter 17
”Rong-ge,” Si Nan called out quietly.
The four special force soldiers were in a row, their bodies bent and their feet light, following the tracks to the platform. All the way in front, Zhou Rong replied with a low voice, ”What's wrong?”
”Why did Yan Hao…”
Si Nan found it rather difficult to continue, while Zhou Rong tiptoed and looked up. Roaming on the platform were about a dozen zombies, and they were badly decomposed. Forty metres away was a lift to a platform above that was already out of order.
Zhou Rong rapidly calculated the distance and time, adjusting his submachine gun to the single shot mode. Aiming at a target, he spoke lightly, ”You've saved everyone, and then saved Yan Hao's life on the roof of the shopping mall…”
Through the silencer, the sounds of the shots were dampened. The zombies by the lift all received a bullet each, and they crashed onto the ground.
”It's natural that he's grateful towards you.” Zhou Rong lifted his gun, motioning that it was safe, and leapt up onto the platform.
Like ghosts, they all made their way through the platform, past the bodies who died a second time, and climbed up the lift like wind.
The ticket inspector in uniform at the gate had already turned into a zombie. His back was facing the lift, and was moaning quietly. They looked past him, and beyond the gate was the bus station hall. Hundreds of living dead crowded there, swaying and lumbering about in the dim and vast s.p.a.ce.
The oxygen level here was low, and the air was stagnant. For now, the zombies had yet to discover that there were a few additions of people that were alive.
However, without a doubt, once they registered their presence, this place would immediately become a h.e.l.l with waves of zombies swarming over.
”Rong-ge, I feel that Yan Hao still feels a lot about you.” Si Nan stuck close behind Zhou Rong, his distance close enough to bite his ear as he spoke. He asked as he surveyed their surroundings, ”How did the two of you meet?”
Zhou Rong's attention was concentrated on the hall, and did not register the strangeness of Si Nan's first sentence. ”I was delegated to 118, and took over their previous captain who had died in the line of duty. There I met everyone, including Yan Hao. f.u.c.k, why are there so many zombies here?”
”Delegated?”
”Mn.”
”So where were you originally?”
Feeling the warm breath hitting his ear, Zhou Rong unconsciously tensed his jaw. ”Comrade Xiao-Si, when did you start being so talkative to me? We're still about 20 minutes away from our targeted destination in B Zone, how should we make our way there…”
”Just having a chat,” Si Nan said.
”… I used to be in charge of escorting amba.s.sadors.” Zhou Rong was resigned, ”Comrade Xiao-Si, although I'm very happy that you're getting close to me, having hundreds of our zombie friends so close, I'm very interested, but I don't have the guts for it. Why don't we look for somewhere empty after getting out, I guarantee that you will have a very good user experience…”
The ticket inspector zombie seemed to have realised something. He slowly turned his extremely decomposed face around.
The next moment, a crack was heard. Si Nan's hands reached out lightning fast, and twisted the zombie's neck a hundred and eight degrees.
”What experience?” Si Nan lowered the zombie's body silently as he asked.
”…” Zhou Rong replied earnestly, ”Nothing.”
”So why do we have to stay here?” Si Nan asked. ”Can't we go from above?”
They all looked up simultaneously. In the shadows above, a few thick cable pipes and air ducts tangled together, going past the hall of the bus station, and stretched outwards.
A few minutes later on the ceiling, Chun Cao was first, Si Nan second, Zhou Rong third and Zhang Yingjie was fourth. This was arranged according to their sizes, they squeezed through the narrow gaps between the cables and the ducts, hugging the pipes as they moved forward.
Below them was the tightly packed hall. If they happened to slip and fall, those hundreds of unaware zombies would immediately be alerted.
”Yingjie, you've actually put on weight.” Zhou Rong gritted his teeth and climbed through and extremely narrow gap, grumbling in difficulty.
Zhang Yingjie was panting, ”Rong-ge… it's you who lost weight… Ah—!”
Zhang Yingjie's face was covered in dust, and finally made his way through the crevice where two cable pipes were almost stuck together.
”If we continue for another 100m in this direction, we'll reach the fire escape. When we're there, I'll jump down and blast the safety door open, you guys will cover me with fire.” Chun Cao hugged the air duct tightly and inched forward. ”Everyone, hold on for a little while more, in front, I estimate that the number of zombies is…”
Before she could finish, Zhang Yingjie tried his best to make the turn. The tactical bag on his back brushed past the steel cable support on the ceiling, and some sharp metal edge caught onto his bag and tore the left strap.
The tactical bag swung to the right, hitting the air duct below him.
Crash— Bang—!
The sound of the impact was boosted by the hollow duct. The zombies all looked up at the same time, and started moaning in hunger!
The bag weighing forty kilograms hung from his right arm, and the weight dragged Zhang Yingjie to the left, causing him to slip.
Zhou Rong exclaimed, ”Yingjie!”
With a slap, Zhou Rong gripped the strap of Zhang Yingjie's back, carrying the weight of the person and all his gear with just one hand!
Chun Cao yelled, ”Rong-ge!”
Luckily, this was a ninety-degree bend. If not, Zhou Rong would not have been able to grab onto Zhang Yingjie behind him, and he would have already been torn apart by hundreds of zombies.
Even so, the unimaginable weight nearly caused Zhou Rong to fall as well. At the critical moment, he tightened his jaw and hugged the air duct, two legs wrapped tightly, and finally prevented himself from falling.
Chun Cao shouted, ”Quick, Yingjie! Climb up!”