Thus,
The team continued their risky venture,
Deciding to enter the relatively quiet high-end neighborhood, one that appeared to pose little danger, in hopes of a stroke of luck.
They carefully slipped through a broken fence, entering the area.
The team members scanned their surroundings, relieved not to see any zombies or other mutated creatures.
"Thankfully, it seems we haven't attracted the attention of those beasts."
Captain Wang Defa whispered his orders:
"Our team, number 9, hasn't been able to bring back enough supplies for three consecutive days. If we return empty-handed today, our treatment will only get worse."
"The sky's growing dark. This neighborhood is our last hope. Let's prioritize searching for supermarkets. Move out."
Ma Cheng, the vice-captain and a semi-evolved Evolver, nodded first.
The three regular team members also nodded in agreement.
They moved in a tight formation, following Captain Wang Defa's lead, cautiously navigating through the neighborhood, searching for supermarkets or other places that might still have food or supplies.
The 9th search team was exceedingly careful.
Whenever they spotted even the faintest sign of zombies, they would lower their voices and take a detour, avoiding exposure.
As they walked,
Vice-Captain Ma Cheng grew suspicious. Lowering his voice, he said to his teammates:
"Don't you think the zombies here are scattered in a strange, almost deliberate pattern? It's like they've been positioned across every street, with only a few remote spots remaining empty."
At this reminder,
The three regular team members began to feel uneasy.
Xu Shuai, the young man in a white T-shirt, frowned.
"You're right. Normally, zombies gather instinctively, which is one of the main reasons for zombie hordes and waves. But here, they seem unusually spread out."
"Good to be cautious,"
Captain Wang Defa replied.
"But so far, we haven't shown any signs of being exposed, and these zombies haven't displayed any unusual behavior."
"I've already spotted a Haha Le supermarket up ahead. We need to focus on finding supplies, that's our priority."
"Captain's right, finding supplies and getting back to the shelter is what matters most."
With the captain's word,
The team moved forward without dissent.
They lowered their bodies and footfalls, careful not to alert the nearby zombies, and quietly entered the supermarket.
They began searching for food and supplies, and their efforts were rewarded with a few finds, their faces lighting up with joy.
Unbeknownst to them,
Every action they took had already been observed.
On the rooftop,
The imposing Tyrant zombie watched the supermarket below.
He sneered:
"Hmph, foolish humans. They don't even realize our presence and dare to trespass into our master's territory. They're courting death!"
Blade Tyrant, wielding an oversized broadsword, looked every bit the part, radiating a murderous aura.
He gazed at the faint figures inside the supermarket,
And with a slight smirk, murmured:
"This is perfect. Food's coming straight to our doorstep. As the boss always says—if food's offered, don't refuse, that would be ungrateful!"
"Then I'll just have a little feast!"
Tyrant was eager, his appetite growing. He cracked his fists, preparing to leap from the rooftop and feast.
But at that moment,
Blade Tyrant placed a hand on Tyrant's shoulder, pulling him back.
"You don't need to do it yourself,"
He said,
"This is a small matter—let the underlings handle it. Just leave one alive for the boss to interrogate later."
With a snap of his fingers,
The commanding presence of the zombie leader spread out,
And the zombies wandering nearby immediately received their orders. They began to converge on the Haha Le supermarket, slowly surrounding the humans.
...
"Look, Captain, I found a bag of expired bread, but it's still fine, no mold, this is perfect!"
"I've got some toilet paper and sanitary pads, these are rare items!"
"I found some bottles of bottled water, not opened or contaminated, they're clean!"
The team was elated with their findings,
Whispering excitedly as they shared their discoveries, eagerly stuffing their backpacks with supplies.
About ten minutes later,
The supermarket had been thoroughly searched.
Anything useful, if it fit, was packed into their bags, ready to be taken back to the shelter for a triumphant return.
Zhang Cong, a young team member, laughed:
"This haul is enough to redeem our failures. I'll show those lazy fools what we're capable of!"
He was the first to head toward the exit.
However,
As he stepped outside,
The laughter abruptly stopped.
Zhang Cong froze in his tracks, cold sweat dripping from his forehead, his hands and feet trembling uncontrollably, clearly terrified by what he saw.
"What's wrong?"
"Is something happening?"
Captain Wang Defa, Vice-Captain Ma Cheng, Xu Shuai, Liu Chen, and the rest of the team stepped outside, startled by Zhang Cong's sudden stillness, and called out in confusion.
With a trembling voice, Zhang Cong slowly pointed ahead:
"Zombies... We're surrounded!"
"What?!"
The entire team was immediately shocked.
"Surrounded? When did this happen?!"
"Damn, there's more than a hundred of them! This is a big problem!"
The search team turned to face the front.
What they saw was a dense mass of zombies.
Each zombie looked fierce and menacing, with ghastly faces, pallid skin devoid of any color, their bloodshot eyes filled with a murderous intent.
They stared at the survivors.
The air was filled with low growls and shrieks from the zombies' throats.
"Captain, what should we do?"
Liu Chen, still new to this, had never seen such a scene before. He was trembling with fear, nearly paralyzed, and quickly asked the captain for a plan.
Captain Wang Defa's eyes sharpened, his voice serious:
"There's only one option—charge!"
"Although there are many zombies, if we concentrate our efforts and break through in one direction, we might still have a chance to escape!"
"I'll clear the way in front, Vice-Captain will cover the rear, the rest of you defend the flanks."
"When I count to three, we all charge to the right!"
"One!"
"Two!"
"Three! Charge!"
At his command,
The search team sprinted forward, shouting as they attempted to break through to the right, their actions fueled by desperation, a final battle against the odds.
And indeed,
This was the most likely method for success.
But the very next moment,
The team's charge came to a sudden halt,
Their expressions filled with shock, their eyes wide as saucers.