Outside, the scene had already become utterly hellish. The few cars on the road had mostly crashed into one another, smoke billowed everywhere, and corpses and bloodstains covered both sides of the street.
Chu Han was immensely glad that he had run out at the first opportunity. Not only were the roads not yet clogged, there were not too many zombies either. From time to time, zombies chased after Chu Han's car, but they were quickly left far behind.
Chu Han, who was driving, glanced beneath the steering wheel and frowned tightly. There was only one bar of fuel left. It was nowhere near enough!
Where was the gas station? Chu Han had long forgotten Mingqiu City's map from ten years ago. He could only hurry toward the national highway. Generally speaking, gas stations were located along national highways.
Chu Han drove fast. First, because he was anxious. Second, if he did not drive fast now, then when would he?
Less than five kilometers after getting onto the national highway, he found a gas station. Chu Han narrowed his eyes, because he saw that the convenience store inside the gas station had its doors tightly locked. Such stores were usually open twenty-four hours a day. The closed doors had clearly been caused by people.
Across from the gas station, however, an internet café stood wide open. A group of zombies had gathered together, squeezing inward in layer after layer. The zombies at the center were sprawled over a mangled corpse, tearing into it frantically.
The sound of Chu Han's approaching car was not quiet. Upon hearing it, the zombies that had not eaten their fill finally found fresh prey. They all converged on the car without prior agreement, baring their fangs and snarling.
Zombies. A lot of them.
Their throats released roars more terrifying than evil ghosts. When they drew close enough, Chu Han could easily see the stiff yet subtle expressions on their filthy faces. There was even a sense of urgency in their pupil-less grayish-white eyes.
Without further thought, Chu Han spun the car around and rammed into the horde of zombies. He floored the accelerator. Bang! Bang! Bang!
Inside the convenience store, four survivors were hiding. Hearing the commotion outside, they all peered out in terror.
A tall SUV was repeatedly smashing into zombies, its body smeared with dark brown rotten flesh.
One zombie after another was sent flying and instantly crushed into pulp. The road was soon littered with pale, stinking remains. Yet these infected had no notion of fear or avoidance. They surged forward one after another. Even after their limbs were broken, they still dragged themselves across the ground, scraping out trails of rotten flesh and black blood.
All four wore shocked expressions. The apocalypse had only begun an hour ago. Who had the guts to drive through the streets and fight zombies? Still, the car was truly sturdy. So many zombies had pounced on it, yet they had been rammed into a disastrous mess of dead and injured bodies.
"Who is that?" The speaker was a middle-aged man named Fan Wei, an employee at this gas station.
The other two were a young couple. The man was called Zhang Ziyu and looked to be around twenty. The woman was called Gu Xiaotong. She looked young, but wore heavy makeup.
The last was a huge fat man weighing nearly one hundred ninety pounds. He was cowering in the corner, too frightened to lift his head. As the zombies' roars continued without end outside, he trembled until he began crying from fear.
"So annoying!" Zhang Ziyu cursed irritably.
The previous night, he and Gu Xiaotong had pulled an all-nighter gaming at the internet café across the street. A little after five in the morning, they came to the convenience store to buy something to eat, only to suddenly lose consciousness. When he woke up, the world had already changed beyond recognition, and he and the other three were trapped here.
There was no rescue coming. It seemed that people all over the world had turned into these monsters. Watching this G55 charge out and brutally ram the zombies, Zhang Ziyu's mind suddenly became active.
That person was unbelievably bold and drove well. Maybe he was a police officer who could take them away from here!
He turned to the steadier Fan Wei. "Do you have a car? I think this is an opportunity. That guy looks pretty capable and brave. Should we follow him and leave first?"
"I'm not going. I'm not leaving. There's food and water here. I'm not leaving!" The heavily made-up young woman shook her head desperately.
"If you're not leaving, then stay here. I never said I was taking you!" Zhang Ziyu was resolute. At the same time, he felt that he was clever and knew how to assess the situation. Especially after seeing someone already taking action, his desire to leave became even stronger.
This was the apocalypse! The entire world was in chaos. Phones could not be turned on, calls could not get through, and all electronic devices had failed. Most importantly, Mingqiu City had no military district. He would not stay here. It was far too unsafe.
"How can you leave me behind alone? You don't love me anymore?" Gu Xiaotong was deeply disappointed.
"The apocalypse is here, who the fuck is still talking about love? Everyone's just trying to survive!" Zhang Ziyu said irritably, then pointed at the fat man in the corner, who was crying, sniffling, and gnawing on salted duck. "You can stay here with that useless piece of trash!"
Fan Wei cut off their argument. "Stop fighting. I have a car. He should be here for gas. When he comes over, we'll ask him."
"Fine, let's go! You move the supplies first. I'll talk to that guy." As Zhang Ziyu spoke, he shook off his girlfriend, who was trying to grab hold of him.
Chu Han kept circling around on the road until he had killed every zombie that came out of the internet café. Only after no more zombies appeared did he drive into the gas station, park beside the fuel pump, and get out. His right hand still gripped the iron axe tightly as he filled the car with gas, every nerve taut.
Seeing that there were no zombies left outside, Zhang Ziyu immediately opened the convenience store door and ran quickly toward Chu Han.
"Hi, I'm Zhang Ziyu. Which direction are you heading? How about we team up? It'll be safer that way. Don't worry, we have a car too." Zhang Ziyu spoke as quickly as possible. He had not even finished speaking when he reached Chu Han.
Zhang Ziyu? Chu Han looked up, suddenly feeling that the name sounded familiar.
Chu Han had known someone was running over, but he had not paid attention. The man's footsteps were disordered and weak, with no sign of hostility.
His mindset was still stuck in the apocalypse ten years later. He could not trust people. There had been countless people who, when facing a horde of zombies, shoved their companions away just to survive. Before the desire to live, reason and morality would disappear completely.
When Chu Han looked up and that face entered his sight, Zhang Ziyu froze in disbelief. His voice caught in his throat, nearly choking him. "Chu... Chu... Chu Han?!"
Chu Han's gaze swept over him once. After confirming that he posed no threat, he lowered his head and continued filling the tank.
Zhang Ziyu stared Chu Han up and down in shock several times, his gaze lingering longest on the axe in his hand. Darkened bloodstains remained on it.
"You... how did you..." Zhang Ziyu suddenly did not know how to ask, nor did he know what to ask.
He had never expected that the person he imagined as immensely impressive, someone he associated with police officers or special forces, would turn out to be his university classmate.
How was that possible?!
"Chu Han?" Gu Xiaotong suddenly ran out of the store as well and shouted excitedly, "Chu Han! Why is it you?!"
"Shut up!" Chu Han's expression immediately turned savage and terrifying as he glared viciously at her.
Zombies could hear. She actually dared to shout so loudly!
Startled by Chu Han's murderous bark, Gu Xiaotong immediately shuddered. Zhang Ziyu also snapped back to his senses, and both wore the same stunned, disbelieving expression.
"Chu Han! How dare you talk to me like that! Are you tired of living?!" Gu Xiaotong screamed angrily. When had anyone ever cursed at her like this?
Gu Xiaotong did not lower her voice at all. She practically shrieked at the top of her lungs, seemingly trying to vent the fury in her heart this way.
Chu Han suddenly raised his eyes, the anger and killing intent in them reaching a peak in an instant. He had been so careful to lure the zombies away and ram them to death before daring to come here for gas. Was this woman trying to draw every zombie over here?!
The woman first backed away two steps in fear, then shouted at Chu Han again, "What are you doing?!"
Just as the woman wanted to continue venting her anger, perhaps even slap Chu Han to teach him a lesson, her expression suddenly changed drastically. Extreme terror appeared on her face.
"Ah—"
The woman's piercing scream suddenly rang out, incredibly loud and sharp enough to seem capable of shattering glass!
Roar!!
Two zombies appeared ten meters away, dragging their stiff legs as excited snarls came from their mouths. Their blackened, blood-stained hands clawed through the air. Following the woman's cries, they sped up and came toward them.
"Zombies! Zombies!" Zhang Ziyu was so frightened that his legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground.
"Ah—" The woman's screaming continued.
Chu Han's killing intent peaked in an instant. He abruptly turned around and, with a smack, kicked Gu Xiaotong hard. He showed no mercy whatsoever, sending her flying far away!
Only then did he say to Zhang Ziyu on the ground, "Control her. Make that woman shut up! If she screams again, kill her!"
Killing people was an extremely ordinary matter to Chu Han. He did not think there was anything wrong with it. If this woman kept screaming, she would draw more than just two zombies here.
Chu Han tightened his grip on the axe and stopped paying attention to Zhang Ziyu and Gu Xiaotong. He stared intently at the two approaching zombies, his left hand still holding the fuel nozzle as he filled the car.
The two zombies had already reached him, less than two meters from Chu Han. A heavy stench of rot rushed into his nose and mouth as they opened their jaws wide.
Zhang Ziyu was completely frozen with fear. His hand trembled as he said shakily, "Zombies... the zombies are here!"
In Zhang Ziyu's eyes, Chu Han had to be insane. The zombies were only one meter away, yet he was still filling up the car!
Gu Xiaotong also snapped out of the shock from that kick. She screamed again and rushed into the convenience store, slamming the door shut with a bang!
Zhang Ziyu abruptly turned around, filled with regret that he had not listened to Chu Han and restrained Gu Xiaotong. She had actually locked them outside!
Before you continue