A Chance Encounter

"Ahhh!"

"Don't run, wait for me!"

"Mom, where are you..."

"Let go! Let go! Are you f***ing crazy?!"

The chaos in the settlement was spreading rapidly. People were fleeing in a panic, and once someone fell, they were quickly trampled underfoot by the crowd.

The firelight spilling from the tents flickered in the night, mixed with roars and screams that only added to the mounting sense of dread.

"This way!"

In this situation, Tian Wang didn't have the luxury of carefully checking his bearings. As soon as he found a direction where he didn't see any zombies, he immediately called for Wu Ya and Ke Jiangni to run for their lives.

Hearing Tian Wang's voice, the two girls didn't have time to think either, and they scrambled to follow him in a panic.

There was no other choice; they were just ordinary high school students. If it weren't for the instinct to survive keeping them going, they probably wouldn't even know what to do.

And in times like these, the need for a sense of security was even greater.

Wu Ya subconsciously thought of Lu Bai. Following behind Tian Wang, she ran while suggesting, "Let's go to District 7."

"That's too far!" Ke Jiangni's mind was still relatively clear. She glanced back to confirm that no zombies were chasing them yet before adding, "Go to the military camp. The army is all over there."

After sprinting for a stretch, Tian Wang was forced to slow his pace, gasping for air, "W-where exactly are we going?"

Ke Jiangni had originally wanted to try saying something else, but she suddenly realized something was wrong. "Why are so many people blocked here?"

At the passageway between District 23 and District 22, a crowd of at least a hundred people had gathered.

The partition between the various districts of the settlement wasn't a fence, but a layer of color-coated steel hoarding nearly three meters high. Whether this thickness could stop zombies was debatable, but it was certainly enough to block ordinary people.

"Back up! Back up!"

Terror, panic, anger...

The crowd shoved one another. It was obvious that everyone's nerves were stretched to the breaking point, like a pile of gunpowder barrels ready to explode at any moment.

"Get out of the way! Do you f***ing have any idea what's happening?!"

"Damn it! The monsters are going to catch up!"

"If you don't move, I'll fight you to the death!"

"Please, I don't want to die yet."

Several soldiers holding riot shields blocked the passageway, turning a deaf ear to whatever the survivors present had to say.

A man dressed as an administrator stood behind a riot shield, shouting something in an attempt to calm the restless crowd.

Unfortunately, the voice of a single person was too small; it didn't even stir up a ripple before being drowned out by a chorus of angry shouts.

Beyond that, behind the soldiers in the front row, several more soldiers equipped with automatic rifles maintained a firing stance to prevent any citizens from charging the passageway.

Of course, the only reason this situation could be maintained was that no zombies had run this way yet. Once the zombies actually charged over, the situation would instantly spiral out of control.

"Everyone! Everyone, please stay calm and listen to me! We will not abandon any of you, please trust us."

The man dressed as an administrator had found a megaphone from somewhere and was trying his best to control the situation. "I know everyone is terrified, but don't worry, the military will arrive soon.

Now, I want everyone to gather to my right. Those who have been bitten, please step forward voluntarily. Everyone, help each other..."

Most of the time, this administrator's response could not be considered wrong.

However, he clearly overlooked one point.

In the face of the zombies' overly developed hearing, using a megaphone was no different from blowing a bugle call in a military camp.

In the aisles between the rows of tents, countless zombies suddenly turned their heads toward the direction of the megaphone's sound, then began to sprint.

Watching the hideous zombies charge, the situation at the passageway, which had been barely under control, instantly collapsed. Many people began to scream and frantically charge the human wall.

Because a large number of citizens were blocking the way, the soldiers at the passageway couldn't find a clear line of sight to fire at the zombies at all.

"Move!"

Tian Wang's face turned pale with fear, and he turned to shove his way into the crowd.

"Heh~ If your hand reaches out again, I'll chop it off right now." A tall woman with a lady's cigarette dangling from her mouth turned around and said in an unquestionable tone.

Even at such a critical juncture, this woman still exuded an air of elegance, looking completely out of place amidst the panicked crowd.

Seeing the zombies getting closer and closer, Tian Wang had no desire to cause any more trouble. He gave a perfunctory nod and intended to continue shoving his way to the side.

Instead, Wu Ya leaned over to apologize for Tian Wang and even took the initiative to ask, "Do you want to come with us? It's too dangerous for you as a girl."

Ke Jiangni's small mouth opened slightly, wanting to warn Wu Ya that now was not the time to be a saint, but she suddenly realized something and didn't speak again.

Guo Mi took the cigarette from her mouth and teased with a meaningful look, "You little sister, you still have time to worry about your big sister here."

While the few were speaking, a large number of zombies had already rushed over.

The dozen or so people on the outermost edge were tackled on the spot, letting out shrill, miserable screams.

"Don't give up, come with us quickly." By the time Wu Ya finished speaking, her voice was trembling; her fear was not feigned.

"Enough, look for yourself—do you think it's even possible to leave this place?"

Guo Mi pulled Wu Ya along and said to Ke Jiangni, who was standing to the side, "Get that little fatty and follow me."

Ke Jiangni seemed to have been waiting for exactly those words; she immediately grabbed Tian Wang and followed.

The group bypassed the crowd gathered at the passageway entrance and jogged along the corrugated steel hoarding.

Many citizens, in their panic, had also chosen to flee along the hoardings on either side of the passage, so Wu Ya and the others did not stand out among them.

The downside was that a large crowd naturally attracted a number of zombies.

The zombies seemed to possess a form of intelligence, each selecting its own prey. Some, charging too recklessly, slammed headfirst into the hoardings, creating a jarring, metallic boom.

Guo Mi and the others were blocked by a zombie with only half a face remaining. It was so close that Wu Ya could smell the stench wafting off it. There was no possibility of communication; the zombie roared and lunged straight at Wu Ya.

At the critical moment, Guo Mi did not attempt to intercept the zombie's charge. Instead, she scooped up Wu Ya and leaped lightly, her toes tapping against the zombie's head. Her figure, as graceful as a dragonfly skimming the water, soared upward once more.

Even while carrying someone in her arms, she remained as light as if she were unaffected by gravity.

The half-faced zombie's charge met no resistance; its momentum unchecked, it slammed face-first into the ground.

Seeing this, a look of "just as I thought" flashed through Ke Jiangni's eyes. By the time Guo Mi landed gracefully with Wu Ya in her arms, she didn't even ask a single question.

"So... so amazing."

Wu Ya felt the ground beneath her feet, as if in a dream. "Big Sister, are you also like that classmate Lu?"

Hearing this, Guo Mi arched her willow-leaf eyebrows. "Also?"