Grandpa Lü was wearing an apron, frying sausages on the mahjong table when he heard the noise. He immediately drew his knife and stepped outside, sticking close to the wall.
Lin Jiu grabbed the hammer on the table and followed him.
The two crouched at the corner, peeking around cautiously.
The sewer was dim, but they could just make out someone descending at the entrance — it looked like a girl.
"Ponytail, tight outfit. This chick's got something going on," Grandpa Lü clicked his tongue, giving her a long, appreciative look.
Lin Jiu glanced sideways at him, thinking his brain's still messed up — even now he's checking out girls.
The girl looked panicked. She tried to go further inside, hesitated, then climbed back up.
Clang!
She closed the manhole, then came back down, using her phone flashlight to light the way, limping slightly.
"She's injured… don't tell me she got bitten. If so, we can't let her stay," Lin Jiu muttered, tightening his grip on the hammer.
Grandpa Lü also held his knife firmly, waiting for her to get closer. If she'd been scratched or bitten, he wouldn't hesitate to strike.
"Ahh… it hurts so bad…"
The girl limped forward, leaning against the wall. The trickling sewage masked the sound of their breathing.
Whap!
As soon as she reached them, Lin Jiu yanked her over.
Grandpa Lü crouched down to check her leg.
"Ahh! What are you doing? Perverts!" the girl yelled, struggling hard.
Lin Jiu had no choice but to pin her down. When she tried to bite him, he pressed her forehead to the ground.
After a quick inspection, Grandpa Lü said calmly, "Let her go. It's just bruises — looks like someone beat her. No bite marks."
"Hah, what a misunderstanding," Lin Jiu laughed awkwardly, releasing her and hiding the hammer behind his back.
But just as he smiled — smack! — he took a hard slap to the face.
"You've got a clean face, but no shame!" she snapped.
She raised her hand for another hit, but Lin Jiu grabbed her wrist angrily. "Enough! We were just checking if you were a zombie!"
Sure, she was pretty, but nowhere near Xiaolan. He had no interest in her.
Seeing Grandpa Lü nod as well, the girl took a breath and muttered coldly, "Sorry."
They started talking and found out her name was Xiaoxuan. She said she'd been attacked over an uneven split of supplies and had escaped here.
When Lin Jiu heard the rumble of a car passing overhead, he knew her pursuers were near.
His own car was parked not far from the manhole — if they saw it, they'd definitely suspect someone was hiding below.
He asked, "How many are they? What weapons?"
"Eight guys. All with horse-cutting sabers. They're from a martial arts school — really good fighters," Xiaoxuan replied.
Lin Jiu groaned. Great, just what we need… He grabbed a backpack and hurriedly stuffed some supplies in. The three of them prepared to move deeper into the sewers.
Clang!
The manhole creaked open, and eight figures climbed down one by one.
"Ahem, Liuzi, you sure she's hiding in a place like this?" a buzz-cut man in a suit asked the bleached-haired young guy beside him.
"Boss, it's the only spot she could be. Her leg's busted — she couldn't have gone far."
Liuzi swung his arm, snatching a flashlight from one of his men and heading deeper in.
Hearing them approach, Lin Jiu turned off their flashlight and led Grandpa Lü and Xiaoxuan into the dark.
Soon, a voice shouted, "Xiaoxuan! I know you're in here! Don't think you can run. Steal my gold bars? Say goodbye to your hands!"
Footsteps pounded behind them.
"What the hell? You said it was about sharing supplies, but you're just a d*mn thief!" Lin Jiu snapped.
Xiaoxuan just pouted and kept running, saying nothing.
"Right side!" Grandpa Lü sprinted ahead to lead the way.
"Stop! Xiaoxuan, you can't run anymore!"
"Told you she was here," someone from the pursuers sneered.
The eight of them sped up, quickly gaining ground.
Lin Jiu and the others ran at full speed. Xiaoxuan ignored her injury and pushed herself to keep up.
They reached another manhole. The three of them scrambled up and emerged at a street intersection.
There were a few zombies shuffling in the distance.
"Find a car!" Lin Jiu yelled. They wouldn't escape on foot.
He scanned the area and spotted a white Volkswagen about 50 meters away — its door was open.
He dashed toward it without hesitation. Though a fat zombie loomed nearby, he felt confident with Grandpa Lü there.
Bang!
Lin Jiu jumped forward, smashing his hammer into the zombie's decayed face.
Grandpa Lü followed with a textbook side-kick, sending the creature flying.
The three of them piled into the car.
"Don't let them get away!"
The suited man led his group in pursuit, cutting down a zombie that tried to block them.
"Whew… thank god the key's inside." Lin Jiu started the car and slammed the pedal.
The figures behind them faded into the distance as he focused on weaving through the undead on the road.
The countdown only had three days left. He couldn't afford any mistakes now — surviving was everything.
"Go to my place. There's a basement in my garage," Xiaoxuan suddenly said, giving directions.
An hour later, they arrived. Luckily her place was nearby, or they wouldn't have made it.
It turned out to be a car wash — two floors. The "garage" she mentioned was the first floor shop.
Lin Jiu frowned. "Where's the basement?"
Without a word, Xiaoxuan opened the rolling door and waved him to drive in, then quickly closed it behind them.
This place had clearly been abandoned for a while. No people, no zombies.
She walked to the back, pushed aside a wooden cabinet, and lifted a gray mat on the floor, revealing an iron panel.
She unlocked it and pulled the handle, opening it.
"Come on in."
She went down first. A narrow stairway led them underground.
Lin Jiu was the last one in, and he closed the iron plate above them.
When the lights came on, he was stunned.
Aside from a large bed in the corner, the walls were lined with shelves — filled with jewelry, gold items, and valuables.
Several display cabinets stood by the bed, full of luxury bags and shoes.
"How much did you steal?" Lin Jiu gawked. These were worth a fortune — enough for a serious prison sentence.
"Steal? These are break-up gifts! I dated that b*st*rd Huo Jing for years. You think I wouldn't take some severance pay when we split?" Xiaoxuan huffed, hands on hips.
Lin Jiu figured Huo Jing must be the suited guy chasing them. So they were once a couple.
Whatever. This place was safe enough to survive three days. As for who Xiaoxuan really was — didn't matter.
"Xiao Jiu, where do we go after the 3 days?" Grandpa Lü asked, lighting a cigarette, completely calm.
"Leave this place," Lin Jiu replied offhandedly, ignoring Xiaoxuan's curious look.
Over the next few days, Huo Jing and his men scoured the area, but only in places with few zombies.
Meanwhile, the zombies had grown faster and more ferocious. The humans were now struggling to handle even a couple at a time.
Beep beep!
Countdown: 10 minutes 20 seconds
Lin Jiu stared at the ticking numbers but couldn't feel any joy.
Somehow, a few zombies had sensed their presence and were now clawing at the iron panel above them.
The thick steel was already starting to dent and split.
Blood-red claws tore through with terrifying sharpness, sending chills down their spines.
"W-What do we do now?!" Xiaoxuan whimpered in panic.