After confirming that the surrounding area was temporarily safe, Jiang Xing opened the front car door and shook someone awake.
Both of them had bumps on their heads, looking dazed as they glanced at the chaotic street outside.
"What just happened? I feel like my brain got punched..." Xiao Jin rubbed his head, looking puzzled.
Lin Xi was the first to recover. She looked into the distance at the crash site, still emitting thick smoke, and then at the car that had hit the power pole. She quickly understood what had happened.
"So much for telling you to keep calm; we almost got sent to another world."
"You can't blame me! If I hadn't turned the wheel quickly, we would've all flipped!"
The two of them argued incessantly, but Jiang Xing opened the door on the other side where Chen An's car was parked. When she opened the door, she found that the driver inside was already dead. Helpless, she quickly called the two of them over to help pull Chen An out of the car.
"He's lost so much blood... and it's still flowing," Xiao Jin said anxiously, holding onto Chen An's arm.
Chen An's bag seemed to be heavy, but he looked lifeless. The blood continued to flow, its bright red color unsettling everyone.
Jiang Xing noticed that Chen An's skin felt cold and knew it was urgent. The temperature was over thirty degrees, and they had just experienced a small explosion. The street heat was intense, and the three of them were now drenched in sweat.
"We need to stop his bleeding," Jiang Xing said.
Xiao Jin nodded, holding Chen An. Lin Xi rummaged through their backpacks in the car, finding some medicine, although she wasn't sure if it would help.
They had to leave quickly, or else the smoke could suffocate them.
Although the world was chaotic, it still drove them forward. Soon, they headed in the direction where there seemed to be signs of life.
After a while, they reached the end of the street, where there was a big road. A small car had been abandoned in the middle of it, and all the vehicles nearby appeared crashed or flipped, as if in a scene of devastation.
"Should we look for a car that still works?" Xiao Jin suggested.
"No," Jiang Xing firmly declined. "Look over there."
Jiang Xing pointed, and Xiao Jin and Lin Xi both turned to look, involuntarily drawing a sharp breath.
Across the street was a public bus, although its windows were webbed with cracks, and inside, the moving shadows of people were faintly visible.
Who knew how many "people" were in there.
The three looked at each other, quickly stepping back.
"Jiang Xing, Chen An looks worse!" Xiao Jin exclaimed in shock.
Chen An's bleeding continued, and his breathing grew weaker. If it kept up, his life was in imminent danger.
Jiang Xing's gaze shifted, and she spotted a small clinic on a corner of the street.
The clinic was empty. Blood and medicine were scattered on the floor, and the air reeked of a strange, metallic smell, but beyond that, nothing unusual could be seen, aside from faint bloody footprints leading deeper inside.
Jiang Xing grabbed a water bottle from a side pocket in her bag and took two people inside.
Creak—
The sound of glass shards crunching underfoot was exceptionally clear. Jiang Xing held the water pipe tightly, reminding the other two to watch their steps to avoid the glass.
This was obviously a privately run clinic. The counter outside occupied half of the shop, while the other half extended behind a tightly shut wooden door.
Jiang Xing grasped the doorknob, twisted it twice, and found it locked.
Is someone inside?
She hesitated for a few seconds, then gently knocked twice.
The inside seemed eerily quiet, but through the wooden door, she could faintly hear some breathing—though it was unclear and could be anything. However, Jiang Xing thought she heard a faint sigh, suggesting that there might be someone alive inside.
With this in mind, she signaled for Lin Xi to try communicating with whoever was on the other side.
Understanding Jiang Xiang's intention, Lin Xi raised her voice and, in a pitiful tone, said, "Hello, could you open the door? One of my companions is seriously injured, and we need a bit of help..."
After Lin Xi's earnest plea, there seemed to be a reaction from within. After a "click" sound, the door opened a crack.
A cautious eye peeked out, and instead of seeing a vulnerable woman, the person was met with Jiang Xing, disheveled and holding a water pipe.
The eye immediately widened in fear, and before Lin Xi could explain, the person tried to close the door.
Jiang Xing acted quickly, jamming the water pipe into the crack and using all her strength to push the door open. She managed to force it open, and although the person inside seemed stunned by her actions, they had no chance to resist as she led the two of them inside.
Although she seemed somewhat intimidated by the young man's small stature and lack of physical strength, Jiang Xing didn't hesitate to bring the other two inside with her.
"What...what do you want?!"
The young man appeared to be a pharmacist, wearing a white coat that was too large for him. He was skinny, with a face full of caution, especially when he saw the three strangers barging in. He seemed about to scream in fright.
Lin Xi, however, quickly shushed him and, with a stern tone, said, "Stop yelling. Can't you see he's injured?"
Jiang Xing: …
With Lin Xi taking the lead, Jiang Xing and Xiao Jin quickly explained the situation to reassure the young man, helping him relax a little, or at least enough not to scream on the spot.
After some communication, Jiang Xing learned that the young man's name was Zhang Yun. He was a recent medical school graduate, practicing in his father's private clinic.
As for his father, he had left on the first day of the explosion, intending to lure away the zombies. Since then, his whereabouts had been unknown, and Zhang Yun had been waiting here alone for help ever since.
Despite the simple supplies at the clinic, Zhang Yun tried his best to maintain it as a temporary safe zone, even if it was on the verge of collapse.
Jiang Xing handed him some food, which he accepted in exchange for treating Li Zhian's wound.
Since there were injured people, Zhang Yun quickly finished eating and turned to examine Li Zhian's wound. After a quick check, he frowned, his face turning grim.
"The wound is severe; surgery is necessary, but it's risky in these conditions." Zhang Yun explained, "This small clinic usually only handles minor procedures and provides basic medicines. We rarely conduct major surgeries here."
Moreover, despite his experience, he was only a young, recently graduated medical student.
"Is there a way to save him?" Jiang Xing asked.
Zhang Yun hesitated, but after thinking it over, he softened his tone a bit, "I could try dressing the wound and giving him medication for now. If he stabilizes and conditions improve, surgery could be possible later."
After hearing this, Jiang Xing was slightly reassured, and Zhang Yun felt less guarded towards her, especially as she appeared earnest in wanting to help.
After briefly searching the clinic, Jiang Xing discovered a rear door leading to an alley. With Xiao Jin's assistance, they closed off the clinic's main entrance with heavy metal shelves, establishing a basic safe zone within the clinic.