Lin Jiu kicked away the table and dragged Xiao Xuan out with him.
The zombies roared behind them, smashing through the wooden door.
As they passed Grandpa Lü's corpse, Xiao Xuan picked up his Nepali kukri knife.
The heavy rain still hadn't stopped. The two of them rushed into the car in a panic.
"Bang!"
Two female zombies in school uniforms pounced on the car window, and the glass began to crack.
"Brother, drive! Hurry!"
Xiao Xuan was frightened by the rotting faces of the two zombies.
Lin Jiu fumbled in his pocket for the car keys. Because his pants were soaked, the key was stuck and wouldn't come out.
Frustrated, he tore the pocket open.
Then he quickly inserted the key into the ignition and started the car.
"Crash!"
Just as the zombies broke through the glass with their heads, he made a sharp turn and escaped.
Back on the main road heading east—he still planned to pick up Xiao Lan. For someone who could respawn infinitely, spending a little extra time was worth it if it meant being with his goddess forever.
But ten minutes later, his phone buzzed with messages.
Zhao Chen: "Lin Jiu, weren't you going to save Xiao Lan? Why haven't we heard from you?"
Xue Han: "Exactly. Our bro Chen already saved her. You're all talk."
Zhao Chen: "Hahaha, don't say that. Even I would be ashamed to boast like that."
Lin Jiu, driving one-handed, replied:"D*mn it, I got held up. You two better not get cocky!"
Xiao Lan: "Lin Jiu, are you hurt? Should I ask Zhao Chen to send someone to pick you up?"
At that moment, Xiao Lan was at the Zhao Corporation HQ, anxiously waiting. Her beautiful eyes shed a few tears—she was truly worried about Lin Jiu.
Back at school, they had hugged and kissed. Though Lin Jiu never officially said they were dating, she already saw him as her boyfriend.
Lin Jiu: "I'm fine, Xiao Lan. Wait for me, I'm on my way to you—it's the Zhao Corporation building, right?"
With her response, Lin Jiu relaxed and focused on driving, ignoring any further messages from Zhao Chen and Xue Han—he didn't need to see them to know they were mocking him.
The rain kept pouring. Puddles had turned into lakes, and it felt like they were driving over water.
Two hours later, Lin Jiu's eyelids began to betray him.
He wasn't used to driving, and now he was utterly exhausted. The car began to swerve on the road.
"Lin Jiu, don't sleep! If you're tired, let me drive."
Xiao Xuan had been looking out the window. Occasionally, lone zombies passed by.
When she felt the car swerving, she glanced over and saw Lin Jiu's eyes closed. Alarmed, she slapped him awake.
"Oh, okay."
Lin Jiu was indeed worn out after a sleepless night.
He began to slow down and pull over.
"Clunk!"
Just then, the car drove over a pothole filled with rainwater. Lin Jiu didn't notice, and the vehicle skidded off the road down a steep slope.
It tumbled over and over before crashing into a flower bed. The car was totaled, but thankfully, they weren't seriously hurt.
They climbed out dazed, sat nearby to rest, and after regaining their senses, shook their heads at the wrecked car.
"There should be cars near that mall up ahead. Let's find one."
Xiao Xuan pointed to a mall in the distance to the south. She knew Lin Jiu still had bullets, so getting another vehicle shouldn't be too difficult.
"Alright."
Lin Jiu massaged his temples and walked with her toward the mall.
Their clothes were completely soaked—perfect excuse to grab some dry ones once inside.
The slope had become a muddy mess from the rain, and it took them quite a struggle to make it out.
As they walked, they realized they had wandered into a live-action CS (combat simulation) field.
There were trenches, bunkers, makeshift buildings, wooden crates, abandoned cars, barrels...
Inside, it felt like a maze—but they could still see the mall's rooftop and confirmed the direction.
Beep beep!
Countdown: 24 hours.
"D*mn it!"
Lin Jiu looked at the surrounding weeds and trees and felt irritated.
At least being stuck in a building meant a clean place to sleep. Who knew how many bugs, snakes, or rats lurked here?
Twenty-four hours. A full day and night.
Before dark, he pulled Xiao Xuan aside.
"Let's head over tomorrow instead."
"Why?"
Xiao Xuan was puzzled.
"I have a bad feeling—like it's dangerous."
Lin Jiu made up an excuse. He couldn't very well tell her he was stuck here due to the countdown.
Even though this girl was a bit cold-blooded, her presence at least gave him some courage for the night.
Ignoring Xiao Xuan's suspicious look, Lin Jiu dragged her into a nearby shack.
"Click clack!"
As soon as they stepped inside, five burly men pointed guns at their heads.
"Check them for infections!"
The leader, a buzz-cut man with greying hair, wore camo and held an M4A1. The others were dressed similarly.
They frisked Lin Jiu and found no bite marks. Then they turned to Xiao Xuan with grins on their faces.
"She's not bitten. I wouldn't be with her if she was."
Lin Jiu pulled Xiao Xuan behind him. He still felt the urge to protect beautiful girls.
The buzz-cut leader eyed him, took a drag from his cigarette, and said:
"She your girl? Kid, you sure hit the jackpot."
Lin Jiu nodded, noticing all their guns were real.
He felt uneasy. This was bad. His own small pistol had only six rounds left, and with his lousy aim, he'd be riddled with bullets before he could hit anything.
And he still didn't know if this was a trap or just another zombie attack—none of it felt right.
"Phew... Can we just stay the night? We'll leave tomorrow."
He slapped his face. Overthinking was pointless. Worst case, he'd just respawn.
"Hahaha, sure. But this place ain't exactly safe at night—zombies all around. I'm not responsible for your safety. As for your girl, maybe I can keep her safe."
The buzz-cut man flicked away his cigarette and shrugged. He seemed casual, but he didn't cause them trouble.
"Rat-a-tat-tat..."
Just then, gunfire rang out outside. The men rushed out.
The shots came from the north.
Lin Jiu followed them through trenches. Up ahead, a group was fighting off zombies.
Outside the wire fence, zombies charged. Two had already climbed over.
The team fired at them. Bullets pierced the zombies' bodies but couldn't break through their skulls.
"Roar!"
One zombie let out a roar and lunged at a twin-tailed girl. In a blink, it was upon her.
Its wide-open mouth revealed sharp teeth—it was about to bite her fair neck.
"Bang!"
Lin Jiu had no choice but to fire. He recognized her—it was a small-time streamer named Yoon'er whose live shows he watched regularly.
The zombie's skull was blown apart, and it collapsed.
"Holy crap! Who's got that kind of firepower?!"
The group was stunned.
When they saw Lin Jiu holding the gun, all eyes turned to him in envy.
They knew how tough zombie skulls were—ordinary weapons couldn't do that. His gun had to be custom-made.
"Lin Jiu? You saved me?"
Yoon'er wiped the blood from her face and walked over.
She was a PUBG streamer, and Lin Jiu had been her first big gifter. She had even added him on WeChat and recognized him instantly.
"Waaah... You're so good to me..."
Before Lin Jiu could say a word, she threw herself into his arms, crying with gratitude.
"Hmph!"
Xiao Xuan snorted and turned away.
Lin Jiu instinctively patted Yoon'er's head, then grabbed her hand and ran.
Because the zombie horde had already broken through the fence.