C114 Qin Mengli's Sincere Words Shocked All the Ghosts(2)

Tang Bing was behind the wheel of the bus, loaded with supplies, speeding back along the road they had come from.

Apart from the factory, everyone on board was on edge. Long-distance driving in these conditions meant an inevitable encounter with hordes of zombies. Getting trapped by them would spell disaster!

They each sat by the windows, eyes scanning the streets outside. Yet, despite having covered a good distance, not a single zombie had been spotted.

"There really aren't any zombies!" Sun Meng exclaimed, looking around in disbelief. "Bing, what's happening?"

"I don't know!" Tang Bing replied, his hands steady on the wheel.

"Where are we headed?" Qin Mengli inquired, her voice tinged with concern.

"To the northern outskirts of the city," Tang Bing glanced in the rearview mirror, "to the most secluded part of the Lin District!"

"Ah?!" Lin Leyan was taken aback, "The north side? It's huge, which part are you talking about?"

"I'm not sure myself!" Tang Bing kept his eyes on the road, "But it'll take at least four or five hours to get there. The mountain roads are treacherous."

"How remote is it?" Liang Hui asked, her mouth agape in astonishment.

"But there are no zombies!" Tang Bing assured them, "I've been there for five days and didn't encounter a single one!"

Zhao Dagang checked his watch, his face clouding with concern, "But Bing, it gets dark quickly when it rains. Forget four or five hours, it'll be night in three! Could we run into danger on the way?"

"Don't worry," Tang Bing addressed his fears, "Once we're out of the urban area, zombies are scarce. A few of them pose no real threat to us."

"Oh! That's a relief!" Zhao Dagang relaxed, putting his full trust in Tang Bing's words.

As they conversed, Tang Bing suddenly felt the presence of something approaching from the left, something massive.

Initially, he thought a building was collapsing, but he quickly dismissed the thought as the colossal object appeared to be alive!

Unable to identify the mysterious entity and overwhelmed by a sense of dread, he floored the gas pedal, propelling the bus forward at breakneck speed.

"Ahh!" A black shadow plummeted from the sky, startling Qin Mengli into a piercing scream as she sat by the window.

Tang Bing's hands flew across the steering wheel, carving an S-shaped curve on the asphalt. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he caught sight of a colossal humanoid creature looming behind them.

This creature was the stuff of nightmares, its entire form composed of a writhing mass of zombies. Its head, torso, and limbs were a dense patchwork of the undead. From a distance, it resembled a cluster of beehives, with the entangled zombies squirming like larvae within.

The creature swung a massive fist down, which Tang Bing narrowly avoided. Zombies from the creature's fist tumbled to the ground, only to be magnetically reabsorbed, reconstructing the monstrous limb.

"What in the world is that?" The emergence of this behemoth had completely overturned Tang Bing's understanding of zombies. He had never imagined that zombies could assemble like building blocks into a grotesque monstrosity!

"This defies science!" Lin Leyan exclaimed, her eyes wide with horror at the sight of the monster outside.

"Discussing science in a world overrun by zombies? Really, Teacher Lin?" Tang Bing retorted, although he too was taken aback by the beast. He quickly surmised that this aberration must be some kind of mutant zombie. It dawned on him why the area was devoid of zombies—they had likely been absorbed by this mutant, becoming part of its monstrous form.

The creature's onslaught continued, its blows raining down on the road. The concrete proved tougher than the zombie flesh, which splintered and shattered under the impact. The bus's engine noise had clearly drawn the creature's ire, prompting the relentless chase.

Tang Bing floored the accelerator, his resolve steeling him against the thought of stopping.

The road might withstand the zombie behemoth, but the bus was a different story. A single punch could spell disaster for everyone inside.

Thankfully, the passengers were buckled in, secure against the wild, evasive maneuvers as Tang Bing swerved to dodge the creature's attacks.

The monster was fearsome, but thankfully, not swift.

After a harrowing chase, Tang Bing finally outpaced the beast, leaving it far behind as he sped toward the safety of the city outskirts.

The passengers in the car were still reeling from the shock, Liang Hui most of all. Clutching her mother, she shivered uncontrollably.

"What on earth was that thing?" Zhao Dagang, having regained his composure, spoke with a shudder, "Since when can zombies transform like that?"

"It's likely a mutant," Qin Mengli replied, taking deep breaths to steady herself. "Zombies that breathe fire, spit poison, or even fly exist. So, a giant zombie isn't all that surprising."

"That's not a giant zombie, though!" Sun Meng chimed in. "If it were just one zombie that got big, sure, giant zombie would fit. But that was clearly a mass of zombies fused together. I'd say 'composite zombie' is more fitting!"

"Does it really matter? Giant zombie, composite zombie—is there a difference?" Qin Mengli asked, her brow furrowed.

"There's a world of difference! The two terms convey entirely different concepts!" Sun Meng retorted with a scoff.

"Are we really doing this? Arguing over this?" Qin Mengli's eyes flashed with annoyance. "What are you getting at, Sun Meng?"

"I'm just stating the facts," Sun Meng stood her ground.

Behind the wheel, Tang Bing felt an odd sensation. Qin Mengli and Sun Meng used to be close, often referring to each other as sisters and lending a hand when needed. But now, after just five days, their relationship had soured for no apparent reason, as if they were at each other's throats. Any comment from one could trigger an immediate, fiery response from the other.

Reflecting on their reunion, he wondered, "Could it be jealousy?" But he quickly berated himself for such thoughts.

Qin Mengli had no interest in him, and Sun Meng had only met him a few days ago. How could they possibly be fighting over him? He wasn't particularly handsome or wealthy. Perhaps some conflict had arisen between them in the last few days.

"Enough!" Lin Leyan, having finally soothed her terrified daughter, stepped in to mediate. "Mengli, Mengmeng, we're not out of danger yet! We're all on the same team here. We should be fostering friendship and supporting one another!"

"Humph!" Sun Meng cast a glance at Qin Mengli before sullenly turning to gaze out the window.

Qin Mengli shot Sun Meng a glare and, just as irritated, turned away.

The mood in the car was oddly tense. Tang Bing, puzzled by the silent exchange, expertly maneuvered the vehicle to dodge the hordes of zombies on the road, leaving them far behind.

The farther they traveled from the city center, the less Tang Bing felt the oppressive presence of the giant zombie. Though they occasionally encountered groups of zombies and even some ferocious zombie dogs, the car's speed was sufficient to outpace them, leaving them in the dust.

Initially, the rest of the team would nervously scan the roadside for zombies, panicking whenever they drew near.

But after covering a considerable distance, their confidence in Tang Bing's driving skills solidified. Worn out by the constant fear and exhaustion, one by one, they slumped into their seats, closed their eyes, and succumbed to sleep.

Eventually, Tang Bing was the sole wakeful presence in the car.

The rain intensified, and night fell swiftly.

He switched on the headlights, and the windshield wipers swung back and forth rhythmically, like the pendulum of a clock.

They had left the urban area behind and were now navigating the mountain roads.

Zombies were a rare sight along this stretch, and the base Tang Bing had selected was still roughly two hours away.

Hunger gnawed at Tang Bing—it was dinnertime after all—and the long hours of driving had taken their toll, leaving him exhausted.

Glancing in the rearview mirror at his five slumbering companions, he rubbed his eyes, willing himself to stay alert.

Just two more hours of perseverance, and he could rest upon reaching the base.

No, that wasn't quite right. He'd have to secure the windows and doors first; otherwise, the chill from the wind and rain would make the house unbearably cold.

He sighed. There was nothing for it but to push through the fatigue tonight. If need be, he could catch up on sleep the following morning.

At least the team was reunited, sparing him the loneliness of a restless night alone in the wild...