Exhausted, Zhang Hua fell asleep right after finishing her meal.
She lay on the bed, defenseless. Whether it was because she trusted Zhang Lei too much or simply lacked the energy to resist, she didn't know.
But, to be honest, Zhang Hua really liked Zhang Lei.
He was handsome, and younger than her.
Despite being just a kid, he was incredibly gentle and considerate. This was probably what people meant by a "puppy dog" personality.
Of course, she didn't have the energy to think too much about it.
Her tired body caused her to quickly drift off into a deep sleep.
And seeing this, Zhang Lei gathered up the leftover food and placed it by her bedside.
Then, he covered her with a blanket before quietly leaving the room.
When Zhang Lei exited the bedroom, he passed through several hallways on his way to the first floor.
There were a few doors along the way.
Zhang Lei locked each one and even moved the sofa, cabinets, and other furniture in front of the doors, effectively blocking them.
Was he trying to lock Zhang Hua in on the second floor?
Of course not.
If Zhang Hua realized she couldn't get out, she could easily jump out of the second-floor window.
After all, it wasn't that high.
Alternatively, she could use some flyers to make a rope and climb down.
In other words, these obstacles weren't meant to trap Zhang Hua. On the contrary, they were meant to protect her.
Because what Zhang Lei was about to do was, to put it mildly, somewhat insane.
He reached the kitchen on the first floor.
Zhang Lei found a small fruit knife and a bottle.
He planned to fill the bottle with something that would attract the zombies.
Huang Jin had once said that zombies were highly sensitive to the smell of blood.
So, the best method would be to fill the bottle with fresh blood.
But where could he find blood?
Of course, he could return to the shelter and find a victim.
However, Zhang Lei knew that his small frame wouldn't give him much of an advantage in a fight.
So, the safer option was to use his own blood.
"Puff…"
He cut his left hand, enduring the sharp pain.
Then, he filled the bottle with the flowing blood, slowly filling it halfway.
It wasn't until he began to feel lightheaded and dizzy that he decided to bandage the wound.
The knife had some rust on it. Ideally, he should have used disinfectant to prevent infection, but Zhang Lei didn't care. In fact, he used black waterproof tape to tightly cover the wound, ensuring no blood would leak out.
With his "prop" in hand—half a bottle of human blood—Zhang Lei put on the zombie suit Huang Jin had left for him.
He went outside.
He headed to the highway, the only road that led directly to the main entrance of the shelter.
There, he began hauling large stones and other obstacles from the sides of the road.
He was setting up a barricade.
After working for a long while, the zombies nearby were finally drawn by the noise.
At that point, Zhang Lei hurriedly left.
Before he left, he poured the blood from the bottle onto the road.
Zhang Lei returned to the villa near the shelter.
Looking at the moonlit landscape, he saw zombies wandering around in the distance.
Taking a deep breath, he raised a knife and stabbed it into his shoulder.
As blood poured from the wound and the air began to reek of blood, Zhang Lei grabbed a nearby stick and started pounding on an iron trash can.
"Bang bang bang!!!"
The sharp, jarring sound broke the night's silence.
"Ugh…"
It didn't take long before all the zombies in the area were attracted to the noise…
"Bang bang bang!!!"
"Ugh…"
The noise outside disrupted Zhang Hua's sleep, pulling her out of her dreams.
She froze, then immediately sat up in panic.
She recognized the sound—it was unmistakably the scream of a zombie.
Zhang Hua was nervous but, driven by curiosity, cautiously approached the window, where Zhang Lei had drawn the curtains.
She squatted down and peered through a small gap in the curtains to look into the backyard.
She only needed one glance to be horrified and quickly pulled back.
Without a second thought, she dove into the dark wardrobe, hoping to ride out the danger there.
So, what exactly did Zhang Hua see to make her so scared?
The answer was: a horde of zombies.
Under the moonlight, she saw the entire backyard was filled with zombies.
However, what she didn't notice was that these zombies were all heading in the same direction.
And that direction wasn't anywhere else.
It was the secret passage leading into the shelter.
"Ah!!!!!!"
With the first blood-curdling scream from a poor shareholder heading to the bathroom in the middle of the night, the tranquility of the shelter was shattered.
Not long after, a swarm of zombies began pouring out from Huang Jin's rented house.
The world descended into chaos.
"What the hell?!!!"
The shelter's shareholders rushed out of their rooms, only to be greeted by a sea of zombies.
They froze for a moment, then quickly scrambled to flee.
The shelter's leader, the Bald Brother's cousin, was a middle-aged man in his forties.
He was also bald and had a long scar on his face, which earned him the nickname "Scarface" among the shelter's residents.
As the shelter's founder, Scarface had a few tricks up his sleeve.
Although he was startled by the sight of zombies everywhere, he quickly regained his composure.
Scarface rushed to the underground garage, where the other shareholders followed.
Before long, the group managed to get into a modified off-road vehicle, planning to escape.
As for food and supplies? Forget it, there was no time to grab them. They could come back later and salvage what they could.
For now, survival was the priority—after all, it's better to live to fight another day.
With the vehicle, the group sped off.
Along the way, someone tried to block their path.
It was Xiao Er, the lackey who had ingratiated himself with the shareholders and gained some influence in the shelter.
He stood in the vehicle's path, waving excitedly.
"Scarface! It's me! Take me with you!"
But Scarface didn't even bother to hit the brakes.
Instead, he floored the gas pedal.
"Bang!!!!"
Xiao Er was struck by the vehicle and flung to the side. His body lay on the roadside, life or death uncertain.
"Ugh!!!"
The surrounding zombies quickly swarmed in, tearing at his body.
—At least it was clear now: his fate had been sealed.
The vehicle sped past the shelter's gates, leaving the zombies and chaos behind.
Thankfully, the guards had already fled, so the shareholders didn't have to stop and open the gate themselves.
Scarface and his crew planned to drive out of the city and return at daylight.
There weren't many zombies outside the city, so they could easily shake off the horde.
It felt safer that way.
The shareholders nodded in agreement, beginning to feel a bit calmer.
Meanwhile, the man in the passenger seat, Hu Ge, looked back through the rearview mirror at the zombies chasing them.
With a relaxed air, he pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a long drag.
After savoring the smoke, he looked at the zombies in the rearview mirror and muttered, "Bunch of idiots."
Just as his words left his mouth, the vehicle suddenly came to a halt.
"What's going on?" Hu Ge asked, confused.
He followed Scarface's trembling gaze and looked ahead.
There, blocking their path, was a massive horde of zombies, completely blocking the road…