After Lin Jiu and the others ran off, they heard chewing sounds behind them and knew the uncle was done for.
Without looking back, they made a beeline for the mall.
[Survival Coins: 1]
There were still three bullets left in the magazine, so Lin Jiu didn't exchange for another clip immediately.
Survival coins were hard to come by—five coins could get you a submachine gun with a 30-round magazine, and a single clip only cost one coin.
After running about 500 meters, they reached the mall. The zombies behind, having finished chewing on the uncle's corpse, began wandering aimlessly when they couldn't see any more humans.
"Huff... huff..."
"Let's find some clothes to change into. Be careful—there might be zombies inside," Lin Jiu warned, panting.
Their clothes were soaked. If they kept wearing them, they'd probably get sick—and in the apocalypse, there's no doctor to go to.
The first floor was a big supermarket, surrounded by snack stalls.
Seeing no zombies around, the three took the escalator to the second floor.
"Roar!"
Just as they reached the top, a zombie girl in a pink dress with disheveled hair lunged at them.
No time to see her disgusting face clearly—Lin Jiu blasted her head off with a shot.
"Girl... you almost scared your brother Jiu to death!"
With the zombie down, Lin Jiu led the other two inside.
They each picked clothes they liked.
Lin Jiu grabbed a gray tracksuit and a denim outfit, stuffed the tracksuit in his bag, and changed into the denim one.
Mostly because it had more pockets—perfect for stashing his pistol.
Xiao Xuan and Yoonah couldn't help themselves and actually began chatting about the quality of the fabric.
"Hurry up! You think you're shopping?" Lin Jiu smacked his forehead and urged them on.
Finally, they settled on their choices—Xiao Xuan chose a black dress and some stockings, while Yoonah changed into a pink short-sleeve top and white skirt.
"Ready? Let's find a ride."
Lin Jiu headed downstairs. He really didn't understand their sense of fashion—this was the apocalypse. A pair of jeans would be way more practical. Fall once in those outfits and they'd scrape their knees badly.
To avoid more delays, Lin Jiu went outside to look for a car.
There were lots of cars in the mall's parking lot, but they were all locked and the keys nowhere in sight.
He searched the area and found a BMW on the roadside with the door open. The keys were still in the ignition—who knows where the owner went.
"Hey! I found a car, hurry up!"
He got in and started the engine. Seeing it had half a tank of gas, he felt a little more at ease.
Once the two girls got in, they drove eastward along the main road.
"Ugh…"
Yoonah was wiping the wound on her arm with a tissue. As she wiped, she noticed the skin beneath was turning black.
Her heart pounded. She had only been grazed by a piece of shrapnel. Could it be infected with the virus?
Terrified but unwilling to say anything, she quickly pulled on a sun jacket to cover it up.
Three hours later, Lin Jiu drove into central Shicheng. This was the shortest route to Zhao Group in the east.
But as soon as he arrived, he regretted it—the density of zombies here was far worse than he expected.
They packed the entire street, shoulder to shoulder.
"Sh*t…"
Lin Jiu slammed the brakes, turned the car around, and drove into a nearby subway station.
Inside, the concourse was quiet. The three finally relaxed a bit.
"Brother, where exactly are we going? This is too dangerous. Why not head out of the city?" Xiao Xuan questioned Lin Jiu, doubting his motives.
She was sure he knew how dangerous the city center would be, yet insisted on coming—there had to be a reason.
"We're going to Zhao Group. I… I have a good friend there—Zhao Chen, the heir to the Zhao family!" Lin Jiu forced himself to say it, feeling disgusted inside. Zhao Chen would probably throw up if he heard this.
Seeing Xiao Xuan nod in understanding, Lin Jiu walked over to the subway tunnel. The trains had stopped running, and it seemed safer to walk inside.
He checked the subway map. Fortunately, they didn't need to switch lines—this one led straight to the eastern station.
Just as they entered the tunnel, two figures emerged from behind a column.
"Feng, that's our target, right? The one Zhao Chen wants dead?"
A man in a trench coat and sunglasses whispered. He had long hair.
"That's him. Looks just like the photo. Inside here's a good place to take him out. Once it's done, those two babes are ours to play with." The bulky guy in a white suit and permed hair grinned creepily.
"Hehehe…"
They snickered and followed Lin Jiu and his group.
The tunnel was dark and eerily quiet.
Lin Jiu held a flashlight, his breathing shallow.
They walked for who knows how long. No zombies, but the mood was stifling.
"Brother, how much longer?" Yoonah whispered behind Lin Jiu, her big eyes scanning around nervously.
"I don't know. Just keep walking."
Lin Jiu was so tired he was about to fall asleep. His hand holding the flashlight was trembling.
"Ding dong, ding dong!"
A ringtone echoed through the silent tunnel.
"Who's there?!"
Xiao Xuan instinctively drew her blade and turned around. Her senses were sharp—the sound had come from behind.
After a rustling sound, Feng and the blind guy stepped out.
"Why the hell did you set an alarm? Lucky they've got nowhere to run or you'd have blown the whole thing!" Feng smacked the blind guy on the head.
The two of them then struck a dramatic back-to-back pose and shouted, "We are the 2B Killer Squad!"
"Killers? Why are you following us?" Lin Jiu asked, confused.
"Hahaha…" The two burst into maniacal laughter. They drew their pistols and said, "Lin Jiu, right? Our master Zhao Chen said trash like you doesn't deserve Xiao Lan. We're here to send you off!"
Hearing that, Lin Jiu realized they were Zhao Chen's lackeys.
Click click!
He also drew his pistol. Only two bullets left—he wasn't sure he could take them both out.
"Whoa, Feng, he's got a gun too."
"Haha, didn't see that coming. Hope it's not a toy gun."
The two didn't take him seriously at all.
Xiao Xuan held back—she saw their guns and didn't act recklessly.
"Ah…"
Just then, Yoonah suddenly charged at them. Her infected arm had given her immense strength. She knocked them both down.
"Brother… I'm turning into a zombie. Run, now!"
She grabbed at their guns. A shot fired, tearing through her stomach. Blood spilled out.
Lin Jiu turned and ran. With only two bullets left, if he missed, they were doomed. He needed to find cover and wait for the right moment.
Feng and the blind guy pushed Yoonah off.
"B*tch! Think you can mess with the 2B Killer Squad? We're professionals!"
The blind guy kicked her leg, and the two chased after Lin Jiu.
All they could hear was his footsteps—he was already out of sight.
After they left, Xiao Xuan's wounds began to heal. She twitched her fingers, then opened her eyes—now pitch black, no whites left.
"Stop! You're not getting away."
"Hehe, we'll take care of that chick for you."
The two killers moved like they owned the place. Their agility in the tunnel was frightening.
Within moments, they had almost caught up to Lin Jiu.