C29 What about the People?

On an early autumn morning, a chill lingered in the breeze. Under normal circumstances, as October 1st approached, many would be busy booking trips or planning to use the long holiday to visit family. But in the silence of Yanjing's dawn, the temperature had dipped a few degrees colder than in the days before the apocalypse.

Sunn Shuhai, clad in just a light jacket, shivered uncontrollably in a storefront across from the police station, silently cursing the bitter weather, careful not to make a sound. Nearby, others were hidden in adjacent rooms—this time, Boss Woo had taken charge, leading a team of twenty. He even brought out half of his usual gang, underscoring the gravity he placed on this mission. Once the ambush was set, Boss Woo found a spot to sleep deeply, leaving Sunn Shuhai to oversee the surveillance. Thus, Sunn Shuhai, the so-called strategist, was forced to direct those who had been coerced into joining them in their menial tasks.

As he waited, fraught with irritation, dark circles formed under Sunn Shuhai's eyes, and he couldn't shake the persistent cold that gripped his body. When the sun finally rose, he resisted the urge to draw back the heavy curtains, denying himself the sun's warmth and instead pulled his jacket tighter around him.

At the brink of his endurance, a voice crackled through the walkie-talkie: "Five people approaching from the east side of the street!"

Sunn Shuhai quickly peered out the window, squinting through the curtain's slit toward the east. Five figures stealthily made their way down the street, their careful movements betraying their skill at navigating the post-apocalyptic world without attracting zombie attention. Reaching the police station's entrance, they paused to scan their surroundings. This was the station where Lee Yuanhong had rescued Wang Jingrong. The group—Lee Yuanhong, Lee Luoxia, Wang Jingrong, and two soldiers—surveyed the area. Seeing no immediate threat, Lee Yuanhong raised the makeshift shield—a pot lid—and led the way into the station. Inside, a few zombies roamed but were quickly dispatched by the group, their low-level threat no match for the survivors' hardened skills. In moments, Lee Yuanhong and his companions vanished into the station's shadows.

Upon witnessing this, Sunn Shuhai promptly alerted Boss Woo, who then led the group stealthily towards the police station. Upon entering, they found no sign of Lee Yuanhong and his companions on the ground floor, only a few freshly slain zombies—clearly the handiwork of Lee Yuanhong's team. Sounds from the second floor suggested that Lee Yuanhong and the others had ascended. With a decisive gesture from Boss Woo, the group surged upstairs.

Reaching the second floor, they discovered an iron gate swung wide open, its lock broken, yet Lee Yuanhong and his group were nowhere in sight. Suddenly, noises emanated from a room near the western end of the corridor. Boss Woo signaled, and the group cautiously approached the room, marked by a sign that read "Bureau Chief's Office." Boss Woo motioned for Sunn Shuhai to scout the room. Peeking inside, Sunn Shuhai saw no one, but noticed a filing cabinet shifted aside, revealing a partially open iron door behind it.

Sunn Shuhai gestured to Boss Woo, indicating that people were inside. Gathering at the iron door, Boss Woo silently instructed Sunn Shuhai to kick it open for a surprise assault. To be safe, Sunn Shuhai directed a survivor to perform the kick. The survivor inhaled deeply, then forcefully struck the iron door with his foot.

A loud clang was followed by the sharp report of a gunshot. The survivor who had kicked the door collapsed instantly at the threshold, throwing the group into disarray. Sunn Shuhai and Boss Woo quickly took cover on either side of the door to avoid any further gunfire from within.

Boss Woo called out, "Friends inside, hold your fire! We're human, not zombies."

No response came from inside. Undeterred, Boss Woo continued, "Friends, we mean no harm. We're just here searching for supplies. We can assist each other—there's no need for violence."

But the only reply was a menacing growl from within the room, signaling that the occupants were anything but amicable.

Boss Woo gestured to Sunn Shuhai to lead the charge into the room. With a look of resignation, Sunn Shuhai gripped the steel bar in his hand and gestured to the other reluctant survivors to approach the door.

Shrouded in darkness, the survivors hesitated at the threshold, too fearful to advance. Left with no other option, Sunn Shuhai reluctantly lifted his foot and kicked them forward, barking, "Get in there! The first one to grab the enemy gets a can of food!"

With trepidation, the survivors steeled themselves and surged into the gloom. The room erupted with the sounds of a scuffle and intermittent roars. Something felt off to Sunn Shuhai as he listened, prompting him to quickly call for a flashlight. The beam revealed a grim scene: the survivors were grappling with a zombie, some already bitten and clawed, with no one else in sight. Sunn Shuhai was taken aback. "Where is everyone?"

Just then, the chilling roars of zombies echoed from the lower floors, and realization dawned on them—they had been duped. Sunn Shuhai swiftly sealed the door to the secret room, knowing the fate of those inside was sealed by the zombie's bite. He then urgently called out to Boss Woo, "Boss Woo, we've been had! We need to pull out, now!"

Boss Woo, ever decisive, made a quick retreat. But as he reached the second-floor stairwell, he was met with a horrifying sight: over a dozen zombies had stormed the first-floor hall, and outside the police station, a frenzied horde of a hundred zombies clamored at the glass doors.

In that moment, Sunn Shuhai let out a scream that rivaled Pavarotti's, sprinting into the police chief's office and slamming the door shut behind him.

Boss Woo, snapping to his senses, dashed toward an unlocked office. But as he nudged the door open, a zombie lunged at him. Boss Woo, tough as nails, kicked the creature down, drew his machete, and decapitated it in one swift motion. He then raced to the window, noting the sparse zombie presence outside, and leaped out without a second thought. As Boss Woo's feet hit the ground, a chilling gust hit him. Battle-hardened, he rolled with the landing, narrowly evading the icy blast. But a cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he saw a quivering arrow embedded in the ground where he had just stood.

Before Boss Woo had a chance to catch his breath, two arrows whizzed toward him from opposite directions. With shaky legs, Boss Woo rolled forward once more, but before he could get back on his feet, another pair of arrows hurtled his way. This time, he couldn't escape; one arrow buried itself in his skull, and another struck him squarely in the back. As he lay there, Boss Woo still couldn't fathom who had ended his life.

Shortly after Boss Woo's demise, several figures stepped out from the nearby shadows—it was Lee Yuanhong and his crew. With caution, Lee Yuanhong approached Boss Woo's lifeless body and gave it a nudge with his foot. When there was no response, he bent down for a closer inspection. Once he was certain Boss Woo was dead, he began to search the body. Among the items he found were a machete and a key—an item that clearly held great significance, or Boss Woo wouldn't have carried it so closely. Lee Yuanhong secured the key on his person, secretly slipping it into his spatial ring.

Having collected their dues, Lee Yuanhong and his group skirted the police station and made their way to the market across the street. By now, the zombies that once crowded the market had been drawn into the police station by Lee Yuanhong's tactics, leaving only a scant few behind. These remaining few posed no threat to Lee Yuanhong, a seasoned zombie slayer.

After restocking on supplies to make up for the recent depletion, Lee Yuanhong and his men promptly vacated the area. They were all too aware that the horde of zombies inside the police station could return at any moment.