Chapter 127 Momo, as Thin as Lightning
"Mom, I'm scared."
Pei Man lowered her head, her daughter clinging to her arm, looking timid.
"Don't be afraid, Zhao Zhao, Mommy's here." Pei Man patted Pei Zhao Zhao's head. "If we encounter infected people on the road, don't shout or cry, okay? Just run with Mommy, it'll be alright."
Zhao Zhao nodded obediently.
She also carried her small backpack on her back, which contained some clothes and daily necessities. More important things and the last of her food were in Pei Man's backpack.
If Zhao Zhao hadn't insisted on helping with the packing while she was packing, Pei Man had originally planned to pack everything herself.
These things are extremely important.
Pei Man had little money. She had a falling out with her family over her marriage and divorced. After the divorce, she raised her daughter alone, making a living as a waitress. The mother and daughter carried almost all of their savings.
Two days ago, the food at home ran out. Although there is a supply airdrop site two streets away that delivers food at fixed times every day, it is too far away and not easy to get there.
Pei Man also tried teaming up with people from the same neighborhood to go together, but by the time they finally arrived, the items had already been snatched up by people who lived even closer.
They then realized that to get the supplies, they had to set off before dawn and go there early in the morning to stake out the location.
Pei Man dared not leave her daughter alone at home after dark, especially since the round trip would take several hours each time. Although the journey was short, it was fraught with danger, and she was afraid that something might happen to her.
Just as I was hesitating, I received news that the shelter was open.
The poor conditions of the emergency shelter became the mother and daughter's greatest hope for survival.
Pei Man hurriedly packed her things. Besides clothes, drinking water, and medicine, she also brought along all the remaining toothpaste, soap, and other daily necessities from home, thinking that once they arrived at the shelter and had access to food and water, she might be able to trade them with others for some extra snacks to satisfy Zhao Zhao's cravings.
After the mother and daughter finished their moment of silence, they saw that the zombies in the neighborhood were indeed attracted away one after another by the alarm, leaving behind a mess.
The alarm sounds for 36 seconds, with a 24-second pause. At first, Pei Man didn't quite understand why this method was used, but after listening for a while, she realized why.
After a long period of continuous alarm, the human ear will gradually get used to the presence of the alarm. If zombies are the same, they will gradually ignore it in their subconscious after getting used to it. If people are running away and it suddenly turns around and bites them, that would be terrible.
Moreover, the alarm is really too loud, and it will sound for a whole hour. In order to avoid damage to hearing, there must be interruptions in the middle. Regular and usable interruptions are always better than stopping suddenly at some unknown time.
These 24 seconds are just enough time to restore hearing.
Pei Man was overjoyed to see the zombies leave. She waited silently for another five minutes, then decisively took her daughter's hand and left the rented house where she had lived for many years.
Before I even reached the entrance of the residential area, I had already encountered about ten people.
They carried large and small bags just like her, and walked towards the meeting point in tacit agreement. They all looked wary, yet they also carried an anticipation of a new life about to begin.
As the number of people increased, the unease on their faces lessened considerably, and some even started chatting with others.
Pei Man, with the child in tow, remained vigilant and continued to observe her surroundings from time to time.
Once you get onto the main road, the number of people around you suddenly increases, and they even gradually merge into small streams.
Every few dozen meters, you can see a riot control vehicle or a military green armored vehicle with armed soldiers standing in front of it, giving people a great sense of security.
Pei Man finally felt less anxious and had an urge to cry.
At each intersection or in front of a building, small groups of people would emerge and join the queue.
As the group in front of her grew larger, Pei Man suddenly felt uneasy and whispered, "Zhao Zhao, let's hurry up."
The mother and daughter quickened their pace as discreetly as possible, Zhao Zhao's short legs moving extremely fast.
In the blink of an eye, he surpassed several people.
Just then, a plume of smoke suddenly rose into the sky not far away.
Like a long green dragon, it hovered in the air for a long time before slowly dissipating, but the crowd suddenly stirred.
Because it was impossible to provide real-time updates on the passenger load of buses heading to the shelters, officials stated in subsequent broadcasts that different colored flares would be used to represent different stages:
A green signal flare will be fired when the bus is 50% full.
When the vehicle is 80% full, fire an orange flare.
When the vehicle is completely full and the passenger capacity is 100%, a red signal flare will be launched.
Within three minutes of the red flare being fired, the passenger bus and accompanying security team will leave the assembly point. Therefore, if you are still far away when you see the orange flare, you can consider giving up.
After all, the alarm only lasts for an hour, and with the time it takes to return the way they came, many people will spend more than an hour just on the road.
Therefore, when they saw the green signal flare rise, everyone in the group panicked.
"How come it's already half full?"
"Oh no, what if they're all gone by the time it's our turn?"
Some people started running forward, while others pushed and shoved those in front of them. Seeing the situation getting out of hand, the soldiers on the side shouted to maintain order: "Don't run!"
"We're not far from the meeting point. If you can make it, stop and walk slowly!"
Many people have been hungry for several days and have no strength at all. They fall over with the slightest push. If this continues, a stampede is inevitable.
After several shouts, someone finally yelled, "Don't make a sound! Be careful not to attract the zombies back!"
The group fell silent in fear.
Pei Man secretly glanced to her side. She heard it clearly; the shout just now came from the girl next to her.
The girl looked to be under twenty years old, wearing a dirty coat, with two tired and haggard middle-aged men beside her, like a family of three fleeing a disaster.
They just don't look alike.
The three of them weren't with the mother and daughter a moment ago, but then the line got chaotic and they suddenly appeared, probably pushed over by the crowd.
Pei Man couldn't help but admire his composure in helping to maintain order during such a critical moment: "You're really amazing."
The young girl smiled upon hearing this, noticed Zhao Zhao standing next to her, and remarked, "You take such good care of her."
Zhao Zhao had two pigtails on her head, her hair was neatly combed, and she was very clean.
With water restricted for so many days, I can't take a shower. To keep myself clean, I can only wipe myself down little by little with a small cloth dampened with water, which is a very time-consuming task.
Moreover, with the apocalypse looming and people trapped at home with no hope in sight, many adults suffered mental breakdowns. Yet, Zhao Zhao neither cried nor made a fuss. Although she clung to her mother in fear, her eyes constantly darted around curiously, a sign of extreme security. This was undoubtedly due to the meticulous care she received from her family.
Pei Man felt a little embarrassed.
Song Rushuang took a lollipop out of her pocket, unwrapped it, and handed it to Zhaozhao: "This is for you."
Pei Man quickly refused, "No, this is too precious."
"It's okay, I still have some here," Song Rushuang patted her pocket and whispered.
Pei Man quickly shut her mouth, afraid of attracting the attention of others and causing trouble for Song Rushuang, and even moved closer to help her cover up.
Then she nudged Zhao Zhao and whispered, "Quickly thank your sister."
Zhao Zhao mimicked the two of them, saying softly, "Thank you, sister."
Song Rushuang looked at the girl and chuckled.
He looked away, then looked up and, through the gaps in the crowd, met Su Huaijin's gaze, who was some distance away.
Su Huaijin was dressed similarly to her, and a middle-aged woman in plain clothes stood beside her.
But upon closer inspection, one can see that an inconspicuous shape is being created under the woman's coat.
She brought a gun.
The pocket that Song Rushuang had just taken out of the candy also contained a knife.
Not only the two of them, but the rest of the elite team also dispersed and hid in the crowd under the cover of disguised soldiers. They were not far apart and could quickly support each other. They also tacitly chose to walk next to some of the elderly, weak, women and children in the crowd.
Pei Man felt that Song Rushuang's sudden appearance was not a misperception, but rather a deliberate attempt by the latter to approach her.
In the chaos of the crowd, she was afraid that Zhao Zhao would be pushed over, so she stepped forward to shield herself from the people behind her.
It was done very discreetly, with a casual and natural expression, making it seem as if he was naturally pushed over by the crowd.
The other students also seemed to be acting like movie stars, with only a hint of their true colors revealed in the sharp glint in their eyes when they occasionally glanced around.
Song Rushuang and Pei Man were chatting casually when a hesitant voice called out from behind them, "Hey, aren't you...?"
Song Rushuang felt a tap on her back and turned around. Behind her was a young woman whose appearance seemed somewhat familiar.
She was also holding a very eye-catching big white dog on a leash.
Upon seeing Song Rushuang's face, the girl exclaimed excitedly, "It really is you! I'm Zhao Tingting!"
"Don't you remember? You saved me and my dog at the barbecue restaurant a year ago!"
The mention of barbecue restaurants brought back memories for Song Rushuang, along with the fruit set she had gotten from Zhao Tingting.
Zhao Tingting is a grateful and wealthy girl.
"It's you, what a coincidence." Song Rushuang made room for her.
The addition of Zhao Tingting and her family made the group even more lively.
Song Rushuang looked her over. Perhaps out of fear of being bitten, Zhao Tingting was dressed very warmly, but it was still clear that her physique and mental state were different from a year ago: "You seem... a little different?"
"You noticed? Thanks to your principal, I've been practicing Sanda for a year now." Zhao Tingting rolled up her sleeves and showed off her muscles. "If I hadn't trained, I might have died on the first day of the virus outbreak. Meeting you guys that day was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me."
She said earnestly.
Song Rushuang was also pleased to hear this, but fearing that if she continued to talk about Fang Zhou, someone with ulterior motives might overhear, she responded and quickly changed the subject: "By the way, did you get a different dog?"
The big white dog, which had been circling around her legs and wagging its tail wildly, paused when it heard her words. As if it understood, it looked up in astonishment, its black bean-like eyes revealing a complex mix of hurt, condemnation, and disbelief.
Zhao Tingting feigned anger: "That's so rude! Is this really Mao Mao?!"
"Is this Mao Mao?" Song Rushuang exclaimed in surprise.
Compared to the agile, muscular, and energetic white dog at her feet, she simply couldn't connect it to the round, fat Samoyed: "Did you shave its fur?"
Mao Mao was struck dumb.
Zhao Tingting: "...It's lost weight! It's lost weight!"
She explained weakly, "Mao Mao has been training with me for a year and is now an excellent student at the dog training school."
Fearing that Mao Mao would be bullied again in the future, she went to find the best dog trainer after leaving Fangzhou. It was said that he used to train police dogs. After a year of rigorous training, the chubby little dog was transformed and now moves as fast as lightning.
The only frustrating thing was that when she took Mao Mao out, everyone thought she had gotten a new dog.
Song Rushuang quickly apologized to Mao Mao.
After being forgiven, Song Rushuang stood up and hesitated, "Are you going to the shelter? Can we bring dogs into the shelter?"
"No, we came out to play when the virus broke out and got stuck in the city. Luckily, there was a house near the meeting point with a car in the underground garage. We were going to rest there for a while and then drive back to the villa."
Zhao Tingting said happily, "There are soldiers guarding the way to the assembly point, which is much safer than walking on our own."
Zhao Tingting's explanation left Song Rushuang and her group speechless.
There happened to be an apartment near the meeting point...
That's exactly two words, it's so heartbreaking.
The closer to the meeting point, the slower the crowd moved forward, obviously because registration, boarding, and other tasks would take time.
As crowds from different roads converged, Song Rushuang continued to joke on the surface, but the smile on her lips gradually diminished, and her heart began to race.
She confirmed the locations of Su Huaijin, Qin Yufei, and others again.
After looking around, a dog suddenly barked beside her. Zhao Tingting was pulling on the leash with all her might, and Mao Mao's fur stood on end. It bared its teeth and barked wildly at someone not far away, making threatening growling sounds from its throat.
The people around panicked: "Hey, tell your dog to shut up."
"Who brings a dog here!"
"Don't attract the zombies."
"Mao Mao, Mao Mao, stop!" Zhao Tingting's face turned red as she whispered a few words of scolding, but Mao Mao wouldn't listen and its tail drooped down. If Zhao Tingting hadn't been strong, Mao Mao probably would have already broken free of its leash.
Zhao Tingting said helplessly, "That shouldn't be the case. It's been trained and is very well-behaved. It doesn't bark randomly... Mao Mao, be quiet!"
Song Rushuang frowned, looking at the restless Mao Mao who was protecting the family of owners, and exchanged a glance with the two people beside her who were disguised as a middle-aged couple.
Suddenly, Mao Mao lunged forward again, baring its teeth. Its cute appearance was masked by a fierce expression, revealing a hint of the imposing presence of a large dog rarely seen in its breed.
People scattered in fear, clearing a space in the crowded area, leaving only the man locked onto by Mao Mao still standing there.
He was wearing a baseball cap and remained silent, but Mao Mao sensed a threat and was afraid it would bite. Zhao Tingting bent down to hug it: "Mao Mao, what's wrong with you? Why are you acting like this older brother..."
She looked up following Mao Mao's gaze and met a pair of cold, unfocused eyes under the baseball cap.
The man looked her over with a blank expression, then suddenly grinned, revealing a row of sharp, gleaming teeth.
Zhao Tingting collapsed to the ground with a thud, her expression terrified.
Before anyone could react, the others had already reacted.
Song Rushuang suddenly shoved Pei Man aside: "Run!!"
This sound broke the silence, and like some kind of signal, in an instant, the barking of dogs was deafening, and the crowd screamed in waves.
The devout believers hiding in the crowd tore off their disguises, only to be met with countless dark gun barrels and glints of blades.
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