Chapter 6

Before Yan Yu could answer, Su Cheng shook her head to veto first, "No, I forgot this is a gas station. Once it's not controlled well, it'll explode directly and we'll perish together."

Yan Yu's eyes lit up slightly, "No, the method you mentioned is not entirely unfeasible."

She explained slowly, "There's a drainage ditch right at the convenience store entrance. We widen it and pour in gasoline. When the zombies run over and get trapped in it, we light them with cloth strips and wooden sticks, and we can burn some of the zombies to death."

"And the convenience store is at a safe distance from the fuel dispensers. If we control the amount of oil, there's no need to worry about causing an explosion."

Su Cheng gave a thumbs-up, "We can give it a try!"

"But can we do it later? I need to catch my breath..."

Thinking of a method, Yan Yu's expression also eased quite a bit, "Sure, let's rest for five minutes!"

The female employee found iron shovels, wooden boards, and other tools for them.

According to what Yan Yu said, after prying open the drainage ditch covers, the three of them dug open the ditch together until it reached 40cm, enough to jam the zombies' legs.

As for the wooden sticks used for ignition, they made them with mop handles and oil-soaked cloth strips.

By the time they finished working on the traps, it had gone from afternoon to dusk.

Returning into the convenience store, Su Cheng no longer dared to smell the odor on her own body; the convenience store had no clothes for her to change into, so no matter how stinky she was, she just had to endure it.

Su Cheng shook her sore and aching arms, sat down on a folding chair with a plump thump, looked at the indoor layout which had completely changed compared to the beginning, and sighed softly, "I hope none of this comes in handy."

Yan Yu sat down beside her, "I hope so."

"Look, you guys! The government sent a text message!"

The female employee's expression was joyful, and she raised her phone to share it with the two of them.

[Recent unknown virus is spreading widely. Please citizens stay at home and do not go out, close doors and windows tightly, reduce noise and commotion, strive to survive, and wait for rescue -- Paulownia Blossom City Government.]

This news was like a shot of adrenaline, and the female employee's entire person cheered up quite a bit, "I knew the government would step in to rescue us!"

Su Cheng and Yan Yu didn't feel much about it, after all they were only staying here for five days, but if they could stay in a safe official shelter before the instance ended, that would naturally be even better.

But could the authorities really launch a rescue in a short time?

Su Cheng thought it was hanging by a thread.

Su Cheng rummaged through the food box to find a self-heating meal, poured in mineral water, and let the food heat up.

Now all the food had been moved from the shelves into boxes, with a small portion also moved to the car trunk.

Yan Yu and the female employee also chose their own dinners.

The three gathered together.

"Let's just discuss the night-watch issue. Since it's approaching 6 PM, let's take turns on duty starting from 8 PM.

I'm prone to drowsiness after taking cold medicine later, so Su Cheng will watch the first half of the night from eight to twelve, then I'll take twelve to four, and finally..."

Yan Yu looked at the female employee. Her mind had been focused solely on burying herself in hard work earlier, and they hadn't introduced themselves to each other yet.

The female employee unfolded a simple, honest smile, "My surname is Wang."

Yan Yu nodded, pointed at herself and then at Su Cheng, "Okay, Sister Wang, my name is Xiao Yan, and her name is Xiao Su."

"Finally, Sister Wang will watch from four to eight in the morning, and wake the other two up as soon as there's a situation. No problem, right?"

Su Cheng and Sister Wang said in unison, "No problem."

The three finished their dinner and rested individually.

Su Cheng sat next to the entrance cashier counter after using the bathroom, looking outside through the gaps in the window boards.

Outside was pitch black, the twinkling starlight of the streetlights was better than nothing, and there was no cicada chirping exclusive to summer nights, quiet to the point of being terrifying.

The gas station, unassailed by zombies, was no different from the real world.

The present safety did not mean the crisis was eliminated, and the ferocity of the zombies when roaring remained vivid in her mind. Su Cheng pinched her fingertips tightly, "I hope we can return to the apartment smoothly."

Amidst her wild, distracted daydreaming, the minute hand of the ticking alarm clock on the cashier counter pointed at 12, and Su Cheng walked to the corner to wake Yan Yu up.

Yan Yu rubbed her eyes and drank a sip of water to clear her mind, "Is there any situation?"

"None."

"Mm, go get some rest."

Su Cheng lay on the folding chair, tossing and turning for a good while, and fell asleep in a daze.

She did not sleep peacefully.

Perhaps because what one thinks by day comes out in dreams, she was running in her dream, chased by a large group of zombies closely behind. There were a few familiar faces among the zombie horde: the female zombie in the car, Yan Yu, Sister Wang... They were all roaring, wanting to swallow her into their bellies.

There was only her alone on the empty street, she ran helplessly, running on and on...

Pleading inwardly, "Stop chasing me!"

Yet she could not shake off the zombies behind her in any way.

She did not dare to look back, her tightly clenched teeth trembling with fear, and even though she panted with exhaustion she didn't dare to stop.

Until a dead end blocked her path ahead.

She leaned against the wall in despair, curled up on the ground, her fingernails embedding into her flesh, with hatred and unwillingness in her eyes, shouting silently, "I don't want to die!"

Just as the zombies lunged at her and engulfed her, she suddenly left her body again, becoming a bystander, coldly watching as the zombies tore "her" to pieces...

Blood spread like a trickling stream...

Author's Note:

None

Chapter 6

After two peaceful days, just as Su Cheng was waiting to return to the instance, the gas station welcomed some "new guests."

Under the blazing summer sun, Su Cheng dozed in a folding chair. A small fan beside her head blew a cool breeze, but it still couldn't dispel the stuffy heat of a summer noon.

"Come quickly!"

Yan Yu's urgent voice struck like a heavy hammer, jolting Su Cheng awake from her haze.

Sister Wang's break room door was open. Hearing Yan Yu's voice, she came out too.

"What's wrong?"

Yan Yu shook her head and pointed at the window without saying anything, but her tightly furrowed brows made it clear that it wasn't good news.

She stepped aside to make room. Su Cheng and Sister Wang hurried over, peering through the gaps between the boards. In the distance, they saw a black speck moving quickly toward them.

It was a car.

It was moving at an incredible speed, as if something were chasing it.

Sister Wang slapped her thigh. "Th-this is coming toward us!"

Su Cheng's expression grew increasingly grim. She unconsciously looked at the spear resting on the counter. "I'm just afraid he's not coming alone."

Sister Wang didn't understand. "Huh?"

In the time it took to exchange those two sentences, the car had drawn closer. Only then could they make out the dense black specks chasing behind it...

"Clang!"

Sister Wang's hand shook, knocking the alarm clock off the counter. She unconsciously lowered her voice. "Are those the zombies you mentioned?"

Su Cheng and Yan Yu didn't answer right away, because a mechanical voice sounded in both their minds at the same time:

[Hidden quest triggered: Rescue Wang Zhiyang. Complete the quest to receive 300 points]

He'd driven here with zombies on his tail. Would it really make much difference whether they rescued him or not?

Su Cheng and Yan Yu exchanged a glance, understanding each other without a word.

"Sister Wang, hurry and move that box of food in the corner to the car!"

Terrified by the horde of zombies, Sister Wang did whatever she was told. She caught the car keys tossed to her and hurried to move the supplies.

Su Cheng and Yan Yu moved the shelves blocking the entrance at the same time.

Fortunately, they had always been prepared to fight. Except when sleeping, they kept cardboard strapped to their limbs with tape, and their weapons were within reach. Now they could get ready to fight as quickly as possible.

"Grrr!"

Wang Zhiyang glanced in the rearview mirror. The horde of zombies, a vast, dark mass, chased close behind the car, snarling with their claws outstretched. The sight was terrifying.

The zombies had been relentlessly pursuing him for five kilometers.

He slammed on the gas, but could only keep a certain distance from the horde. He couldn't shake them at all.

If he threw away the box on his legs, he might be able to buy himself time to escape... But he couldn't!

The box in his arms was like a hot potato, burning his hands, yet he couldn't let go.

The car gradually slowed. Large beads of sweat ran down his forehead.

Worst of all, the car was almost out of gas!

Wang Zhiyang kept his foot firmly on the gas and watched the fuel gauge, praying nonstop. "Please, just hold on a little longer..."

There was a gas station ahead. If he could take shelter inside, all he had to do was hold out until help arrived, and he'd be safe!

But heaven didn't hear his plea. When he was still a hundred meters from the gas station, the car went "vroom" and died.

"Fuck!"

Wang Zhiyang cursed, grabbed the box in his arms, and jumped out of the car without hesitation. When the zombies behind him saw him, they roared even more excitedly, as if victory were within their grasp.

"Grrr!"

Their blood-red eyes were filled with greedy longing. Their nostrils flared as they caught a scent in the air that drew them in irresistibly. They grew even more frenzied, baring their red-and-white fangs, their faces twisted into horrifying snarls...

Wang Zhiyang ran with all his strength, but felt the zombies drawing closer and closer!

It seemed their hands would reach his back at any moment!

Unable to stop himself, he looked back. A dense horde of zombies chased after him, hundreds of pairs of blood-red eyes fixed straight on him...

"Ah!"

It wasn't as close as she'd imagined, but the moment Wang Zhiyuan's legs gave out and he fell, his mind went blank.

In that single second, the zombie at the front leaped at them. Wang Zhiyang's eyes widened, and he instinctively raised the box in front of himself.

But instead of being bitten, he felt a pair of hands grab his arm. At the same time, another tall woman swung a fire axe and chopped off the zombie's head!

"Get up! Run!"

He staggered to his feet, and the two girls dragged him along as they ran.

The three of them raced toward the convenience store, each trying to get there first.

The short hundred meters felt especially long...

Su Cheng hadn't expected to be the slowest runner.

Yan Yu was in the lead. Wang Zhiyang, who had gone weak in the legs and fallen when the zombies chased him, had even passed her.

The zombie was only three meters away from her, Su Cheng!

Run!

Su Cheng gave it everything she had and caught up with the other two. At a time like this, if anyone faltered and fell behind, the people in front wouldn't turn back to save them when they were facing a horde of hundreds of zombies.

"Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar-"