C23 The Zombies Quickly Retreated and Split into Two Carriages, One for Food and the Other for Cloth

"You killed someone... You killed someone..." As the fire truck exploded, sending flames skyrocketing and a heatwave rolling in, Qin Mengli was consumed by terror. Trembling, she pointed at Tang Bing, "Murder is a crime! Murder is a crime..."

"Get back in the car!" Tang Bing commanded, his face stern.

"Tang Bing, have you lost your mind? You've completely lost it!" Qin Mengli lunged forward, seizing his collar and shaking it violently, "What's happened to you? Just because I rejected you, you're throwing your life away? Are you even a man? Snap out of it!"

"You're the one who needs to snap out of it!" Tang Bing didn't let her berate him as she used to. He forcefully grabbed her wrist, yanking her hand from his collar, "I killed them because they tried to kill me first! If not for sheer luck, if not for the meteorite that fell, if not for the good Samaritan who took me to the hospital, I'd be one of those zombies now! What, they're after my life, and you expect me to spare them?"

Qin Mengli stared at him as if he were a stranger, unable to recognize the Tang Bing she had known for over four years, the one she'd journeyed with since college. His gaze was icy, devoid of the blind devotion and love he once had for her.

"How could this happen..." she whispered to herself, in disbelief.

"Get in the car, now!" Tang Bing shoved her aside, nearly causing her to stumble.

Regaining her balance, Qin Mengli was about to weep and question his harsh treatment when she turned to see a zombie lunging at her. Tang Bing had pushed her away to save her!

"Thwack!" The zombie reached Tang Bing, only to be cleaved in the head by the fire axe he wielded. The gruesome sight nearly made Qin Mengli retch.

"Get in the car, now!" Tang Bing glanced back at her and bellowed.

Looking behind, Qin Mengli saw a horde of zombies approaching en masse, drawn by the fire truck's explosion.

It dawned on her then—the blast had beckoned the undead.

Despite the overwhelming chaos, she knew she had to survive and avoid becoming zombie fodder. With that in mind, she scrambled to her feet and leapt onto the bus.

"Bing!" Sun Meng rapped on the bus window, calling out in desperation, "Get on, quick!"

Tang Bing glanced at the encroaching horde of zombies. Once he saw that Qin Mengli was safely aboard, he vaulted onto the bus and yelled to Zhao Dagang, "Drive!!"

"Got it!" Zhao Dagang promptly shut the door and floored the bus's accelerator.

The zombies let out guttural roars as they gave chase. A few even managed to graze the rear of the bus, but they were swiftly left behind, falling further and further away.

Relief washed over the survivors as the bus pulled away from the zombie swarm. But the sight of Tang Bing, coupled with the memory of him killing Zhang Tao and two others, silenced them. The bloody fire axe in his grip only added to their fear, rendering them mute as if gripped by the cold of winter.

Tang Bing's gaze swept over the passengers, finally resting on Qin Mengli. She had settled back into her seat but was still visibly shaken. Their eyes met—hers filled with confusion, his quickly averting. He remained silent.

The bus tore down the highway, its interior deathly silent, the air heavy with tension.

There was no joy in their escape; the man who had brutally slain three of their own—their general manager and two colleagues—was right there among them.

Along the way, they encountered several zombie hordes. Zhao Dagang didn't hesitate, pushing the pedal to the metal each time, preventing the zombies from gathering. When the road was completely blocked, they took detours. It was risky, but they always emerged unscathed.

Following Tang Bing's guidance, they soon returned to the vicinity of their supply-laden vehicle. Zhao Dagang parked cautiously, only opening the doors once he was sure there were no zombies nearby.

"What's going on? Why are we stopping here? What's the plan?" In a flurry of panic, the eight male employees among the survivors stepped forward. Despite their fear, they positioned themselves protectively in front of the female employees.

Witnessing their alarmed expressions, Tang Bing hopped off the bus, fire axe in hand, and promptly used his key to unlock the vehicle.

"Beep! Beep!" The car chirped as it unlocked, and he swung open the rear door.

"Don't panic, everyone!" Sun Meng quickly reassured the survivors. "Bing isn't going to harm you. He's just fetching some food! We've stored all the supplies we found earlier in that car. He just wants to make sure everyone gets a bite to eat!"

At the mention of food and water, the survivors' fear vanished, replaced by eager anticipation. Thoughts of violence and arson were cast aside. Their stomachs were growling so loudly that nothing else mattered but the prospect of food!

Qin Mengli felt the same, her hunger so intense she was seeing stars. Despite her reluctance to look at Tang Bing, curiosity got the better of her, and she found herself wondering what he would bring out.

Tang Bing quickly emerged from the back of the car with a large cardboard box brimming with snacks, all scavenged from the hospital.

The sight of these once-dismissed junk foods had the 34 survivors' eyes shining with greed, their mouths watering uncontrollably as they swallowed repeatedly.

Setting the box of snacks down on the bus, Tang Bing addressed Sun Meng, "One packet per person, no more! If anyone tries to grab extra, let me know. I'll deal with them."

With a sweeping glance at the crowd and a pat on the bloodied fire axe at his waist, Tang Bing's icy demeanor and stern gaze quelled any thoughts of hoarding food among the survivors, who hastily abandoned any risky ideas.

Sun Meng instructed the survivors to take their seats before distributing a bag of snacks to each person. No one dared to make a move; they all sat quietly, subdued. In this group, no one had the courage to challenge Tang Bing, the man who had just killed one of their own.

Tang Bing then brought up a jug of purified water and handed out disposable cups, saying, "Pour as much water as you need. This pack of snacks and the water are your rations for today!"

"Is this all we get?" exclaimed a female employee, her voice tinged with disbelief. She quickly bowed her head, silenced by her own fear of attracting Tang Bing's attention.

Tang Bing swept his gaze over the group, his voice icy as he declared, "I could have left you without any food or water at all. Consider yourselves lucky that I even bothered to rescue you!" His eyes briefly met Qin Mengli's; if it weren't for her, he wouldn't have even considered risking his life for this.

The survivors fell deathly silent at Tang Bing's words.

"Sorry about this," Sun Meng interjected, eager to ease the tension. "Bing's really a good guy, just a bit short-tempered. Don't take it to heart! We're actually running low on supplies and can't afford to feed everyone fully. But don't worry, once we get to the military sanctuary, there'll be plenty of food and a safe place for us all to rest."

Holding a bag of potato chips and a cup of pure water, Qin Mengli stole a glance at the stoic Tang Bing. She mused over his temper, which was indeed foul, yet in the four years he had pursued her, he had rarely lashed out at her, often as gentle as a lamb. His outbursts would cease the moment their eyes met. Who could claim they knew Tang Bing better than she did? Certainly not this stranger with an unknown past.

Yet, she remained silent, quietly munching on her chips, sipping water whenever her mouth felt dry.

"We can't linger here," Tang Bing announced after distributing the food and water. He turned to Zhao Dagang, "I'll take the lead in the car. You follow. We need to make it to the military sanctuary before dark and ensure all survivors are safely inside."

"You got it! I'm on it," Zhao Dagang responded with a vigorous nod.

Facing the survivors, Tang Bing's tone was uncompromising. "We're heading to the military sanctuary. I expect everyone to behave on the way. Any troublemakers will be thrown out to the zombies, no second chances."

The survivors nodded, murmuring assurances as they bowed their heads, focusing on the meager rations. It wasn't much, but it was enough to stave off hunger for the moment, and the promise of more at the sanctuary offered a glimmer of hope.

Tang Bing exited the bus and fired up his luxury car, worth over three million yuan, to lead the way. Zhao Dagang followed closely behind, steering the bus.

Sun Meng sat up front, observing the survivors as they quietly ate. A few, likely from a restless night, leaned back in their seats to rest their eyes after finishing their meals.

Overall, there was a decent sense of order. Undoubtedly, Tang Bing's intimidating presence played a significant role in that.

With Tang Bing absent from the bus, the silence eventually emboldened a female staff member to speak up. "Excuse me..."

"What is it? Do you have a question?" Sun Meng quickly turned to address her.

"Are we really headed to the military sanctuary?" she inquired tentatively.

"Yes, we are," Sun Meng confirmed with a nod. "You can all be at ease. Given the state of the city, the military sanctuary is the safest place for us."

The woman breathed a sigh of relief, then glanced at Zhao Dagang before asking, "How did you two come to know Tang Bing?"

Many at the Bluestar Branch were familiar with Tang Bing, as he frequently visited Qin Mengli.

Without hesitation, Sun Meng responded, "On the second day of the apocalypse, I was starving in a hospital room when Bing, who was also a patient, found me while searching for food. He saved me, fed me, and together we fled the hospital. We encountered Brother Zhao on our way to your company."

"I see," the woman nodded in understanding. "But why didn't you head straight for the military sanctuary? The hospital seems out of the way and quite a distance to travel."

"Isn't that obvious?" her colleague retorted, casting a glance at Qin Mengli.

The realization dawned on the female staff member, and the other survivors grasped it too—Tang Bing's primary goal had been to rescue Qin Mengli.

Following the collective gaze, Sun Meng's eyes landed on Qin Mengli, who feigned interest in the scenery outside the window, avoiding the attention.