The knock-off mobile phone truly lived up to Tang Xiaoquan’s expectations. Its high-powered speaker combined with Vitas’ almost heavenly voice quickly attracted the attention of the surrounding zombies.
"Why... is it quiet now?" Wang Qiang whispered, puzzled by the sudden disappearance of footsteps.
Tang Xiaoquan was equally filled with doubt. He didn’t dare open the window for fear that any noise might attract the zombies’ attention, which would be a big problem.
On the street, as Vitas’ "Opera 2" began to play, the aimlessly wandering zombies stopped in their tracks. They all turned their heads toward the source of the sound, a curious expression etched on their rotting faces.
The zombies’ bodies remained static, while the sound from the phone was dynamic.
The entire street seemed to have been paused in that moment, with only the slowly floating dust in the air hinting at a faint trace of vitality.
At this moment, Tang Xiaoquan could feel his heartbeat clearly. He had mostly figured out the reason for the silence outside the car but was deeply worried about whether his plan would succeed.
"Could it be that these beasts can’t hear as well as I thought? Or is Vitas’ music too high-pitched to interest them? Could it be..."
Questions kept popping into his mind. Tang Xiaoquan wanted to explain, but the situation left him unable to.
Time was slipping away quickly. The song was set to repeat only three times.
Calculating by "Opera 2" being five minutes long, repeating it three times would be fifteen minutes.
But 40 seconds had already passed since playback began, and if the zombies remained unresponsive, the operation plan might really have to...
Just as Tang Xiaoquan was contemplating whether to decisively terminate the mission, a barely noticeable stir came from the back of the vehicle.
It was a few zombies near the source of the sound that were finally driven to move by Vitas’ rising pitch.
However, Hu Xiaodong had thrown the phone under the bus, and a series of crashed cars blocked them, making it impossible for the approaching zombies to locate the sound source.
Hence, they began to growl in frustration, and their undead claws scratched the vehicle with a piercing "zzzla-la-la," as if this metal beast were the cause of everything.
As they screamed, the nearby zombies also began to join in, eventually devolving into a chorus of furious roars.
"Damn, these animals finally made some noise!" Wang Qiang blurted out upon hearing the growing roar outside the car.
Indeed, the zombies reacted, but it was far from the result Tang Xiaoquan had expected.
What he needed was for all or most of the zombies to be drawn by the phone’s sound to the bus, so they could sneak into the supermarket and gather supplies, but now...
Tang Xiaoquan reached out to silence Wang Qiang, making a hush gesture, then pressed his ear against the car window to listen intently outside.
"Ssshhh," the growling lasted for several seconds, before long overdue shuffling footsteps finally resumed outside.
"Ah, heavenly sound!" Tang Xiaoquan breathed a long sigh of relief. It was the first time he found this terrifying sound so delightful.
In contrast to Tang Xiaoquan’s relief, Hu Xiaodong felt as if he were hanging on the edge of hell.
On either side of his body, zombies with blackened, scab-ridden legs were shuffling densely.
The persistent growling and brushing sounds made his hair stand on end, and cold sweat dripped down.
Fortunately, the setbacks from years ago, coupled with business acumen in recent years, had steeled his nerves.
Otherwise, an average person might have soiled themselves from this almost suffocating atmosphere of terror. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novelꞁire.net
Tang Xiaoquan’s eyes were fixed on the phone in his hand, which Hu Xiaodong left earlier, displaying the countdown of the repeated play he previously set.
Sweat unknowingly trickled down. The SUV felt like a sealed sauna, with rising heat mixed with a stale corpse blood smell that made breathing difficult.
"Damn, if we keep stifled , we’ll probably get a heat stroke before those beasts do anything!" Wu Chao’s red cheeks and short breaths revealed his inner turmoil.
"Zzzla~," a faint scratch echoed inside the car, startling everyone. Wang Qiang instinctively raised his long spear, asking warily, "What happened?"
"It’s me?" Wenchuan Xin sheepishly poked out his head and carefully passed an open bottle of mineral water to the back seat, explaining, "I just found this in the car’s storage cabinet. Let’s take turns drinking it."
The tense nerves barely relaxed; Tang Xiaoquan reached for the bottle, taking a few sips. Instantly, a refreshing sensation spread throughout his body, slightly revitalizing his exhausted spirit.
"I wonder how Brother Hu is doing down there," Wu Chao said, looking at the half bottle of mineral water in his hand, his brow furrowed in concern.
Apparently, even now, he was still worried about his good elder brother.
This sincere gesture unintentionally elevated Tang Xiaoquan’s regard for him. The latter lightly patted Wu Chao’s knee, consoling, "Don’t worry, Xiao Wu. From the zombies’ current activities, Brother Hu is quite safe. Just wait a little while longer, and I’m sure they’ll all be drawn to the bus."
Hu Xiaodong naturally didn’t know the group inside the car was deeply concerned about his safety. At the moment, his whole body was tense like a wooden stick, tightly clutching the 5-foot cleaver in his hand. It seemed only by doing this could his hollow, helpless heart find some comfort.
Vitas’ singing grew higher, and as his signature dolphin sound emerged, the zombies’ steps quickened.
After continuing for about 5 minutes, the footsteps surrounding the SUV gradually faded away.
Hu Xiaodong mustered his courage, slowly lifting his head, peering out from under the car with his black eyes.
"My God!" his scalp tingled, as it was the first time Hu Xiaodong had seen so many zombies gathered in one place.
And just as he was overwhelmed with horror, something suddenly grabbed his foot with force...