Sweat dripped onto the ground, evaporating into a puddle.
Tang Xiaoquan leaned against the wall, trying to calm his heaving chest.
But, when it rains, it pours, and fate seemed to give him no such respite.
Because just as he leaned against the wall, ready to take a couple of breaths, a series of "crackling" sounds of bamboo and wood breaking came from behind him.
Tang Xiaoquan felt a chill run down his spine, for there was no need to look back; at that moment, the only possibility for such a sound was that the zombies ensnared by the wooden ladder had broken free.
What to do? His stalled brain started to work again.
Tang Xiaoquan glanced left and right, his mind rapidly making a decision.
In front of him was a commercial street running east and west, and from his estimation, the street stretched at least several tens of meters.
Right now, their group was on the brink of exhaustion after the fierce battle, so attempting another fight to break through seemed impossible given their current condition.
So, what should be done?
Tang Xiaoquan’s furrowed brows revealed a hint of confusion.
Undoubtedly, Tang Xiaoquan was quite tense, trying his best to keep calm, but the closing in zombies weren’t going to give him that chance.
The menacing growls of death got closer, and Tang Xiaoquan could even feel a chill creeping up his back.
This was a terrifying, uncontrollable fear, overwhelming him within moments with feelings like panic, dread, and bewilderment.
Tang Xiaoquan was left with a single thought—run.
But faced with being besieged in front and pursued from behind, where could he run?
No one could answer that question until a familiar stern shout echoed.
"Everyone, follow me, let’s get inside the store!"
At this moment, Hu Xiaodong’s 1.7-meter frame appeared extraordinarily commanding as he yanked open a glass door before charging inside first.
His lead gave direction to the lost group, and without a word, they all grabbed their weapons and supplies, following close behind.
Only Tang Xiaoquan had a hint of doubt in his heart, but given the urgency, he couldn’t stop them, so he flowed with the group into the shop.
It was a hair salon, with several tables and chairs inside suggesting its size.
Wang Qiang casually pulled the sliding door shut and secured the lock.
As he did so, two zombies that had followed from the alley crashed into the door.
Predictably, the heavy impact sent a tremor through the glass door.
The zombies crashed against the door, faces grotesquely distorted by the pressure, looked like squashed rotten meat, both hideous and nauseating.
Facing such fierce impacts, the zombies showed no discomfort. Lacking pain, they resumed their battering and scratching once the rebound ended.
"Quick, everyone, find a way out!" Tang Xiaoquan’s heart leapt as he watched the shuddering glass door.
Undoubtedly, this was the noise from just two zombies, but once the rest arrive...
Tang Xiaoquan dared not think further, as his previous unspoken worries were coming true.
"Hey~ Brother Quan, there’s a window here, but..." Ah Cheng’s urgent words trailed off as a sturdy figure dashed past him.
Hu Xiaodong realized his mistake; his simple directive had led the group into a trap.
As soon as he heard Ah Cheng’s call, he rushed like grabbing a lifeline.
The room held a shampoo bed with upholstery in the center, and on its left was a rectangular glass mirror for post-shampoo vanity.
None of these were Hu Xiaodong’s focus. Ignoring them, his gaze fixed on the ventilation window high on the wall.
"Can you open that thing?" Tang Xiaoquan asked from the doorway, referring to the window.
The ventilation window was a standard two-layer structure, with an outer security iron frame and an inner frosted glass panel.
The glass was easy to open with a handle, but the outer iron frame...
He knew he had nothing on hand to pry open the thumb-thick bars unless...
His eyes glided around the frame, suddenly lighting up.
"Got it! Wu Chao, check if there’s a wrench in the store, quick!" Fresh chapters posted on novel•fire.net
Understanding, Tang Xiaoquan caught Hu Xiaodong’s intention without a second thought, and immediately returned to the main area to search.
The store wasn’t large, so the search area was limited. About three minutes later, Wenquan Xin finally found a filthy tool bag in an inconspicuous corner.
"Found it, found it!" he nearly shouted, and with that, the others halted their rummaging, turning to look. They saw the open tool bag in his hand neatly storing tools like screwdrivers, hammers, and wrenches.
Fortune smiles upon them, a true reflection of the survivors’ hopes, having endured batterings, they finally caught a break.
Hopefully, it’s a good start! Tang Xiaoquan watched Wenquan Xin’s departure, but the next moment, the door’s rapid thumps snapped him back to reality.
Only five minutes had passed since entering the store, yet already the zombies outside glass amassed densely.
Facing ghastly faces pressed against the clean glass, hearing the door quake under force, the survivors’ hearts clenched.
Next would be their gamble, betting if Hu Xiaodong could open the bars before the door broke, with their lives as the stakes.
PS, the contract status has been updated; starting today, there will be two updates daily, three after the new year. I hope for reader support; please recommend, bookmark, and tip.