Just as Tang Xinger finished speaking, the young man abruptly turned the handlebars to the left.
The zombie still clung tightly to the alarm, its body flailing in the air and refusing to let go.
The young man continued to swing the bike left and right, dragging the zombie along. Its body scraped against the ground and occasionally bumped into the buildings on either side, tearing its already tattered clothes into strips.
Even so, the zombie refused to release its grip. Tang Xinger had no choice but to turn away and continue kicking at the zombie's hand.
"Get off!"
Afraid of falling, Tang Xinger tightly grasped the young man's collar, twisting it into a mess and making her fingertips pale.
Her awkward position made it difficult for her to exert force, so she could only persistently kick with her legs. If she couldn't kick the zombie off, she kicked the alarm instead. Tang Xinger felt like she was going crazy.
Finally, after hearing a "click," the zombie fell heavily to the ground, quickly disappearing from sight.
"Hoo—"
Tang Xinger breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the broken alarm, which had shattered under the strain. Along with it, the zombie disappeared from view, a double victory.
With the zombies shaken off, a few persistent ones still followed them, but they couldn't match the speed of the electric bike and were soon left behind as they made turns.
Only now did Tang Xinger have the time to take a good look at the man in front of her. He was wearing a white shirt and black pants, covered in bloodstains with several deep cracks.
It was obvious he had been scratched by zombie claws. One could imagine how dangerous the situation had been.
However, Tang Xinger didn't care what dangers he had faced. She just wanted to know where he had come from.
"Hello, I'm Jiang Nan. And you?"
After parking the car, the man looked at Tang Xinger standing beside him, flashing a harmless smile.
"Tang Xinger."
"Do you have any plans now? Want to team up?"
Jiang Nan adjusted his clothes casually, seemingly casual but constantly observing the surroundings before Tang Xinger's gaze met his.
"No, I have a companion."
Thinking of Gu Jingyong, Tang Xinger refused Jiang Nan's offer.
After giving him a glance, she withdrew into the corner, pondering how to let Gu Jingyong find her.
Jiang Nan looked at her defensive posture with disdain, casually squatting down, seemingly casual but always keeping an eye on the surroundings.
"Can your friend still come back?"
Jiang Nan thought of those zombies, like a tide. Once trapped, it was difficult to escape.
That man was very capable, but in such a cramped environment, fighting so many zombies and still wanting to come out alive was not easy.
"..."
Tang Xinger didn't speak, silently rolling her eyes.
If you have nothing good to say, don't say anything at all. Her golden thigh wouldn't die so easily... right?
Tang Xinger was originally very relieved, but when she thought of those zombies, even if she stood there, she could still trap Gu Jingyong. Could he really survive?
Thinking of this, Tang Xinger shifted her gaze to Jiang Nan, sizing him up.
He was tall, looking like a weak scholar, but the muscles visible on his arms and under his shirt clearly showed that he was well-built, a practiced individual.
If Gu Jingyong really couldn't come back, teaming up with him seemed to be the only safe choice.
"Spit, why am I so wishy-washy?"
Tang Xinger slapped her head as she came back to her senses, condemning herself for her thoughts just now.
After all, Gu Jingyong had saved her several times. How could she not hope for his safety?
Moreover...
Tan Xinger looked at Jiang Nan. Just now, when they were on the bike, he clearly had a moment where he seemed to want to throw her off.
If she hadn't held on tightly, she would have become a zombie by now.
Although Gu Jingyong's attitude towards her was strange, she could sense that there was no malice in it.
Leaning against the wall, Tan Xinger asked, "Are you alone?"
"I got separated from my friend. If it weren't for meeting you guys, I'd probably have been devoured by zombies."
Jiang Nan smiled and said, seeming genuinely grateful for her presence.
"Hmm."
Tan Xinger smiled awkwardly, then asked, "Do you know how to clear this instance?"
"Didn't you check the strategy before coming in?"
Jiang Nan looked at her somewhat surprised, with a hint of scrutiny.
Strategy? Tan Xinger suppressed her surprise and replied, "I didn't check."
"Then you're quite daring. No wonder you're waiting for your teammate."
Jiang Nan maintained his smile and adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, saying, "The exit of the instance is in the financial building in the city center, but which specific building is unknown."
"The city center has several financial buildings. Does that mean we have to search them one by one?"
Tan Xinger thought for a moment. The city center had at least four buildings named financial buildings, each with thirty to forty floors. How long would it take to find the right one?
"It depends on luck."
Jiang Nan shrugged. After a while, he looked at her with some surprise and said, "Are you a novice? Why do I feel like you don't know anything?"
Tan Xinger's back stiffened for a moment upon hearing his words, but she quickly returned to normal.
"Is there a problem? Are novices to be looked down upon?"
Tan Xinger seemed angry, feeling belittled.
Jiang Nan quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, that's not what I meant."
"The difficulty of this instance isn't low. You, as a novice, entering recklessly surprised me, that's all."
"That's because I have a teammate who's very capable, so I entered this instance."
Tan Xinger raised her eyebrows and spoke louder when she mentioned Gu Jingyong, looking particularly proud.
"Shh, keep it down."
Jiang Nan raised a finger to his lips, indicating for her to lower her voice.
Tan Xinger covered her mouth and cautiously looked around to ensure that no zombies were attracted before breathing a sigh of relief.
"Your friend is indeed very skilled."
Jiang Nan thought of the man's figure and always felt somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had seen it.
"Aren't you going to find your friend?"
Tan Xinger found it strange that he was still sitting here calmly.
"One chopstick is easy to break, but three chopsticks are not. If I leave now, wouldn't it be seeking death? You wouldn't mind teaming up with you guys, would you?"
Jiang Nan said with a smile, speaking as if it were natural to include himself among them.
"It's up to you." Free bodyguards, wow.
Tan Xinger said and then stopped looking at him, carefully moving to the corner of the wall, trying to find Gu Jingyong's shadow.
She waited for three hours. As the sky gradually darkened, Tan Xinger felt her hungry stomach and leaned against the corner of the wall uncomfortably.
"Do you still want to wait? It's already the third day of the instance, and we don't have much time left."
Jiang Nan naturally included them as "we," speaking very casually.
"If you're in a hurry, you can go first." With the lights out, let's see where you can go.
Tan Xinger squinted at him, and in the dim light, Jiang Nan didn't see the cunning look on her face.
"How could I possibly leave you alone here in the dark? It's too unsafe."
Jiang Nan said as a matter of course. Tan Xinger then said, "Then go find me something to eat."
"... Alright."
Jiang Nan nodded, indicating that he understood.
Seeing Jiang Nan really leaving, Tan Xinger looked at him sitting on the ground, gazing at the dim sky, and sighed deeply.
"I'll count to sixty, and if you don't come, I'm really leaving."
Tan Xinger tapped her fingers on the ground, looking at the empty street, and Gu Jingyong's departure once again came to her mind. Unfortunately, the street was empty, and there was no sign of the person she was waiting for.
"Forty-one, forty-two..."
Tan Xinger's voice dissipated in the room. She stood up and walked to the window, pulling up her collar and burying her chin inside. It felt stuffy but very safe.
"Fifty-nine, sixty."
Finishing the last count, Tan Xinger kicked the wall, composed herself, and left before Jiang Nan returned.
In the somewhat dilapidated corridor, the tiles on the stairs had cracks in them. Tan Xinger groped her way down cautiously, afraid of accidentally falling down the stairs.
"Clack."
Tan Xinger's footsteps stopped abruptly as she accidentally kicked off a corner of the cracked tile, which sounded particularly harsh in the quiet environment.
Startled, Tan Xinger's breathing became erratic for a moment.
After a while, she continued to grope down the stairs holding onto the handrail. In the dim moonlight, she could see a suspicious figure lurking around.
Carefully unlocking the bike handle, with a buzzing sound, the electric bike swiftly sped down the street.
Tan Xinger felt something was strange. Where were all the zombies that were present during the day?
Her anxiety grew stronger, and after driving for a while longer, she parked the bike at the entrance and entered a cake shop.
With the door wide open, the inside was a mess. Carefully avoiding obstacles, Tan Xinger pushed open the door of the storage room and groped around the wall, trying to find the light switch.
"Thud."
A noise came from the storage room. Tan Xinger froze for a moment, feeling a chill run down her spine. She then exploded into action, yanking open the storage room door and bolting outwards in a frenzy.
But it seemed like everything conspired to trip her up. Tan Xinger inadvertently stepped on something round, causing her to lurch forward uncontrollably. Luckily, she managed to grab hold of a nearby table just in time. However, her luck ran out as she stumbled over another hard object, tumbling to the ground.
"Hiss."
"Slash!"
Two sounds rang out simultaneously. Tan Xinger felt her clothes being torn from her back, leaving her skin exposed to the chilly air.
The fall nearly wrecked her knees, but by some stroke of luck, she avoided the clawing attack from behind.
Even in the darkness, Tan Xinger could see a pair of blood-red eyes, just like the ones she had seen during the day.
The mutated zombie moved with alarming agility. Within moments, Tan Xinger saw those eyes looming before her.
With a swift decision, Tan Xinger threw herself to the side, narrowly dodging the creature's crimson tongue, which slashed through the air.
The zombie's attack missed its mark, but it wasted no time in launching another assault. Tan Xinger scrambled into a nearby corner, where the space beneath the cash register provided a temporary refuge.
With bated breath, Tan Xinger cautiously surveyed her surroundings, searching for the perfect opportunity and angle to escape.