C138 The Hazy Danger Was Real and the Zombie Bird Was Alarmed at Night!(2)

As Tang Bing descended the stairs, the creature was repeatedly slamming itself against the hall's light bulbs!

The noise of his footsteps must have startled the zombie bird, as it suddenly twisted in midair and hurtled toward him like a loosed arrow.

"Whoosh!" Tang Bing swung his mace head-on, but the zombie bird deftly veered away in flight, grazing his shoulder and slicing through his clothes with its razor-sharp claws, leaving a gash.

Wincing in pain, Tang Bing clenched his teeth and spun around to pursue the elusive zombie bird. Despite his agility, he found himself outmaneuvered at every turn!

It became clear that animal zombies posed a far greater threat than their human counterparts, with smaller creatures being quicker and their attacks shockingly lethal! An ordinary person would stand no chance, but Tang Bing had the system's edge, allowing him to counteract the zombie poison and savage wounds with medicine.

Realizing his mace was ineffective against the zombie bird, Tang Bing nimbly dodged its onslaught. His eyes then caught sight of a cardboard box in the corner, which held the security gear he'd brought back earlier that day. An idea struck him.

Leaping towards the box, he snatched a net gun from within. As he continued to evade the zombie bird's attacks, he quickly figured out how to operate the net gun.

When the zombie bird swooped in for another attack, Tang Bing stood his ground, raised the net gun, and took aim.

"Bang!" With the gun's report, a vast net shot forth.

The zombie bird attempted to swerve away mid-flight, but the sprawling net ensnared it before it could escape, binding it tightly.

"Flap! Flap!" The netted zombie bird hit the ground and thrashed wildly, but escape was futile.

Tang Bing hurried over and, with a firm grip on his mace, brought it down hard.

He pounded the creature seven or eight times, only stopping when it lay motionless.

The zombie bird was a mangled mess, and blood smeared the floor, indicating a significant cleanup effort ahead. But the culprit was caught, and for the moment, safety was restored.

Tang Bing quickly downed antibiotics and painkillers, then dragged the zombie bird's carcass outside to incinerate it with gasoline.

"Bing, is the zombie bird taken care of?" The rest of the team gradually joined us, including Qin Mengli, whose injuries had healed.

"Don't worry!" Tang Bing turned to face everyone. "That was my oversight."

"How can you blame yourself?" Qin Mengli countered, shaking her head. "Nobody could have predicted a zombie bird crashing through the window like that."

"No," Tang Bing insisted, "when I was out redirecting the water source, I ran into a zombified weasel. It crossed my mind then that we might encounter more dangerous zombified animals, especially after we began using the generator. I even considered the possibility of a zombie bird, but I let my guard down and didn't prioritize it. Had I been more vigilant, that bird wouldn't have invaded our home and hurt you."

"I'm okay, though," Qin Mengli reassured softly. "The question is, what do we do now? We haven't seen any regular zombies, but these zombified animals are just as horrifying!"

"Exactly! That zombie bird was terrifying. We couldn't even catch it!" Liang Hui exclaimed, still shaken. "Maybe we should stop using electricity at night, like we did in the beginning. Then they might not come."

"That's not a certainty," Tang Bing replied, shaking his head. "As long as we're here, even without electricity, noises could still attract zombified animals. The ground animals aren't a concern for now; I've set up a barbed fence for protection. But the zombie bird can fly over walls and has the strength to break through windows. It's our biggest threat!"

"So what's the plan? We're sitting ducks for those zombie birds! A surprise attack while we're asleep would be disastrous!" Zhao Dagang voiced his concern.

"Indeed! Tang, what's our move?" Lin Leyan turned to Tang Bing, as everyone seemed out of ideas.

"It's handled," Tang Bing assured after a moment's thought. "I'll take care of it right away. You all get some rest."

"And you?" Sun Meng asked, concerned.

"I'm going to make some reinforced windows and doors, and I'll install them through the night," Tang Bing declared, glancing at Qin Mengli. "I'll start by fixing Mengli's window. Any objections?"

Naturally, there were no objections, especially since it was only Qin Mengli's window that was damaged.

"Bing, need a hand?" Zhao Dagang offered as he approached.

"No, thanks! Get some rest, we've got to resume our supply search bright and early!" Tang Bing declined, turning to Lin Leyan, "Teacher Lin, could you please escort Qin Mengli back to her room? I'll finish securing the window and join you shortly."

"Sure thing!" Lin Leyan nodded and, along with Liang Hui, ushered Qin Mengli upstairs.

"Bing, I'll head to my room too, then!" Zhao Dagang blinked, realizing that since he wasn't needed, he might as well follow the advice and catch some sleep.

Once the others had dispersed, Tang Bing noticed Sun Meng lingering. He glanced at her, his voice soft, "Why aren't you off to bed?"

"I'm not sleepy..." Sun Meng tugged at his sleeve, "Bing, could I come to your room for a bit later?"

Her implication was clear, and Tang Bing got the message. He had previously come close to crossing a line with Sun Meng, but the abrupt zombie bird incident had jolted him back to reality.

Though he wouldn't lose out in such a situation, proceeding without genuine feelings wasn't something he desired. If they were merely using him for physical intimacy as a means to survive, it wouldn't sit well with him.

If the intentions were heartfelt, he wouldn't hesitate for a second.

Confronted with Sun Meng's hopeful and bashful look, Tang Bing let out a weary sigh, "Let's not talk about this. What happened was a mistake; we shouldn't continue down that path. Go back to your room and get some sleep..."

"You... You've kissed and touched me, and you've seen everything!" Sun Meng's voice rose in panic. "You can't just dismiss it as a mistake. How am I supposed to face anyone now?"

"I..." Tang Bing was at a loss for words, unable to counter her argument.

"I don't care!" Sun Meng clung to his hand, looking up at him with tears shimmering in her eyes, "After the way you've treated me, you can't pretend it never happened! I was a pure girl, and you've hugged, kissed, and touched me, and... and you've seen me completely bare... My purity is lost! If you act like nothing happened, how can I hold my head up?"

"How can you blame me?" Tang Bing frowned, exasperated. "In the dead of night, you show up in my room wearing pajamas and start playing that kind of movie. Any guy would have a hard time with that!"

"So, I just deserve what happened?" Sun Meng's tears flowed unabated. "Is it all my fault? Won't you take any responsibility?"

"It's not that, it's just..." Tang Bing was at a loss for words, knowing full well he had taken advantage of the situation.

"What do you expect me to do?" Sun Meng sobbed, "I've lost my innocence. Are you just going to wash your hands of it with a few words?"

Overwhelmed by her crying, Tang Bing inwardly cursed his own folly. The situation was a mess, and he was clueless about how to proceed. After some thought, he tried to reassure her: "Look, I admit I was impulsive... but right now, our top priority is everyone's safety. I need to get these doors made to prevent another zombie bird attack. You've seen how dangerous they are—one slip and it could cost us our lives! Please, go back and rest. Once I've dealt with this, I promise to think things over and give you an answer that will satisfy you."

"Bing... you took my first kiss," Sun Meng said, her voice tinged with sadness. "You're also the first man to see me like this, to be so close. And from now on, I've decided it's only you for me! If you reject me, I'll be too ashamed to go on living!"

"Don't talk like that—it's not that dire!" Tang Bing felt the onset of a headache, ruefully acknowledging the trouble impulsiveness brings.

"I'll be waiting for your answer," Sun Meng said, dabbing at her tears before giving him a long, deep look and running upstairs.

"Ah!" Tang Bing watched her retreat, his hand to his forehead, his mind in turmoil.

Truth be told, with his current capabilities, he could easily deny everything and Sun Meng couldn't do much about it. There was no real emotional connection, and she might even be manipulating him, which didn't sit well with him. Yet, seeing her tears, he couldn't bring himself to be completely cold-hearted. He wasn't the type to be utterly indifferent to someone's feelings.