“How did you know?” Jing Lan inquired. “And weren’t you two asleep?”
Keke, a bit impatiently, shifted her weight.
“We’re practically soulmates, buddy; I can sense your every move.”
“But never mind that. The zombies are running along the wall, I heard them.”
“I judged it by the density of their footsteps.”
“Is your hearing really that sharp?” Jing Lan asked, curiosity piqued.
“Did you really think I was just waiting to die on the school building?”
“I was constantly listening for the zombies’ movements on every floor, trying to find a way to survive.”
Before the two could exchange more words, everyone else began to hear the gradually clearer thud of the zombie horde’s footsteps.
Indeed, the sound emanated from the diagonal direction of the stairwell entrance.
The zombies were moving along the building’s edge.
This was, of course, preferable to them heading directly for the office building.
Such a direct approach would imply the zombies could pinpoint human locations.
Moving along the wall wasn’t particularly strange; even rats preferred to scurry along corners.
However, this path meant the horde would pass directly by the office building’s entrance.
Would they suddenly decide to come upstairs on a whim?
Or would they somehow detect the presence of people above?
Jing Lan recalled Ling Yechen, whom he had once confirmed possessed a physique that attracted zombies.
If such a zombie-attracting constitution was randomly distributed, then among the many people upstairs, it was entirely possible someone might possess an even more enticing scent for the undead.
Yet, there was no time to dwell on such possibilities.
Once the general situation was understood, the few individuals who still retained their composure immediately sprang into action.
Old Cao, who had previously appeared rather cynical, now methodically issued several instructions: maintain silence, pay attention to commands, and retreat to the innermost rooms if the zombies ascended the stairs.
At a moment like this, no one would dare defy the command to “remain silent.”
The order quickly spread through the crowd.
Soon, only the faint sounds of human breathing permeated the entire second floor.
Little Ye continued to maintain a firm grip on the Driver she had subdued.
Ever since her encounter with Du Lan, she had found a deep-seated suspicion of others etched into her heart.
Perhaps only truly familiar faces could put her at ease.
Keke, Jing Lan, and Old Cao positioned themselves in ambush at the stairwell entrance, vigilantly monitoring the activity downstairs.
****
It was the twenty-fourth day of the lunar month, deep in the night, and the waning moon had already ascended from the southeastern horizon.
The buildings in the county town were not particularly tall, allowing moonlight to already dapple the parking lot ground.
All lights in the office building had been extinguished.
The few individuals guarding the stairwell entrance fixed their gaze on the first-floor steps below, which were bathed in a pale moonlight, their faint outlines forming parallel lines.
Keke gently nudged her cousin’s shoulder, whispering in a voice barely audible, “Bro, if the zombies come upstairs later, we’re jumping out the window immediately.”
Jing Lan subtly glanced back at the shadowy figures of the survivors huddled in the stairwell.
Keke reached out a finger to lightly tap her cousin’s cheek.
“If the zombies come up, we won’t be able to counterattack from this position; our close-combat strength and firearms are completely insufficient.”
“Our job is to close the gate, to keep the entire parking lot sealed off so no more zombies can get in—only then do we stand a chance of survival.”
Old Cao, whose hearing was remarkably keen, chimed in from nearby.
“That’s right. Telling them to move further inside was really just a way to comfort them.”
“If the zombies come upstairs, this place becomes a dead end.”
“Forget about closing the gate; even if you just run yourselves, it’s better than dying with all these people.”
“Don’t say things like that,” Jing Lan retorted.
Little Ye sidled closer, now pinning the Driver with her foot instead.
“What about me? I’ll go with you.”
Regardless, she was determined to stick with the only companions she could trust.
“Exactly, little white-haired one, you should go down with them too,” Old Cao agreed.
“But will you all be alright jumping from the second floor?”
“Keke and I will be fine; we’ve learned how to cushion our landings.”
“But Little Ye…”
Little Ye stared at Jing Lan’s face.
“I’ll be fine too.”
‘It’s truly a sight to behold,’ Jing Lan mused inwardly, ‘that several of these young people here are actually martial arts experts.’
Just then, the Driver suddenly burst out, screaming, “They’re trying to escape by themselves!”
Little Ye, incensed, stomped down hard, her high-heeled boot’s heel jabbing into his cheek, silencing his pained cry.
However, the Driver’s reckless outburst had already triggered repercussions.
First, some zombies in the approaching horde downstairs seemed to emit puzzled growls, clearly having detected the commotion here.
Furthermore, among the survivors, some individuals began to breathe rapidly, seemingly hesitating whether to join the outcry.
‘If death is inevitable, why not enjoy a final moment of satisfaction by speaking one’s mind?’
Surely, such thoughts were running through some minds.
At this very moment, a thought surfaced in Little Ye’s mind.
‘I need to help my companions.’
Jing Lan and Keke were not selfish individuals.
They would never abandon others to save only themselves; they would exhaust every effort to rescue people.
Ling Yechen understood her two companions well: they were not thoughtlessly good people, but rather viewed helping others as a path to challenge themselves and achieve a sense of accomplishment.
Little Ye, who considered herself weak, had always yearned to be like them.
If only she could truly stand alongside them.
And perhaps, this was her chance.
“Everyone, calm down.”
“Should anything unexpected happen, I will guard the stairwell entrance.”
Little Ye spoke to the people in the stairwell in a subdued voice, yet one that was audible to nearly everyone.
“My two friends will go and close the parking lot gate.”
“We are all compatriots here, and we will use our abilities to protect everyone.”
“I’ll guard the stairwell entrance too,” Old Cao added.
“Uncle Li, bring the gun and the spears!” the burly man, who had also offered to close the gate, commanded.
Uncle Li himself took a pistol and approached, carrying several stick-like objects.
From the faint clinking sound, they appeared to be metal.
In fact, they were spears crafted from thin rebar—cold weapons the survivors here had fashioned after the zombie apocalypse, using a diesel generator to power machines from a small hardware store to grind the tips.
Little Ye had seen people using these very weapons when she was previously “arrested” and brought back to the camp.
The burly man took a spear and handed it to Little Ye.
“Sis, you’ve studied kung fu, but have you learned how to use one of these?”
Little Ye accepted the spear, though her mind offered no clue on how to wield it.
She had a vague sensation that she should be able to use some kind of long cold weapon, but not this particular type.
However, there was no room for hesitation now.
Little Ye gripped the spear tightly.
“I’ll use it.”
“You’re staying here?!” Jing Lan almost let his voice rise, but quickly caught himself, realizing Little Ye had her reasons.
If they wished to continue staying at the parking lot camp, they could not abandon the survivors upstairs.
Having more humans, and the strength in numbers, was secondary.
If all the survivors turned into zombies, the parking lot would become untenable, and the number of zombies might even surpass those on the streets outside.
Just moments ago, this white-haired girl had demonstrated remarkable agility and reaction speed, and now she was willing to step forward for the collective.
Jing Lan secretly admired her, recognizing her as a girl of extraordinary courage.
“Then good luck. We’ll play it by ear.”
With that, Jing Lan refocused his attention on the stairs below.
The survivors in the stairwell, for their part, settled down once more.
Perhaps, from the clear, resolute voice of the girl who had vowed to protect them, they could faintly discern a sense of security born of her unwavering determination.