Zhongshan Road is the busiest commercial street in Hemen City. On both sides of it and nearby are three-story arcade-style buildings from the 1930s.
There are hundreds of stores here. You can buy both high-end luxury goods and common people's things here.
This is also a tourist attraction that tourists must visit when visiting Hemen City. Zhongshan Road is extremely busy from morning to night. Pedestrians shuttle back and forth on this road.
Neon lights at night. Pop music played in the store to attract customers. As well as the whole business performance at Zhongshan Road Square.
But all this is completely unimaginable now.
There were countless corpses lying on the road. There were countless red corpse mushrooms growing on the corpse. Those corpse mushrooms were shaking back and forth. From a distance, it looks like a sea of red.
There is a red inflatable welcome gate at the intersection of Zhongshan Road. He was lying aside because he was out of breath. Like a deflated balloon. A few words can still be vaguely discerned on it. "Welcome New Year's Day..."
yes. It's already January now. No one remembers that the new year has passed.
There was a faint sound of music coming from Zhongshan Road. That's a popular song. It becomes more and more weird.
"Look..." Xin pointed forward. Among the mountains of corpses piled up on Zhongshan Road. There is something strange. It is taller and stronger than the red corpse mushroom. It grows among them. Red, sticky cylindrical bacilli. The red transparent umbrella cap looks like a jellyfish. It also contracts back and forth. Shows the tenacity of vitality. Surrounded by it. It is a group of red corpse mushrooms stretching for a kilometer from left to right.
Visual inspection from a distance. It may be as high as a two-story arcade. Because of its height, it is already at the same level as the shoe billboard on the second floor next to it.
What is this huge thing?
Both Xin and Shi Jun spotted something red 500 meters ahead.
"This road is impassable. Unless you want to pass under the red corpse mushroom, you will die." Shi Jun:"Besides, there is a big thing ahead. We don't know what it is yet."
Xin just stared ahead. She was thinking again. Why? There is only one road ahead. But can't leave.
"Shangcheng District is the hardest hit area. It is very lively here. It should be very serious." Shi Jun.
Xin still said nothing. Her eyes were looking around the nearby arcade.
"Is there any other way?"
Xin has nothing to say. She understood that even if she went the other way now, the situation would not change. Because there is another road that leads to Bo Kang's house. It's the eighth vegetable market.
Xin walked from the right. Then go right along the side of the CM team's isolation line. Then it stopped. She looked up at the arcade on the roadside in Zhongshan.
Then he looked back at Shi Jun.
Shi Jun also looked at it carefully. They seemed to have thought of something.
"This is not a bad way. It is the only way to get into Zhongshan Road."
The arcade is a connected building. Although every household is separated, it is connected together. Although each building is separated independently. But the houses are connected together.
"Go from the house to the fork of Zhongshan Road. Get off at Dazhong Road and you'll be there." Xin.
"Good idea." Shi Jun nodded affirmatively.
He looked back at the motorcycle. There is probably no way to get it back.
The journey from now on will depend on walking.
Shi Jun is in front. Xin is behind. They went up to the second floor from an empty corridor without any bodies. Go to the third floor. Only to find that the balcony door on the third floor was locked.
Go back to the second floor. Walk forward along the corridor on the second floor. The interior of the arcade is made of wood. When he stepped on the floor, he made a "quacking" sound.
The sound of pop music on Zhongshan Road can still be vaguely heard. Apart from that, there was silence.
The corridor is very dark. Shi Jun turned on the flashlight and touched the switch. opened. Go forward. A corner. A staircase going up to the third floor. And the iron door of the platform was locked that day.
"What should I do? The door to the upper room is locked." Shi Jun.
"Look around again. Every household has a door to the rooftop. I remember a friend lived here before. Some rooftops were shared and not locked."
pungent.
They continued to move forward. There is a closed door in front. Some light came out. Shi Jun glanced at it.
"It's an entertainment mall inside." Shi Jun:"It's a pity that this door is locked. Otherwise, the things inside would be very expensive. We don't have any money now."
"What do you like so much?"
"Laptop. I want one." Shi Jun.
Xin Hehe smiled:"At this time, you are still joking."
They turned a corner. There was light shining through the glass. They walked to the glass together and looked out. Just in time to see Zhongshan Road.
Those red corpse mushrooms grew unusually luxuriantly. Go down from the top. Those red spherical ascus. It's like celebrating red lanterns hung up on Zhongshan Road.
"Heart." Shi Jun warned.
"Look...is this weird?" Xin pointed his finger through the glass.
Shi Jun leaned over and took a look.
Those corpses with mushrooms that were originally some distance away. Between corpses. There are red hyphae connecting them. Just like tree roots. Every corpse is connected together.
"Yes... these things are all connected together now. They are like plants, absorbing nutrients from each other. No wonder the red corpse mushrooms here grow so vigorously. They are much larger than those we saw on the road, and Much higher."
"Can you see the huge thing in front of you?"
"Can't see."
"It seems to be getting dark."
"That would be troublesome."
They took a few more turns. The corridor was dark again. Shi Jun held a flashlight and walked step by step with Xin.
Their hearts are moving forward. Often turn to a new place. Shi Jun would use his flashlight to shine around in the corridor. Because I was afraid of encountering the red corpse mushroom.
"These things that can't walk are actually not that scary. Just avoid them." Shi Jun.
They saw a wooden staircase going up to the third floor. There is light coming from there.
"This is the third door. I hope it's not locked." Shi Jun.
They went up the wooden stairs. Open the dilapidated wooden door. The iron door is closed. But there is no lock. The lock is open and hanging there.
"Thank you so much for forgetting to lock it. Are you right?" Shi Jun.
Xin looked down the stairs warily. The place on the stairs where the sun doesn't shine. There seems to be movement.
"Listen." Xin Sheng said.
Shi Jun slowly pulled off the lock. Open the door quietly. He didn't have time to listen to that voice. Even if there is. That is also a dangerous thing.
The sound of wooden boards being stepped on came from downstairs. Someone is walking slowly towards here.
"Someone." Xin.
She was sure that the sound was in the corridor on the second floor. The place they just passed by.
Shi Jun asked Xin to keep quiet. He quietly opened the iron door. That door is rusty. Some sounds were also made.
The footsteps downstairs suddenly became rapid.
Running towards here "bumping and jumping".
The sound pressed against the nerves.
Shi Jun hurriedly pulled Xin in and closed the iron door. Then lock the lock hard.
Then he retreated to the side.
A scabbed hand stretched out from the iron railing. The joints of the fingers have been deformed. His scabs are a different red. It made his whole arm turn red. It made a wailing sound. It's empty. Another hand stretched out from the railing. His face was leaning against the railing. ． ．
"Leave here. I will spit on them." Shi Jun. He calmly pulled the frightened Xin aside.
"What is that?" Xin asked.
"I don't know. I didn't see it clearly. Fortunately, we ran fast. I still feel scared when I think about it."
"I heard footsteps."
"I know. No matter what it is, you must be vigilant."
They walked to the rooftop. The rooftop seems to be very clean. There aren't any bodies. Maybe it's because the doors on the third floor are locked for fear of being burglarized. So those infected with corpse bacteria become "big-headed". There is no way to run to such a high place.
"I thought I could see that thing on the rooftop?" Shi Jun.
Xin pointed in the direction of Zhongshan Road ahead.
"Look. That thing has almost reached the rooftop on the third floor."
Shi Jun looked over. indeed. Just when I was looking into the distance at the Zhongshan intersection. The huge red monster stands in the middle of Zhongshan Road Square. Red bacilli and caps. It looks huge. I didn't expect it to be that high.
"Isn't it related to the corpse mushroom downstairs?" Shi Jun put forward his opinion.
"I guess it was able to grow so huge by absorbing the nutrients provided by those corpse mushrooms." Xin.
"Ignore it for now. Show the way first." Shi Jun.
Xin nodded.
They walked through the house. In some places, it is necessary to cross the railings built by residents to enclose the land. besides. Try to stay away from those pigeon lofts. Because we can't understand it yet. Can animals also be infected with these things?
Watch from the rooftop. The sun is about to set. There is still smoke in the distance in the direction of the city hall.
Stepping on the red eight-sided bricks on the rooftop. Keep walking forward. Went to the edge. Xin looked down.
"The following is the fork of Zhongshan Road. It's Dazhong Road..." Xin. She pointed to an arcade next to the arcade opposite.
"Bo Kang's house is right across the street." Xin looked at the building with a smile.
Shi Jun just looked at Xin quietly.
"Then let's get started. It's getting dark soon." Shi Jun:"It's impossible to cross the arcade across from here. We have to find a way down."
It's just that they are all worried.
There were quite a few corpses on Dazhong Road. Just look at the red shaking corpse mushroom to know.
Xin looked down. The red patch on Dazhong Road. On that stall. That street. It's not much different from the miserable situation on Zhongshan Road.
They were looking for an exit around the rooftop. Only to find that those exits were locked.
"It seems that we have locked ourselves upstairs." Shi Jun:"But if we go down, it seems that we can't cross the road of Dazhong Road to reach the other side."
"Then don't go down there. Have you seen the movie?" Xin asked.
"Not much."
"Do you see a bamboo ladder there? Let's put it up and climb to the arcade on the opposite side. It's closer to Bo Kang."
Shi Jun smiled slightly. But my heart was very bitter. This strong woman in front of me. In fact, I only relied on one belief to bravely persist here.
That is to find her fiancé Bo Kang.
Her eyes were firm and she seemed not to give up any opportunity.
Shi Jun visually measured the width. That's the distance between the two sides of the middle road.
"I think your method is fine."
"Then you can help me."
They placed the long bamboo ladder across the rooftop of the arcade opposite, forming a bridge.
"It's dangerous."
They climbed over in tandem. It landed safely on the rooftop of the arcade opposite.
The sun has also set. The last afterglow disappeared in the sky.
Horrible wailing sounds began to be heard from all around.
Just like the baby-like sound a cat makes in the dark night.
In the red corpse mushroom on Dazhong Road. Something is passing through.
They wailed and quickly passed through the corpse mushrooms.
The street lights on the street turned on.
"Did you see anything on the road?" Xin asked.
Shi Juntou. An ominous premonition hung in my heart.
"Maybe. It's something I met in the corridor."
They continued to walk forward.
Xin's pace quickened. She ran forward. Because the Bokang family is at her feet.
"The entrance to the third floor, the entrance..." She looked for it in a panic.
Shi Jun looked at her eager look quietly.
She must be very worried about his fiancé.
He walked to Xin's side. He took Xin's hand.
Her eyes were already filled with tears.
"If your fiancé is not at home, you promised to listen to me. Do you still remember?" Shi Jun.
Xin shook his head.
"He must still be down there. Waiting for me at home."
"My yes, if..."
Xin pushed Shi Jun away hard. Roaring:"No if. He will definitely wait for me...even...I tell him to leave first..."
Shi Jun doesn't want anything more. He looked around for a place to get off the rooftop.
Then he opened a wooden lid. The stairs were exposed there.
They went down to the second floor. The corridor on the second floor was dark. Xin found the switch in Shi Jun's flashlight. The yellow light bulb lit up.
She walked to the front. Stopped at a wooden door.
She stood there stunned. Just stare at the door. Shi Jun understands. His fiancé lives here.
She pushed gently with her hand. The wooden door opened. The door is unlocked.
He looked back at Shi Jun. He followed.
Xin took a deep breath. Push the door and go in.
The room was empty.