C19 The Public Bus Was Running Fast, and the Infected People Were Being Transferred to Other Cars.

After the comforting words of her female colleagues, Qin Mengli managed to settle down. She dropped the idea of crossing over to the apartment building across the way in search of food. Yet, seeing Zhang Tao and the other male employees of the company too famished to even consider taking a risk, her disappointment was palpable. Her frustration peaked when her hunger nearly brought her to her knees; she resented them deeply for their lack of courage.

"Don't have the guts to go? Then at least don't hold me back!" she thought. "With a sturdy plank or some rope, we might just make it across."

The more she dwelled on it, the more aggrieved she felt, and her mind wandered to the man she once believed would do anything for her. She never liked him, considering him a delusional toad lusting after a swan, but she knew if he were here, he'd risk everything and never let her go hungry.

While Qin Mengli was battling her hunger and sense of injustice, Tang Bing, with Zhao Dagang and Sun Meng in tow, was skillfully dodging hordes of zombies as they neared the Bluestar Branch.

Instead of driving straight through the intersection, Tang Bing pulled up alongside a nearby bus.

"Bing, why are we stopping?" Sun Meng, groggy in the backseat, was jolted awake by the abrupt halt.

"Stay put. I'm going to check the bus for zombies," Tang Bing said, scanning the area before stepping out with his fire axe.

"But why the bus? We've got a car," Sun Meng questioned, puzzled.

"We're about to have a few dozen more people to deal with," Tang Bing replied, glancing back at her. "Our car can't fit them all. Watch the car while I take the bus to rescue them."

"No way, I'm coming too!" Sun Meng quickly got out, insisting, "I don't want to be left here. What if zombies show up? Or what if some bad guys come along?"

"I'm with you," Zhao Dagang declared, stepping out. "I'll protect you."

Tang Bing considered the situation. Leaving them alone in the car was risky; if a swarm of zombies or some lawless survivors came by, Zhao Dagang might cope, but Sun Meng would be in danger.

"Alright, both of you come with me. Leave the car here," Tang Bing decided. "We'll check the bus for safety, then drive over to rescue people. Once we've got everyone, we'll come back for the car."

"But if we have the bus, why come back for the car?" Sun Meng asked, still confused.

"I like it, okay?" Tang Bing replied coolly.

"Uh, sure," Sun Meng conceded, not sure how else to respond.

"Here," Tang Bing said, handing the fire axe to Zhao Dagang after discreetly retrieving it from his virtual backpack. "If you see a zombie, aim for the head."

"Got it!" Zhao Dagang accepted the axe with enthusiasm.

Sun Meng's eyes widened at the sight of the fire axe, and she circled Tang Bing, examining him.

"What's up?" Tang Bing asked, annoyed.

"Bing, you hid the fire axe in your clothes? Aren't you going to hurt yourself?" she inquired.

"Why are you worrying about me?" Tang Bing retorted, not about to reveal the safety of his virtual backpack. "Come on, stay close behind me."

"Okay."

Tang Bing led the way to the bus door, axe in hand. The interior seemed empty and the door was open, suggesting the zombies might have left. Still, he knocked cautiously.

Thankfully, he knocked first. A grotesque zombie with its legs eaten clean off and intestines trailing emerged, shrieking as it approached.

With a swift motion, Tang Bing split its head with the axe.

"Ew!" Sun Meng cringed and looked away, disgusted.

"Disgusting," echoed Zhao Dagang, his face pale but keeping pace.

Inside the bus, Tang Bing found no other zombies. Despite the bloodstains on the floor, windows, and some seats, there were no other issues. The bus could be started if the keys were still in the ignition.

With a beep, Tang Bing closed the bus door after Zhao Dagang and Sun Meng boarded.

"It's filthy!" Sun Meng complained, looking at the zombie blood with a grimace.

"It's fine. Just avoid the bloody seats," Zhao Dagang reasoned, taking a seat up front.

"Take a seat," Tang Bing instructed Sun Meng through the rearview mirror.

She quickly settled into a seat behind the driver's, staying quiet.

Tang Bing fired up the engine and took a turn at the intersection, heading straight for the Bluestar Branch.

Reaching the street outside the company building, the sight of countless zombies sent shivers down their spines.

"Bing, there's a horde of them... If we stop there, we're as good as dead!" Sun Meng clutched the handrail, her body shaking with nerves.

"We can't stop, no way!" Zhao Dagang's face was pale, the thought of being devoured by those flesh-eating monsters clearly not sitting well with him.

"I've got a plan," Tang Bing said with a nod. "First, we need to draw them away. Hold on tight, you two. I'm going to speed past them, get their attention, and lead them far from here!"

"Okay!" Sun Meng nodded, her grip on the handrail tightening.

"Got it!" Zhao Dagang secured the fire axe at his waist and held fast to the handrail.

The bus charged toward the swarm of zombies, its engine noise quickly drawing the attention of the nearest undead. Zombies that had been clawing at buildings or aimlessly roaming the streets all turned and began to chase the bus.

"Bing, the road's completely blocked! We can't get through!" Sun Meng's face turned a ghastly shade as she yelled, seeing the path ahead overrun by zombies.

"Keep it down, I've got this!" Tang Bing remained calm, flooring the accelerator and barreling straight toward the horde.

"Ahh!" As the zombies loomed closer, Sun Meng let out a terrified scream.

Zhao Dagang's face was a mask of dread, his eyes shut as he muttered under his breath.

Tang Bing, expressionless, was fully focused on the task at hand. As the bus neared the mass of zombies, he abruptly jerked the wheel to the left, executing a rough turn before speeding away from the undead.

Thanks to their tight grip on the handrails, Sun Meng and Zhao Dagang managed to stay upright, though the sudden maneuver left their hearts racing with fear.

The bus retraced its route, racing back the way it came with the relentless zombie horde in pursuit.

The noise outside drew the Bluestar Branch survivors to the windows. The sight of the bus initially filled them with joy, but their spirits plummeted when it suddenly veered away and fled.

Facing this dire situation, Zhang Tao, the leader, stepped up to reassure everyone. "Don't panic! They might just be survivors passing through. Let's wait a bit longer. The military will arrive soon!"

"Young Master Zhang is right. Stay patient, everyone! Help is on the way!" Zhao Dali nodded emphatically.

Jiaang Hefei quickly echoed the sentiment, and together, the three managed to soothe the anxious crowd.

"Look, a bunch of the zombies are following them!" a female staff member exclaimed, pointing outside.

"That's good news, but it doesn't change our predicament," Jiaang Hefei said with a sigh. "There are still too many of those creatures. We're trapped."

His words cast a pall of silence over the group.

"Hey! The bus is back!" someone shouted after more than twenty minutes had passed.

Everyone rushed to the windows again and, sure enough, the bus had returned, and the pursuing zombie horde was nowhere to be seen. They must have managed to shake them off; zombies couldn't keep up with a speeding bus, after all.

"What are they up to?" Zhang Tao wondered aloud, watching the bus from outside.

Heads shook all around; no one had an answer.

"Look, the bus is heading over there now!" another staff member pointed out urgently.

"I get it!" Zhao Dali exclaimed, a note of excitement in his voice. "They're drawing the monsters away. Maybe it's the military coming to rescue us!"

"Why would the military come in a bus? Shouldn't they use a military vehicle?" someone asked, puzzled.

"Maybe there weren't enough military vehicles to go around. There are so many people in need of rescue!" Jiaang Hefei reasoned.

"That makes sense!" Hope flickered in everyone's eyes.

Indeed, after the second wave of zombies had been lured away, the area around the Bluestar Branch was left with only a few stragglers. The bus made several more rounds, herding the remaining zombies away like pets.

After four or five rounds, only a handful of zombies remained on the streets near the Bluestar Branch. The survivors inside the building were visibly excited, realizing that the bus had come specifically to rescue them.

Meanwhile, Tang Bing was drenched in sweat from the tension of the ordeal. Sun Meng, overwhelmed by the intense ride, had succumbed to motion sickness and passed out.

Zhao Dagang showed signs of infection from the zombie virus. After losing the zombies, Tang Bing handed him an antibiotic. "Looks like we're short on time. Take this! I can't afford to have another zombie here, especially not one that might bite me when it counts!"

"Thanks!" Zhao Dagang coughed and accepted the antibiotic, swallowing it without hesitation.

Sun Meng watched Zhao Dagang closely and saw his pallor fade and cough subside shortly after taking the pill. She was astounded by the medicine's rapid effect.

"Dagang, can you drive a bus?" Tang Bing asked while driving, scanning the surroundings. He had spotted a fire truck parked nearby.

"I know a bit! Never got my license, though. I learned by watching others," Zhao Dagang admitted.

"Alright, you take the wheel later!" Tang Bing pulled the car over to the curb.

"No issues here, but what about you?" Zhao Dagang felt a swift recovery after taking his medicine and was already looking up to Tang Bing with reverence.

"I'm going to handle the fire truck; we're definitely going to need it soon!" Tang Bing swung open the door and dashed off, clutching the fire axe.