After cleaning himself up, Asgi barely had time to sit before Shao Ming asked, "Did you really go in there all by yourself?"
"I'm not that impressive," Asgi replied, shaking his head. "It's not like I was driving an armored vehicle. I left the car outside the city and went through the sewers to reach the air-raid shelter. The generator there powers all the emergency alarms in the city, so I didn't have to activate them one by one."
"When I figured you'd need more time, I was about to head back, but then the zombies started pouring in."
"I thought you just barged right in," Shao Ming said, still finding it hard to believe.
Asgi let out a bitter laugh. "You think I'm Superman? If I could do that, I'd already be in Paris by now."
"Well, it's still impressive," Shao Ming admitted. "I wouldn't have the guts to try something like that."
The mention of the sewers got Shao Ming thinking. It wasn't a bad idea—avoiding the hordes by staying underground. Judging by the intelligence, or lack thereof, of the mutants, they wouldn't think to lift a manhole cover.
Regardless, Shao Ming felt lucky to have Asgi on their side. But a part of him stayed wary. With his skills, if Asgi ever wanted to take the train for himself, there wouldn't be much they could do to stop him.
Asgi, for his part, hadn't told them just how close he had come to death. Even as he climbed into the jeep to escape, doubts about his survival still lingered. Every step of the way had been fraught with danger, and it was only his years of special operations training that had kept him alive. Had he stayed even two minutes longer, he wouldn't be here now, standing in the sunlight, talking to Shao Ming.
Asgi wiped his hands on a rag and said, "Alright, kid, now it's your turn to handle your part of the plan."
"Let's get moving," Shao Ming replied. "If we're quick, we can reach the outskirts of Paris before nightfall."
The group packed up everything useful from Asgi's house and crammed it into the jeep before heading to the train. Once aboard, they realized how much better stocked they were now. With Asgi's supplies, they finally had enough food, warm bedding, and basic comforts to last for a while.
For the first time in what felt like ages, they could sleep under proper blankets.
As the train rumbled to life, Lambert, who was manning the controls, couldn't help but ask, "What do you think your chances are of finding your daughter in Paris?"
Asgi was silent for a long moment before answering, "Slim. But I still need to try."
An uncomfortable silence settled over the cabin, broken only by the rhythmic grinding of the wheels on the tracks.
"I won't drag you into it," Asgi finally said. "If the zombies are too many, I'll leave with you. No sense in us all dying for nothing."
Shao Ming glanced at Asgi, trying to read his expression. Was he really ready to abandon hope if Paris was overrun? Or was this just something he was telling himself? Maybe, Shao Ming thought, it would be better for Asgi not to see the city at all. If he didn't go in, at least he could hold on to the possibility that his daughter was still alive somewhere.
The train began picking up speed, and the group returned to the rear cars, leaving Lambert in the driver's seat. Despite the serious atmosphere, Lambert seemed to be enjoying himself—he was clearly impressed with the French railway system and was driving with an obvious enthusiasm.
Yamada Ryo sat beside Asgi, trying to offer some comfort. "Don't worry," she said, her voice gentle. "You're strong. You've made it this far."
Asgi gave her a faint smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I know the military better than anyone," he said, his tone darkening. "Paris has no natural defenses. To retake it, you'd need to fight millions of zombies, if not more. We don't have that kind of firepower anymore."
"But you haven't given up," Yamada replied, her voice firm. "Otherwise, we'd all be heading to Germany right now instead of Paris."
The train curved toward the coastline, revealing a breathtaking view of the English Channel. Waves crashed violently against the cliffs, their unyielding stone faces bearing silent witness to countless wars—and now, to the end of humanity's reign.
"It's beautiful," Feng Yusheng murmured, her gaze fixed on the sparkling sea.
Shao Ming nodded. "It is. Growing up inland, I always dreamed of seeing the ocean one day."
Feng Yusheng turned to him. "Do you trust Asgi?"
"In what sense?" Shao Ming asked.
"I mean… do you think he'll stay with us? Or turn on us?"
Shao Ming considered this. "So far, he seems trustworthy. If he had any intention of betraying us, he could've done it long ago—like when we were asleep at his house. Or he could've just taken the train after setting off the alarms. Let's be honest, Lambert wouldn't put up much of a fight if he had a gun pointed at him."
Feng Yusheng nodded, though she didn't look entirely convinced.
As the train sped along the coast, the group caught sight of England across the channel. The weather was clear, the sunlight glittering on the water.
But the peaceful scene was fleeting. Soon, the train approached a large city, and the tracks ahead swarmed with the unmistakable figures of zombies.
Lambert slowed the train, carefully plowing through the masses. The reinforced train's front car crushed everything in its path, turning the creatures into unrecognizable smears of flesh.
Asgi stood, his hand instinctively reaching for his rifle.
"Relax," Shao Ming said, waving him off. "At this speed, they can't catch us. They'll just get dragged under."
The train passed through streets cluttered with abandoned barricades, sandbags, and tangles of barbed wire—grim remnants of a futile last stand.
Lambert pointed to a map as they crossed a bridge. "This should be Boulogne," he said. "The first major city on the railway out of Calais."
The sight of the bridge—and the relative quiet on the other side—offered a small glimmer of hope. Perhaps, for now, the road to Paris was still passable.