C27 They Arrived at the City and Entered the Factory.

"Watch out! We're going to hit them! We're going to hit them!" Qin Mengli's piercing scream filled the air as zombies emerged on the road ahead. Tang Bing deftly maneuvered the vehicle, speeding past a horde of pursuing zombies. Only when the undead figures dwindled in the rearview mirror did he allow himself a relieved exhale. Glancing at Qin Mengli with irritation, he chided, "Do you have to be so dramatic? If my hand slipped, we'd all be goners!"

"I was just trying to warn you," Qin Mengli retorted, feeling slighted.

"Do you think I'm blind?" Tang Bing snapped back, "Just sit still and stop distracting me while I'm driving!"

"You... you're so petty!" Fuming, Qin Mengli turned away. She was unaccustomed to Tang Bing's attitude and it left her feeling upset.

"Bing," Sun Meng interjected, hoping to defuse the tension, "There's a house up ahead. Maybe we could stay there for the night?"

Tang Bing had already spotted the house Sun Meng mentioned—a lone structure beside the highway, with no other dwellings in sight. "That's not a good idea," he dismissed.

"Why not?" Sun Meng inquired, "There aren't many zombies around. It would be safe for us to stay there."

"Are you kidding?" Tang Bing kept his focus on the road, "That house is right by the highway. Zombies could swarm it at any moment! It's only two stories high with no surrounding walls. The back is completely exposed. If we're besieged by a zombie wave, we'd be trapped! Moreover, without any nearby buildings, where would we get our food and water? Our car supplies are already running low."

Sun Meng's spirits sank at the realization.

Unbeknownst to them, Tang Bing's virtual backpack was stocked with food and water, a secret he couldn't reveal just yet. So, the dwindling supplies in the car's trunk were all they had to rely on. And since most of their provisions had already been distributed to the survivors from the Bluestar Branch, they were left with very little.

"Food isn't an issue. I can head over to that farmland and pick some vegetables and fruits!" Zhao Dagang gestured toward the distant fields, "And I can snag some fish, shrimp, crabs, you name it!"

"Have you lost your mind?" Tang Bing replied in exasperation, "The tap water's already unsafe. What makes you think the water in the farmland is any different? If it's contaminated with that toxic water, the produce will be too. Do you really want to turn into zombies?"

"I sure don't want to end up that hideous!" Zhao Dagang quickly shook his head, "So what's our plan? The sun's nearly down! Won't it be even more dangerous at night?"

"We should make it to the city before dark!" Tang Bing floored the accelerator, propelling the car at top speed, "We need to find a building with solid walls for a stronghold to keep the zombies out! We'll get through tonight, and tomorrow, Dagang and I will scout for supplies. Qin Mengli and Sun Meng, you'll work on fortifying our defenses inside the stronghold!"

"I'll follow your lead!" Despite being older, Zhao Dagang clearly looked up to Tang Bing.

Sun Meng nodded in agreement, seeing the sense in Tang Bing's plan.

Qin Mengli, on the other hand, found it odd to hear Tang Bing address her so formally. His tone had grown colder, no longer placing her at the center as before. It was to be expected, she supposed, since she had broken things off with him. Yet after four years of his deference, this abrupt change was unsettling.

She was also irked by Tang Bing's commanding tone, as if he were in charge. He used to tread carefully around her, never daring to speak out of turn or disobey her. Whatever she wanted, he would go to great lengths to provide. But now, with Zhao Dagang and Sun Meng readily heeding Tang Bing's instructions, Qin Mengli found herself unable to voice her displeasure.

On their journey, they ran into several groups of zombies. Luckily, the largest group was only a few hundred strong, so they didn't impede traffic. And for the few that did block their path, Tang Bing simply plowed them aside.

At 5:20 pm, they made it into the city just as the sun was setting.

Tang Bing navigated the car through hordes of terrifying zombies. He was constantly scanning the buildings on either side of the road, on the lookout for a temporary stronghold.

Sun Meng, Zhao Dagang, and Qin Mengli also pitched in, scanning for any buildings through the car windows that might offer safe harbor for the night.

"Walls, sturdy buildings, walls..." Sun Meng had taken Tang Bing's earlier advice to heart, committing his key points to memory. As they drove, she meticulously searched for buildings that fit the criteria. Suddenly, her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Bing! I've got something! Look over there!"

"Where?" Tang Bing stopped the car in a flash, following Sun Meng's gaze.

"There! There! Tall walls, and the buildings look strong!" Sun Meng exclaimed, her voice filled with surprise, "And there's a solid iron gate!"

Tang Bing quickly spotted the structure Sun Meng was pointing to—a robust building enclosed by high walls.

It appeared to be a factory, surrounded by a thick concrete wall topped with sharp iron spikes, and the entrance was secured by a sturdy iron gate. Such fortifications could hold off the usual zombie onslaught, preventing any easy breach. With some reinforcement and additional layers of defense, it would be incredibly safe unless faced with an overwhelming tide of tens of thousands of zombies.

This wasn't the city center, so they were unlikely to face a disaster like the one at the military sanctuary, where vast numbers of zombies had swarmed. The population density here was much lower, after all.

"Good job!" Tang Bing complimented Sun Meng. This building was an excellent choice for a stronghold, and the surrounding area was rich with vital structures like supermarkets, shopping malls, commercial streets, police stations, and schools—all potential sources of valuable supplies.

"Hehe!" Sun Meng beamed with pride at Tang Bing's praise. After a string of reprimands, she finally did something commendable, and it felt like a rare victory.

"Let's head over there now!" Zhao Dagang urged, growing anxious as the light faded. "It's getting dark!"

"Hold on!" Tang Bing insisted on caution. He pulled out a monocular and took a careful look around the factory's perimeter.

Sure enough, it was nearly impossible to spot with the naked eye, but there were dozens of zombies either sitting or lying near the factory entrance, all clustered around it. The flowerbeds obscured them so well that without a close look, they'd go completely unnoticed!

If we were to drive up without caution, we'd be swarmed by zombies in no time!

"Hold on tight, everyone!" Tang Bing called out as he spun the steering wheel. "We need to draw the zombies away from the factory entrance first!"

"What? There are more zombies? I didn't see any!" Sun Meng exclaimed in surprise.

"Me neither!" Zhao Dagang chimed in with a nod.

Qin Mengli couldn't see them either, so she reached over and snatched the monocular from Tang Bing. It was a habit of hers, and she only realized it might be rude after the fact. But since Tang Bing didn't seem to notice, she decided to feign ignorance and peered through the lens. "Wow, there's a whole bunch of them!"

"Can I have a look?" Zhao Dagang asked eagerly after hearing Qin Mengli's reaction.

Qin Mengli handed the monocular back to Zhao Dagang, who then passed it to Sun Meng.

"There really are a ton of them..." Sun Meng gasped in shock after getting a clear view. "Bing, this monocular is amazing. Where did you find it?"

Tang Bing didn't reply, focusing instead on driving the car towards the factory. As they approached a corner near the entrance, he suddenly honked the horn.

The jarring sound of the horn quickly stirred the zombies at the factory entrance into action. Those that had been sitting or lying down began to rise, and many more poured out from the corridor around the corner.

There were hundreds charging towards the car! If they got trapped, there'd be no escaping!

Thankfully, he hadn't acted rashly!

Tang Bing certainly wasn't about to let the zombies get close. The car sped past them, maintaining a distance of five to six meters, leading them away like walking a pack of dogs.

After drawing the horde a few kilometers away, he suddenly floored the accelerator, widening the gap before sharply turning to brush past them on the right, quickly losing them and circling back to the factory.

"That was intense!" Sun Meng exclaimed, patting her chest and catching her breath as the car came to a halt at the factory entrance. She reached for the door, eager to get out, but Tang Bing stopped her.

"Dagang, come with me to scout the area. We might have some zombies lurking nearby!" Tang Bing stepped out of the car, fire axe in hand, vigilantly scanning the surroundings. "You two ladies stay put in the car for now!"

He didn't wait for Sun Meng and Qin Mengli's consent before heading swiftly towards the corridor.

Zhao Dagang exited the vehicle, secured the door, and followed with his own fire axe at the ready.

After a thorough inspection, they confirmed the entrance was clear of zombies. Tang Bing turned to Zhao Dagang, "You take the wheel! I'm heading to the security room to grab the keys for the iron gate."

"Got it!" Zhao Dagang responded, quickly making his way back to the luxury car and sliding into the driver's seat.

With caution, Tang Bing approached the security room window, fire axe gripped tightly. Peering inside, he spotted a man in a security uniform sprawled across the desk, seemingly asleep. But with zombies rampant outside, how could anyone be sleeping soundly? Tang Bing clenched the axe, circumvented the iron gate with some effort to enter the factory, and briskly swung open the security room door.

"Roar~" As expected, the noise startled the zombified guard awake. It lunged at Tang Bing with ferocity.

"Thwack!" Tang Bing's swift axe swing decapitated the zombie.

[You've slain the zombie, earning 10 experience points!]

[You've found chocolate!]

[You've found a pack of cigarettes!]

While the chocolate was a decent find, Tang Bing had no use for the cigarettes. Still, he pocketed them—Zhao Dagang might enjoy a smoke.

Key in hand, Tang Bing quickly unlocked the heavy chains and signaled to Zhao Dagang to drive through the now-open gate.

Zhao Dagang followed the signal, steering the car into the factory and toward the parking area on the right.

Once the car was parked, Tang Bing secured the iron gate and dashed over to Zhao Dagang and the others. "Everyone out! We're going to comb through every inch of this factory to ensure it's zombie-free."

"You got it!" Zhao Dagang replied, his voice brimming with determination.