Chapter 42 What if I were one more!

Chi Yanzhou and Lu Xici arrived at almost the same time.

Lu Xici scooped up Lu Beiye. The boy's face was deathly pale, and his forehead was soaked with cold sweat, hanging limply in his arms.

He grabbed Lu Nange with his other hand, and just as the latter was about to stand up, a piercing pain shot through her right knee.

Chi Yanzhou: "Are you injured?"

Lu Nange nodded, and Chi Yanzhou bent down to pick her up. Lightning erupted from his left palm as he shouted at his companion, "Run to the southwest corner!"

Lightning ripped over nearby zombies, which twitched and crashed onto the rusty car body and the ground.

He Zhuo, carrying a weapon, approached and asked, "How are Nan Nan and A Ye?"

Chi Yanzhou: "Take turns providing cover. Let's get out of the encirclement first."

Lu Xici hugged Lu Beiye, who turned aside to avoid the onrushing zombies, and then plunged the Tang sword into the eye socket of the other one.

Gu Qi grabbed Gu Wan's wrist and charged toward the group.

Chi Yi and Ji Xian supported each other, a glaring bloodstain trail running down Ji Xian's right leg.

But none of them looked back at the ever-approaching horde of zombies behind them.

The gap in the southwest corner was just inches away, but behind me came the sounds of chewing and tearing.

Looking over Chi Yanzhou's shoulder, Lu Nange saw that among the group, the man who hadn't managed to escape the encirclement was being held down by zombies.

A rotten tooth pierced the throbbing carotid artery—"Thud!"

Blood splattered in a fan shape on the asphalt road, and more zombies surged toward this unexpected feast like a tide.

Chi Yanzhou: "Let's go."

The group quickly adjusted their formation, placing Chi Yanzhou, who was carrying Lu Nange, and Lu Xici, who was carrying Lu Beiye, in the middle, and ran wildly towards the southwest corner.

A dark figure suddenly darted out from around the corner—"Bang!"

He Zhuo's baseball bat came crashing down, and the dark figure suddenly turned to the side. The baseball bat grazed the corner of his clothes and hit the wall, making his hand go numb from the impact.

The man quickly took off his hat, raised his hands, and stepped back: "Brother Ci! It's me, Wei Hao!"

"You guys come with me first!" Wei Hao warily scanned his surroundings.

Everyone turned to look at Lu Xici, who hesitated for only a moment before decisively nodding: "Let's go first."

Wei Hao turned and led the way, with the others following closely behind, rushing into a narrow alley.

At the entrance of the alley stood a rusty iron fence covered with barbed wire.

As soon as the last person rushed in, Wei Hao yanked the chain shut, wrapping it around several times before locking it.

The zombie's rotting hand reached out from the gaps in the fence and frantically pounded on the iron bars, making the wire mesh rattle loudly.

"Let's go, don't stop," Wei Hao urged, leading the group as they sped through the maze-like alleyways.

After turning a few corners, a building surrounded by high walls suddenly appeared before us—XX Kindergarten.

Four men stood at the door, armed with weapons. The burly man in the lead had bulging muscles and a wary, fierce look in his eyes.

"Rat, you know the rules, you can only stay in the classroom area."

Wei Hao: "Brother Da, I understand. I'll just take my buddies to find a place to hide."

Da Ge snorted, his gaze sweeping over the group with a sinister glint: "You all follow the rat inside, and don't wander off, or else—"

He weighed the machete in his hand: "I don't mind having a few more pieces of meat to feed the zombies."

Chi Yanzhou stood silently in front of the crowd, nodding slightly.

Da Ge then turned around and knocked heavily on the iron gate three times: "Dongzi, open the door!"

A sound came from inside the iron gate, and with a creak, a crack appeared.

Da Ge pointed his rough fingers at a gray-white teaching building near the entrance: "You can only stay here, you can't go back! You must leave by tomorrow at the latest."

After saying that, he grabbed Wei Hao by the collar. Wei Hao looked at Lu Xici and said, "Brother Ci, you guys go ahead, I'll come over in a bit."

Lu Xici nodded, and the group turned and walked towards the teaching building.

Da Ge patted Wei Hao's stomach lightly with the blade of his knife: "Rat, watch your mouth!"

Wei Hao swallowed hard: "Brother, don't worry."

Da Ge shook him off and gestured with his chin towards the doorway: "Dongzi, Gangzi, you two keep an eye on things!"

Dongzi, Gangzi: "Okay, Brother Da."

Da Ge didn't say anything, just gave a cold glance, and then led his men to the back.

Wei Hao stood there until Da Ge and the others disappeared around the corner, then wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and jogged off to find Lu Xici and the others.

Fine dust floated in the dimly lit classroom, and faded cartoon stickers remained on the mottled walls.

Lu Xici and the others chose the classroom closest to the main entrance.

"Brother Yan, put me down, thank you!" Lu Nange patted Chi Yanzhou on the shoulder like a close friend.

Chi Yanzhou looked down and saw the girl's thick eyelashes tremble slightly.

His amber eyes remained clear and bright even in the dim light.

She looked calm and composed, with a smile on her lips, showing no sign of shyness.

Chi Yanzhou – Unexplained Heart Attack!

Chi Yanzhou bent down and gently put the girl down, while Lu Nange moved her right knee.

To my surprise, the excruciating pain had completely disappeared.

A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes—the self-healing ability of the sign-in reward had been enhanced again!

"Brother, give me Aye." She stretched out her hand, her fingertips still stained with undried blood.

Lu Xici tightened his arms around her: "Sit still, I'll hold Aye."

The child's face was pressed against his chest; the usually arrogant guy was now as fragile as a delicate porcelain doll.

Lu Nange pursed her lips: "Zhuo-ge, give me the bag."

He Zhuo handed over the backpack behind him, and Lu Nange took out a few crystal cores.

She gently pried open her brother's hand and placed the crystal core inside.

"Nannan, has Aye awakened his superpowers too?" He Zhuo leaned closer, his eyes wide open.

"Hmm, he just awakened." Lu Nange didn't even look up, and took out a few more crystal cores and placed them on her younger brother's abdomen.

"What kind of superpower does A-Ye have?"

"Metal element!"

Ji Xian: "Those gunmen?"

Lu Nange hummed in agreement and then took out a few more crystal cores and placed them on her younger brother's abdomen.

Chi Yi: "Miss Lu, Young Master A-Ye did this to save us...?"

Lu Nange: "Brother Chi, Aye must have exhausted his superpowers."

He Zhuo slumped into a chair and sighed to the heavens, "Waaah... God, why is my little brother A Ye suffering so much?"

Let me do it! What's wrong with having one more genius like me?

He exaggeratedly wiped away non-existent tears.

Lu Nange ignored his antics and deftly arranged the three desks together: "Brother, put A-Ye on here."

After Lu Xici gently laid the person down, she took out all the crystal cores and placed them all around Lu Beiye.

"Nan Nan, will this work?" Gu Wan squatted down beside her, twisting the hem of her clothes.

Before the words were finished, the crystal core suddenly dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning into a pile of grayish-white dust in the blink of an eye.

"It works! It really works!" Gu Wan excitedly grabbed her arm.

Just then, a cheerful electronic voice suddenly rang in Lu Nange's mind: [Nannan, Nannan! You finally collected crystal cores for 'Youyou'!]

"You're awake!" Lu Nange exclaimed inwardly. "You absorbed the crystal core? Then quickly check on my brother, how can he wake up?"

"Relax, Nan Nan~" the system said lazily.

[The little cutie just overused her powers; she'll be fine after a good night's sleep. But...]

It suddenly lowered its voice: "These crystal cores are of very poor quality..."

'Youyou' sensed Lu Nange's distress: [Nannan, don't worry, sign in now!]

Lu Nange: [Check-in!]

[Ding! Reward: Ability Recovery Pill x1!]

[They've been secretly giving you special treatment~] The system's voice started to break: [Remember... to find more... high-quality... crystal cores...] Before it finished speaking, the connection was interrupted.

Lu Nange whispered a thank you, and the classroom door was suddenly pushed open.

"Brother Ci!" Wei Hao rushed in, panting.

In the instant everyone's attention was drawn, she quickly stuffed the pill into Lu Beiye's mouth.

The pill melted instantly in his mouth, and Lu Beiye's pale face regained some color at a visible speed.