C7 Chapter 7
Zeng Qiang exchanged glances with the others, a hint of trepidation in his gaze. "We should wait here for rescue. We still have the army. Once they arrive, we'll be saved!" His eyes brimmed with hope as he spoke, convinced that the military would come to their aid.
"What if I told you that we're the only eight survivors left in S City?" Jiang Ruan mused internally, a wry smile playing on her lips. It had been nearly a month since the apocalypse began. Why hadn't this so-called army shown up? They were struggling to survive themselves; how could they spare a thought for others now?
Zhu Zhengyan's expression grew icy as he demanded, "What exactly are you implying?"
Unfazed, Jiang Ruan laid out her thoughts plainly for all to hear. "S City is overrun with zombies. All the other survivors have fled; you must be aware of this."
They exchanged looks once more. They had spent their time holed up in the house, occasionally peering out the windows to witness the horrific scenes of people being bitten and turned into monsters, with only a few managing to escape.
Sensing their indecision, Jiang Ruan pressed on. "Furthermore, zombies are drawn to fresh blood. They may not know how to climb stairs and open doors yet, but that doesn't mean they won't figure it out. Do you really plan to stay here indefinitely?"
Her words struck them like a thunderbolt, snuffing out the last flickers of false hope.
Zeng Qiang regarded Jiang Ruan with newfound respect. She was well-informed, and he could see how valuable her knowledge would be to their survival.
"But if that's the case, with so many zombies in S City, how can we possibly get out?" Zeng Qiang echoed the question on everyone's minds.
Jiang Ruan gestured towards the nearby supermarket garage. "I just came from there. There are several good cars with keys still in the ignition. The zombies are sluggish now. If we have cars, we can break through."
The group turned their gaze back to the window. True enough, the zombies' movements were tortoise-like, advancing slowly, only quickening their pace when the scent of blood grew stronger. With a car at their disposal, escape didn't seem so impossible after all.
"We're headed to A City this time, a quaint coastal town. A lot of people have taken refuge there, and it's likely that many of the zombies have already been dealt with on the way. That should make our journey a bit easier. Plus, from there, traveling to B City is more straightforward. B City has a smaller population, just a few hundred thousand, so we can expect fewer zombies."
Jiang Ruan was determined to reach B City. Her brother was a freshman there, and with nearly a month into the apocalypse, she clung to the hope that he was still alive. She was convinced he had to be!
After some deliberation, Zeng Qiang and the others agreed that Jiang Ruan's plan had merit. As the de facto leader, Zeng Qiang declared, "We'll join you."
"Great, but we're short on time. I've already expended a lot of energy fighting a zombie, and it's getting late. Let's head to the garage first thing tomorrow morning to find a car, then hit the national road. If all goes well, we should only need a day's drive to reach A City."
They decided to leave the following day, after a trip to the supermarket for supplies and a stop at the garage for a car. They'd take the national road, conveniently passing a gas station to fill up. A few hours of driving should bring them to A City, though they anticipated many abandoned cars on the road, making the trip less than ideal. A day's travel was a cautious estimate.
As night fell, they found themselves in a room with just a few pieces of bread and a bottle of water. It was clear that they'd need to hunt for food soon.
The two women watched with longing and a touch of greed as Zeng Qiang divided the food, but ultimately, they each received only one piece of bread. Jiang Ruan, without any hesitation, pulled out a dozen cans from her backpack and handed them out, one per person. She also shared half of the water supply.
