Chapter 56: The zombie wave is coming
"Are you ready?" She looked at the other three.
Lu Zhao nodded: "I'm ready."
Lin Che took a deep breath: "I'm ready."
Xiao Ran clenched the dagger: "We can set off at any time."
The four men came down from the roof and began moving towards the shopping center.
They chose to move along the outskirts of the town, trying to avoid areas where zombies were densely populated.
As they got closer to the town, the roars of the zombies became clearer.
In the distant sky, a few crows circled, making ominous sounds.
"Stay alert," Xiao Ran reminded in a low voice, "There may be zombies at the intersection ahead."
The four of them slowed down and approached the first intersection cautiously. Lu Zhao leaned over to check the road conditions.
"There are two zombies on the right," he reported quietly, "moving towards the center of the town with their backs to us."
"We can wait until they go farther away and then pass through quickly," Su Wanqing suggested.
A few minutes later, the two zombies walked away, and the four of them quickly crossed the intersection and hid in the shadows of a row of abandoned shops.
“So far, so good,” Lin Che whispered, “but the road ahead looks more open and less covered.”
Xiao Ran pointed to an alley: "We can go that way. Although it's a little roundabout, it's safer."
"It's too risky to approach the shopping mall via this road alone," Lu Zhao frowned, observing the open area between the alley and the shopping mall.
“We need another way.”
The four hid in the shadows of an abandoned building and discussed how to reach their destination safely.
The shopping mall is not far away, but there are many zombies wandering in the middle area.
Lu Zhao suddenly pointed to a round metal cover under his feet: "Look here - the sewer inspection port."
Xiao Ran squatted down and looked carefully: "You mean to go down the sewer?"
Lu Zhao nodded: "The city planning map shows that the sewer network here connects the entire town, including the shopping center area. We can approach the target through the pipe system below, greatly reducing the risk of contact with zombies on the ground."
Lin Che looked at the inspection port anxiously: "Will the sewer be too dangerous? I mean, it's dark, narrow, and there may be other dangers."
"I would rather choose the sewer than walking through the zombie horde," said Su Wanqing. She took out four small flashlights from the space and gave one to each person.
"I stockpiled these earlier, and now they come in handy."
Xiao Ran lifted the manhole cover with force, making a muffled sound. Several zombies in the distance turned their heads and looked in their direction.
"Go in quickly," Xiao Ran ordered in a low voice, "The sound has attracted attention."
Lu Zhao was the first to climb down the rusty metal ladder, followed closely by the others.
Xiao Ran was the last one to enter and put the sewer cover back in place.
Darkness immediately enveloped them. Four flashlights lit up at the same time, illuminating this dark and humid underground world.
“The smell is really bad,” Lin Che said, covering her nose, her voice echoing in the pipe.
"Hold on," Xiao Ran said, "Compared to the zombies' bites, this little smell is nothing."
Lu Zhao opened the electronic map he carried with him: "According to my calculations, we need to walk about 500 meters west along this main pipeline and then turn north at the third fork."
The four of them walked along the narrow cement passage, their feet splashing in the shallow sewage.
From time to time, the roar of zombies could be heard overhead, and the sound was transmitted into the sewer through the manhole covers on the ground, which seemed particularly weird.
"They are moving right above our heads," Lin Che said nervously, "If they find us..."
"They won't find out," Su Wanqing comforted, "as long as we stay quiet and don't attract attention."
After walking for about ten minutes, Lu Zhao stopped and said, "We have reached the third fork. Let's turn north."
After turning the corner, the passage became narrower and the four people had to bend over to move forward.
The sewage also became deeper, almost reaching above the ankles.
"The entrance to the underground parking lot of the shopping mall should be just ahead," Lu Zhao pointed ahead and said, "If I remember correctly, there is a sewer exit there that can be entered directly."
As they approached their destination, the sounds of zombies overhead became more frequent.
"There must be a lot of zombies gathered around the shopping mall," Xiao Ran analyzed in a low voice, "Maybe there are more than what we see outside."
"Then we must be more careful after entering," Su Wanqing said.
Finally, they came to a larger space where several pipes intersected.
There is an inspection hole directly above, and sunlight seeps through the gaps.
"Right here," Lu Zhao said, "This access hatch leads to the loading dock behind the shopping center."
Xiao Ran carefully climbed up the ladder and gently pushed the manhole cover, leaving a gap to observe the situation outside.
"The situation is not good," he reported in a low voice, "The exit is partially blocked by an overturned truck, and there are at least seven zombies wandering around."
"Is there any other exit?" Su Wanqing asked Lu Zhao.
Lu Zhao checked the map and shook his head: "The nearest exit is near the main entrance of the shopping mall. There must be more zombies there. We have to get out from here."
"Then we need to clear a way out," Xiao Ran said, taking out a dagger, "I'll go out and deal with those zombies first, and clear a way out for you."
“It’s too dangerous,” Lin Che said worriedly, “One person against seven zombies?”
Xiao Ran smiled confidently. "I've faced worse situations when I was in the special forces. Besides, these slow-moving zombies are no match for well-trained enemies."
Seeing that others were still arguing, Xiao Ran interrupted, "Every minute we wait, the situation may get worse. We need to act quickly."
Su Wanqing thought for a moment and nodded in agreement: "Okay, but if the situation is not right, withdraw immediately."
"I understand," Xiao Ran answered briefly, then gently pushed open the manhole cover and climbed out of the sewer nimbly.
The other three people nervously observed the situation outside through the gap. Xiao Ran moved like a shadow without making any sound.
He first approached the zombie closest to the inspection port, quickly stepped forward from behind, and stabbed the dagger accurately into the back of the zombie's head.
The zombies fell silently.
“He’s so amazing,” Lin Che exclaimed quietly, “His movements are like those of a professional killer.”
Xiao Ran continued to move forward, using the truck and nearby cargo boxes as cover, taking out the zombies one by one.
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Each of his attacks was clean and neat, without any hesitation, and it was obvious that he had received professional training.
In just two minutes, six zombies had been dealt with. However, just as Xiao Ran was about to approach the last zombie, a piece of metal was kicked by his boot, making a crisp sound.
Finally, the zombie immediately turned around, found Xiao Ran, let out a shrill roar, and rushed towards him.
Xiao Ran ducked down to avoid the zombie's attack, turned around, and stabbed the dagger into the zombie's jaw from bottom to top, reaching its brain.
"It's amazing," Lu Zhao commented in a low voice, "His fighting skills are far beyond ordinary people."
After Xiao Ran confirmed that the surroundings were temporarily safe, he gestured towards the inspection entrance.
Lu Zhao, Lin Che and Su Wanqing quickly climbed out of the sewer and hid behind the truck.
"The road has been cleared," Xiao Ran reported briefly, wiping the blood off his dagger, "but we have to get into the shopping mall quickly. The cries of these zombies may have attracted more of their kind."
The four of them moved cautiously towards the back door of the shopping mall, stopping from time to time to listen to the movements around them.
The lock on the shopping mall's employee access door was broken, and they pushed the door open easily.
“Finally got in,” Lin Che breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to catch up with the others, she was grabbed by the arm by a zombie that suddenly appeared next to the truck.
“Lin Che!” Su Wanqing exclaimed and was about to step forward to help.
Lin Che struggled instinctively, and a wound was scratched on her arm by the zombie's nails.
The pain and fear made tears well up in his eyes. Just as the zombie was about to bite him, a tear of Lin Che's fell on the hand that the zombie was holding.
To everyone's surprise, the zombie's movements suddenly slowed down, and the hand that was holding Lin Che loosened, as if the tear had some kind of paralyzing effect.
Xiao Ran seized the opportunity, stepped forward quickly, and stabbed the zombie's head with the dagger.
"Are you okay?" Su Wanqing hurriedly checked Lin Che's wound.
“It’s just a superficial wound.” Lin Che looked at his own wound, then looked at the zombie body in confusion, “Did you see it? When my tears fell on it, it seemed to be paralyzed.”
Lu Zhao squatted down and carefully observed the part of the zombie that was touched by the tears: "It is indeed a bit abnormal. The muscles in that part seem to be temporarily relaxed."
"It may just be a coincidence," Xiao Ran said hastily, "We don't have time to study this. Let's go into the shopping mall first."
The four of them quickly entered the shopping mall's employee passage and closed the door behind them.
The passage was pitch black, with only their flashlights illuminating the way ahead.
"This passage should lead to the main area of the shopping mall," Lu Zhao said, "We need to confirm the security situation inside."
At the end of the passage was a door leading to the first floor of the shopping mall. Xiao Ran carefully opened the door and observed the situation outside.
"The situation looks good," Xiao Ran whispered, "At least there are no active zombies in this area."
The four of them walked out of the passage cautiously and came to the first floor of the shopping mall.
The interior of the empty shopping mall was in a mess, with most of the store's glass doors broken and merchandise scattered all over the floor.
But surprisingly, there were indeed no zombies here.
“Why aren’t there any zombies here?” Lin Che asked in confusion, “There are so many outside, but not even one inside.”
Lu Zhao observed the surrounding environment and said, "It may be because the main entrance here is tightly blocked and the zombies cannot enter."
Su Wanqing pointed to a coffee shop not far away: "Look over there, the doors and windows are intact, it should be able to provide a temporary safe place."
The four approached the coffee shop and found that the door was locked. Xiao Ran used a dagger to pry open the lock, and the four quickly entered and closed the door.
“I can finally take a break,” Lin Che let out a long sigh and sat on a chair.
The interior of the cafe was kept relatively clean, as if it had been locked when the disaster occurred and had not suffered much damage.
"This can be our temporary base," Su Wanqing said, looking around. "Next we need to collect supplies and then decide on our next move."
Lu Zhao walked over to Lin Che and checked the wound on his arm: "The wound is not deep, but it needs to be disinfected. But before that, I am very interested in your tears."
Lin Che looked at her palm: "I don't understand what happened. It was just an accident."
"Important discoveries are often hidden in accidents," Lu Zhao said thoughtfully, "Your tears seem to have a special effect on zombies. This may be an important clue."
Xiao Ran observed the situation outside from the window, and returned to the table after ensuring it was safe: "We can study Lin Che's matter later. Now, we need to confirm the safety of this shopping mall and then find the necessary supplies."
Su Wanqing nodded in agreement: "We have successfully sneaked into the shopping mall, and we need to make good use of this opportunity next."
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