Three days ago, the bustling gathering place had now turned into a hell on earth. The once long dragon-like walls had largely collapsed, and the two black iron gates that had always guarded the entire gathering place lay in tatters on the ground. Occasionally, a few mindless zombies would walk over them, making a "crackling" sound. Meanwhile, the wealthy area, which symbolized the high-end crowd in the gathering place, was flashing with flames, and thick black smoke was rising everywhere. No matter how you looked at it, it resembled a slaughtered dead city!
"How could this... how could this... my sister-in-law, my sister-in-law is still inside!" Thomas Xu, in a panic, also climbed onto the roof of the car, aiming Chen Jie's sniper scope into the gathering place. But what he saw was equally horrifying; although it seemed very unreal to him, there were no living people in sight, only the ugly, staggering zombies.
"Such a large gathering place couldn't have been destroyed except by a horde of corpses. And it seems that this horde appeared shortly after we left; the living corpses inside have mostly left!" Jack adjusted the scale on the binoculars while his expression was serious, but he strangely said, "Wait, why can't I see any bloodstains or signs of gunfire?"
"Right, I haven't even seen a single incomplete corpse. With thousands of people in the gathering place, there couldn't possibly be no one resisting; you would at least see a few broken arms or legs!" Thomas Xu also looked around in confusion. After a while, when he found nothing, he lowered the sniper scope and asked Jack, "Brother Lin, what's going on? Did the people in the gathering place get the news in advance and evacuate when they saw the scale of the horde?"
"That's very possible!" Jack nodded gravely, agreeing with Thomas Xu's statement. But suddenly, his gaze sharpened, and he pointed at the tallest building in the gathering place, shouting, "Look, there's someone on the roof!"
"...It seems to be a woman!" Thomas Xu raised the sniper scope again to look ahead, saying as he watched, "That's William Hu Cheng's house; it's very likely his woman. Brother Lin, there are still quite a few living corpses. Should we save her?"
"We must save them! Otherwise, we have no idea where they will retreat to!" Jack unhesitatingly put down the binoculars, jumped out of the vehicle, and after getting into the driver's seat, he said to Thomas Xu, who followed him down, "We need to charge in without stopping. Once we rescue someone, we leave as quickly as possible!"
"Well... okay, we'll do it your way, let's fight them!" Thomas Xu scratched his head in frustration, bent down, and crawled into the vehicle. Then, frowning, he added, "But I find it a bit strange. Our luck has been terrible these past few days. We got tricked into a small hotel and almost ran into a nearly formed corpse named William. If we hadn't blown it away with four gas canisters, we might have lost our lives. Now, just back, and we encounter a once-in-a-thousand-years zombie tide. Oh boy, I really need to go burn some incense and ask the Buddha to change my luck!"
Jack ignored Thomas Xu's rambling. He shifted gears and slammed the accelerator to the floor. The armored vehicle let out a monstrous roar, and the tires screeched against the ground as it shot out like an arrow.
"Clang..."
The armored vehicle jumped over the collapsed iron gate and directly knocked down two dazed zombies. The car roared past, continuously bowling over the zombies, easily crushing their frail bodies and scattering their parts. However, the windshield quickly became smeared with a thick layer of slime, a mix of black and red that nearly obscured Jack's view.
Although the zombie tide had clearly passed, there were still plenty of zombies left behind. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a paradise for the undead. The ruckus of the armored vehicle and Thomas's reckless driving quickly attracted the attention of many zombies, who growled and charged at the vehicle. They didn't care whether this iron lump without a human presence could be bitten, but they were interested in checking out anything that wasn't a zombie, even if it meant losing a few teeth in the process!
"Bah bang bang..."
Jack and Thomas Xu each extended a hand out of the window with their guns, taking down the strong zombies that surrounded the front of the vehicle one by one. Jack shot and broke the neck of a female zombie, and her head swung like a swing on her withered chest. Before her body could instinctively take a step, the armored vehicle mercilessly knocked her away, crashing her head and body into a high-end women's clothing store, her head landing with a thud on the former bar, her mouth still moving as if trying to speak.
"Get down, jump down, we'll catch you..."
After clearing the surrounding zombies, the vehicle executed a sharp turn and came to a steady stop in front of a three-story building. This was originally a mid-range hotel that had just begun construction, but after being occupied by William, it had become his stronghold. Now, there was a high chance that his woman was on the roof, but Jack couldn't worry about that. He jumped out of the vehicle and, along with Thomas Xu, spread out a tarp, which the three men held together to form a makeshift rescue net.
"Ah…"
Jack had just shouted a sentence, intending to say something reassuring to the woman on the roof to not be afraid, but to his surprise, the woman was quite bold. Before Jack could finish his sentence, she screamed and jumped directly from the roof. Fortunately, all three of them were strong men, and even though the woman jumped a bit off-target in her panic, they quickly moved their feet and caught her accurately.
"Hurry... hurry, there are so many zombies!"
Once again, Jack remained silent, but that woman took the initiative to greet them. To everyone's surprise, she nimbly rolled down from the tent fabric and quickly jumped into the car, showing no signs of panic at all.
Jack and the others exchanged speechless glances, but they didn't dare to delay. They quickly climbed into the car, and Jack drove towards the back door of the gathering place at full speed.
"Haha, you're quite bold, huh? Jumping from a height of ten meters without a care, aren't you afraid we won't catch you and you'll fall to your death?"
The car sped away from the horde of corpses like a rocket. Looking at the sporadic living dead outside, Thomas Xu let out a heavy sigh of relief, leaning comfortably against the door of the back seat, amusedly watching the woman next to him who was only wearing underwear. Despite her disheveled appearance, she couldn't hide her perfect figure and beautiful face.
"Dying from a fall is still better than starving to death. If we take a chance, there's a way out; if we don't, it's a dead end!" The woman relaxed as she saw the car had left the gathering area. With a smile, she looked at everyone in the car, finally shifting her gaze from Qin Yu in the front seat to Thomas Xu, raising her eyebrows and saying, "Handsome, do you have any cigarettes? Give me one!"
"Zhonghua, Panda, big cigar! Which one do you want?" Thomas Xu pulled out two packs of cigarettes from his waist bag, grinning at the woman, but the big cigar he mentioned was naturally the one in his pants.
"I'd love to try that big cigar of yours, but I've been starving for two days and really don't have the energy to mess around. Just give me a Panda for now; I don't like the taste of the Zhonghua!"
The woman smiled generously, naturally reaching out to take the cigarette box from Thomas Xu's hand. Skillfully, she pulled out a lighter from inside, lit the cigarette, took a long puff, and exhaled a cloud of white smoke. Then she laughed and said, "I thought I was done for, but it turns out the heavens didn't abandon me and even sent me such a big gift, bringing three handsome guys to rescue me. It seems those fairy tales have some truth to them; I do have my Prince Charming right here!"
"Haha~ I love what you just said, but we're much better than those pretty boys. At least we're tough guys, and we're really tough!" Thomas Xu chuckled, lighting a cigarette and asking, "You're the female editor who was sold for a thousand pounds of rice that night, right? What happened? Didn't William Hu take you with him when he left?"
"Don't even mention it; just thinking about it makes me furious!" The woman waved her hand irritably, leaning back against the car door just like Thomas Xu, facing him and saying, "I actually had a chance to leave with them, but that wicked woman named Yan Yan made me wash her underwear at the most critical moment. By the time I finished washing, I found out the rooftop door was locked by her. I was really calling for help, but no one responded. I could only watch their main force retreat, and even if I didn't starve to death tonight, I would freeze to death!"
"Do you know where they retreated to? Tell me everything you know!" Jack slowed down the car and asked the woman through the rearview mirror.
"I'm not sure exactly where we're going, just that it's west!" The woman furrowed her brows and explained, "It was probably around noon the day before yesterday when a large group of strangers suddenly arrived. The leaders were actually two foreign women. As soon as they came, they went straight to William Hu Cheng and Ryan Qiang, and bluntly told them about some kind of zombie tide, asking them to quickly gather everyone in the settlement to leave with them!"
"So William Hu Cheng and the others just left like that?" Thomas Xu asked in surprise.
"What else could they do?" The woman looked at Thomas Xu with a puzzled expression and shrugged, saying, "They sent cars outside to check, and those who went to check came back running in fear. So that afternoon, they decided to gather everyone and leave with those strangers. If they didn't leave, were they supposed to wait for the zombie tide to attack?"
"Is there a larger settlement to the west?" Jack asked, frowning.
"I don't know. After William Hu Cheng took me to that building, he didn't take care of me that night. Only that woman named Yan Yan would occasionally come to mistreat me. The information I know is from when I was giving that woman a pedicure and overheard her talking to others. But I heard that the people those two foreign women brought were all strong and robust. I think there must be a large settlement to the west!" The woman said while smoking, recounting everything in detail.
"Lin Ge, so many people have only left for two and a half days. As long as we move quickly, we can definitely catch up. Knowing that Ru Jie and the others are fine, you should feel relieved!" Thomas Xu said in a relaxed tone.
"Let's hope so!" Jack sighed slightly, still frowning.
"Hey, handsome, I've finished my soul-binding cigarette. Can you get me some food to fill my stomach?" The woman skillfully flicked the cigarette butt out the window, turned around, and playfully nudged Thomas Xu with her long, beautiful leg, smiling as she said, "I need to be full to have the energy to enjoy your cigars!"
"You're quite the character, no need for anyone to prompt you!" Thomas Xu laughed as he pulled out a few sausages from the back of the car and tossed them to the woman. She almost swallowed them whole, and then Thomas Xu threw a few more to her, smiling as he asked, "What's your name? Were you really an editor before?"
"I thought you weren't interested in knowing my name!" The woman laughed, licking her greasy fingers, and casually pulled out a bottle of mineral water from the back of the car. She opened the cap and took a big gulp, patting her small belly in satisfaction, and said, "My last name is Ryan, and my name is Ryan Manli. You can call me Manli or Lili. Also, I really am an editor, the kind that welcomes submissions! Haha~"
"Hey~ Do you have to be a social butterfly while working as an editor? Is it just about paying to get in?" Thomas Xu straightened up and asked bluntly, his face showing considerable interest.
"People are just living it up in Greater Los Angeles, the competition is fierce!" Ryan Manli said nonchalantly, spreading her hands. "I used to think I didn't want to rely on a man, but I still have to live, right? But I'm not as low as you say; if money could get me, I'd be no better than a streetwalker! Although money is one of my goals, I also care about feelings. If there's no feeling, even if some old man offers me a mountain of gold and silver, I wouldn't serve him!"
"Come on, just say you're an upscale escort, what's with the feelings? I don't believe that if an old man throws ten million at you, you wouldn't obediently lie down!" Thomas Xu turned his head, speaking with extreme disdain.
"Hehe~ which woman wouldn't lie down immediately for ten million? I was just using it as a metaphor, indicating that I still have some pursuits and requirements. At least no old man has touched my body yet!" The woman smiled happily, then puffed out her chest and said with a grin, "Let me remind you all, I'm the kind who can't handle it for long. If you three come at me together tonight, I definitely won't be able to take it. Don't say I'm like a dead fish with no movement, ruining your mood!"
"Tch~ save it. Just being able to taste a big cigar from me is already your blessing. Brother Lin, who's driving in front, has a bed warmer who's prettier than you, and this little man Qin Yu here is a pure little boy who never visits prostitutes!"
"My sister… my sister said they're dirty and won't let me touch them!" Qin Yu, sitting in the front row, blushed fiercely, his expression shy like a little girl.
"Haha~ Little handsome guy, you're not still a virgin, are you?" Ryan Manli immediately swayed over, gently placing her hand on Qin Yu's shoulder, and said in a sultry voice, "How about I help you break it tonight, and give you a big red envelope?"
"Envelope your sister, you're just two rags all over, why don't you give him your underwear as an envelope?" Thomas Xu used his stinky foot to hook Ryan Manli's neck, pulling her back down, and said with a pout, "Be honest, just ate and now you want to show off. Qin Yu is our Brother Lin's little brother-in-law; if you keep flirting with him, be careful Brother Lin might kick you out of the car to feed the zombies!"
"Hehe~ Brother Lin definitely wouldn't want to, he's so well-behaved!" Ryan Manli turned around and leaned on Jack's back, cautiously asking, "Brother Lin, your wife is Bai Ruyu, right?"
"Yeah! What's up?" Jack replied without turning his head, speaking淡淡的.
"Oh, it's nothing much. I just happened to overhear Yan Yan and one of her friends mention that she used to be the girlfriend of Ruyu's boyfriend…" Ryan Manli cautiously observed Jack's expression in the rearview mirror. Seeing that Jack's face remained indifferent, she continued, "She also said that this time going west, there's a high possibility of running into that man. I wonder if Ruyu will have a change of heart! Brother Lin, I'm just kindly reminding you; after all, it's better to be cautious about such things!"
"Yes." Jack glanced at Ryan Manli lightly, and there was only a small ripple in his heart. After all, he was still very relieved about Bai Ru. He firmly believed that Bai Ru would not leave him because of another man, but he was not with her now. If that man came to pester her, it would still be very annoying.
...
In the evening, Jack stopped the car and took a short rest. He sat on the roof of the car and sipped hot soup, looking at the round moon that seemed to be getting bigger and bigger in the sky. He raised his hand to look at the watch on his wrist that Bai Ru gave him. The calendar on it showed that the Mid-Autumn Festival was three days away. Jack sighed, it was another Mid-Autumn Festival, but it was a meaningless Mid-Autumn Festival.
Jack was pondering expressionlessly, but the car underneath him was shaking constantly. Qin Yu blushed and sat next to Jack eating food. He looked back curiously from time to time, but quickly turned his head back. On the open trunk of the car, Ryan Manli was lying on her back. In the carriage, two breathtakingly beautiful legs were held on the shoulders by Thomas Xu impatiently, and they were panting hard as they hit Ryan Manli's body. Ryan Manli seemed to deliberately scream louder and louder, which made Qin Yu blush and feel very itchy in his heart.
"Okay, Brother Lin, let's open the road and leave the car to me." Thomas Xu walked out from behind the car refreshed while holding up his pants. Behind him, Ryan Manli squatted on the ground with his bare buttocks, smoking a cigarette in his mouth and said hurriedly, "Oh, wait for me, you put so many in, I have to squat them all out."
"Fuck you, if you really have the ability to give birth to a son for my old Thomas family, I will take you as a wife and marry you directly." Thomas Xu buttoned up his belt and said coaxingly.
"Are you telling the truth?" Ryan Manli immediately jumped up from the ground, no longer wearing any underwear. She took Thomas Xu's hand and asked excitedly, "What if I give birth to a daughter?"
"You will be rewarded if you give birth to a son, and you will raise your own daughter if you give birth to a son. I have only five generations in my family. Carrying on the family line is a top priority. I don't care what you did in the past, as long as you can give me a son, you can do whatever you want." Thomas Xu patted his chest proudly, and then regardless of whether Ryan Manli started to feel lustful, he walked to the front of the car and raised his head and said to Jack, "Brother Lin, are we not going to rest at all tonight?"
"Well, Xiaoyu can also drive. Tonight, the three of us will take turns driving. We will take turns to drive." Jack clapped his hands and jumped out, turned around and got into the car. In fact, the migration of large groups is easy to track. They don't have so many vehicles to drive, so most people are not good at it. Not only will they leave many footprints on the road, but they will also leave very clear traces after eating, drinking, sleeping, etc. As long as Jack and the others follow these footprints, they can find the people in the gathering place.