C24 The Gasoline Ran Out, and the Bus Was out of Gas. the Two of Them Had to Find Food to Survive.

After a two-hour drive from the Bluestar Branch towards the military sanctuary, Tang Bing noticed in the rearview mirror that the bus was slowing down, eventually coming to a stop at the side of the road.

Puzzled, he reversed to check on them. "What's the issue?"

"We've run out of gas!" Zhao Dagang called out from the window, concern in his voice. "Now what?"

"No worries," Tang Bing reassured as he stepped out of his vehicle. "I brought extra gasoline. We'll be back on the road in no time!"

Zhao Dagang's face lit up with relief. "Phew, I thought we'd have to hoof it from here!"

"Just hang tight. We'll be topped off shortly," Tang Bing said, retrieving a can of gas from the trunk and pouring it into the bus's tank.

Curiosity got the better of Sun Meng and Zhao Dagang, who stepped out to watch the refueling process.

Refilling the tank, Tang Bing couldn't see the fascination. Without looking up, he instructed, "Since you're out here, keep an eye out. Stay alert for zombies."

"Got it!" Zhao Dagang grabbed a fire axe and started patrolling the area.

Sun Meng glanced at the sky, then turned to Tang Bing. "Bing, it's around 3 PM now. Will we make it to the sanctuary before nightfall?"

"We've got less than ten kilometers to go. We'll be there in no time," Tang Bing assured her as he continued to pour the gas.

Sun Meng's face broke into a smile of relief. "That's reassuring! Bing, do you think we'll find any familiar faces there? Maybe some friends or relatives? And there's bound to be plenty of food, right? Enough for a good meal?"

"I'm not sure..." Tang Bing replied, his tone lacking enthusiasm for the topic.

Meanwhile, the survivors inside the bus, having grown restless, began stepping out to enjoy the fresh air.

Their initial apprehension had stemmed from Tang Bing's unexpected act of violence, but they had since realized his actions were directed solely at Zhang Tao and his cronies, not them. This understanding brought a sense of ease. Most of the Bluestar Branch employees were aware of Tang Bing's affection for Qin Mengli and the recent rumors of her involvement with Zhang Tao.

"Don't let them wander too far off, or they won't stand a chance if zombies show up!" Tang Bing, witnessing the scene, quietly instructed Sun Meng to pass the message to the survivors.

No sooner had Sun Meng departed than Qin Mengli approached Tang Bing without a sound. Her sudden presence caught him off guard.

"Are you aware that Zhang Tao's father is at the military sanctuary, and he's quite close with the commander's father?" Qin Mengli blurted out abruptly.

As Tang Bing methodically poured oil from the barrel, he didn't bother to look up. "What about it?"

"Just think about the consequences if he learns you killed Zhang Tao," Qin Mengli stated icily.

"And how is that your concern?" Tang Bing responded, his tone even.

"You really don't recognize a favor when you see one," Qin Mengli said, her brows knitting together.

"My affairs are none of your business," Tang Bing retorted sharply. "Once you're safe at the military sanctuary, I'll be on my way."

"You're not going to seek refuge there? Are you out of your mind?" Qin Mengli challenged him. "The outside world is swarming with flesh-eating monsters. Do you have a death wish?"

"I've told you, it's not your problem," Tang Bing said, his face devoid of emotion.

"Are you even a man? So petty!" Qin Mengli chided. "Even if I don't have feelings for you and can't accept you, we've been classmates for four years. Can't we at least have a civil conversation?"

"When have I not been civil?" Tang Bing glanced at her, a hint of irritation in his voice. "I've been nothing but civil with you."

"Enough with the sarcasm!" Qin Mengli snapped back. "I've seen your true colors. You were all compliance when you were chasing after me, willing to do anything. But the moment I rejected you, you changed. I'm actually relieved I never fell for you."

Tang Bing remained silent, his expression unreadable. Qin Mengli had no idea that it was his brush with death that had changed him so profoundly.

"Where else is there safety besides the military sanctuary?" After a tense silence, Qin Mengli spoke up again. "As a man, don't be so small-minded. If we can't be lovers, can't we at least be friends? We've known each other for four years as classmates. I'll make sure to tell my colleagues to keep quiet about this. As long as no one speaks up, Zhang Tao's father will remain in the dark, and you won't have any trouble."

Tang Bing cast a surprised glance her way, but deep down, he still had no plans of seeking refuge in the military sanctuary.

After topping off the bus's fuel tank, Tang Bing secured it, only to notice a significant number of survivors were missing. Puzzled, he approached for a closer look and, sure enough, all eight men were nowhere to be found.

"Sun Meng, where did everyone go?" Tang Bing asked the nurse, his gaze sharp with irritation.

"I'm sorry, Bing," Sun Meng murmured, her head bowed, unable to meet his eyes. "I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen..."

"Where are they now?" Tang Bing pressed, his brow furrowed.

Sun Meng gestured towards a small grocery store by the roadside. "They were starving, so they went there to look for food. I meant to tell you, but you were busy talking with Qin Mengli..."

Tang Bing shot her a stern look and summoned Zhao Dagang. "Everybody on the bus, now!"

"But Bing, the guys are still at the store. Shouldn't we wait for them?" Sun Meng asked anxiously. "They went to get food for all of us..."

"Get on the bus first, then we'll drive over!" Tang Bing snapped. "Or do you want to wait here for the zombies to show up?"

Sun Meng stuck out her tongue and fell silent, her head still lowered.

Tang Bing instructed Sun Meng and Zhao Dagang to herd the remaining female survivors onto the bus. He then got back into his luxury car and drove straight to the storefront.

Stepping out with his fire axe in hand, he was immediately met with wails emanating from the store.

"Stay in the car!" Tang Bing yelled, gripping the axe tightly as he charged towards the store.

Zhao Dagang initially wanted to follow, but heeded Tang Bing's command and stayed put.

The dreadful wails from the store filled the survivors on the bus with fear and concern.

Tang Bing burst into the store and was met with the sight of several men scrambling towards the entrance, each clutching some food.

"What happened?!" he demanded loudly.

"Li Jian is dead! A zombie got him!" the men cried out as they dashed past Tang Bing, racing for the safety of the bus.

"One, two, three... six!" Tang Bing counted aloud, realizing only six people had passed by him. Anxiously, he asked, "Isn't there one more person?"

"I don't know! Jiang Bin was right behind me the whole time!" replied the person trailing the group.

"Damn it!" Tang Bing clenched his jaw and, axe in hand, charged into the store.

"Help me!" The moment he entered, he was met with the horrific sight of Jiang Bin pinned down by a zombie, savagely biting into his face. Jiang Bin's features were a bloody, mangled mess, his pleas for help barely audible.

Without hesitation, Tang Bing lunged forward, cleaving the zombie's head in two with his axe. Crouching down, he saw that Jiang Bin had drawn his last breath as the zombie fell.

Now, even painkillers would be of no use.

With a heavy sigh, Tang Bing grabbed his axe and pressed on. Almost immediately, three more zombies emerged, only to be swiftly dispatched by his relentless swings.

Upon finding Li Jian, it was clear he too had perished.

The loss of two survivors in such quick succession weighed heavily on Tang Bing. He could dispatch Zhang Tao and the others without a second thought, driven by deep-seated hatred. But these others, with no ill will between them, their deaths at the hands of zombies seemed such a senseless waste.

After thoroughly checking the shop and finding no more zombies, Tang Bing felt a mix of regret and resignation over the two lives lost. They had brought it upon themselves, he thought. If only they had communicated, maybe this tragedy could have been avoided.

He rummaged through the belongings of the fallen zombies, finding scraps of cloth and glass shards, and also a monocular.

The monocular (of inferior quality) allowed him to see great distances.

Though not the best quality, the monocular proved its worth as Tang Bing could make out details clearly from six or seven hundred meters away.

He continued his search, scavenging a substantial amount of paper money and coins, along with bread, mineral water, instant noodles, sachima, fruit juice, beer, and other food and drinks from the shop's drawers.

Stepping out of the shop, he was immediately surrounded by the anxious gazes of the other survivors.

Understanding their silent question, Tang Bing simply shook his head with a detached expression.

Upon witnessing his actions, two female employees burst into tears on the spot—they were the girlfriends of Li Jian and Jiang Bin. The rest of the group fell silent, weighed down by a palpable sense of sorrow.

"Everyone, back in the car!" Tang Bing commanded, his face stern as he sensed the oppressive atmosphere, "We're moving out! From this point forward, no one leaves the car without my say-so. If you do, you're on your own, and your life is in your hands! I don't have the time or energy to waste on searching and rescuing anyone who strays! If you can't follow orders, then you're out of the team—find your own way to the military sanctuary! My only job is to ensure we all get there, and I expect your full cooperation during this journey!"

"The dead can't come back to life. Let's board the vehicle," Qin Mengli gently soothed her two female colleagues who had just lost their boyfriends, "We who are alive must continue to live."

Despite their tears and pleas to search for their boyfriends, the two women were eventually coaxed onto the car by Qin Mengli and the comforting words of other colleagues.

"We're less than ten kilometers from the military sanctuary. Let's not have any more complications! We need to go full throttle and make it there before dark! If you want to survive, cooperate and don't endanger others!" Tang Bing addressed the survivors on board, "As for the food you've scavenged, divide it up evenly. Leave me out of it."

"I don't need any either!" Zhao Dagang chimed in.

"I... I'll pass as well..." Sun Meng, though hungry, spoke up, "You all divide it amongst yourselves."