C45 The Sports Car Whizzed By, and a Celebrity Died.

"Move out!" Tang Bing commanded Zhao Dagang to evacuate, each having pulled a cart brimming with supplies.

"Got it!" Zhao Dagang hauled the cart away from the supermarket, scanning the area vigilantly to avoid any surprise attacks from roaming zombies. Noticing Tang Bing had set the cart aside and dashed back to the supermarket entrance, he whispered urgently, "Bing, what are you up to?"

Without responding, Tang Bing shut the supermarket doors and swiftly secured them with a chain lock.

"Bing, locking the door's pointless!" Zhao Dagang's eyes widened. "Several windows are smashed; anything could climb through with a little boost!"

"I'm not trying to keep people out," Tang Bing glanced back at him. "If there are survivors who need supplies, they're welcome to them. Zombies aren't clever enough to stack things up and climb through windows. Next time we come back, we'll just unlock the door and waltz right in—saves us a headache!"

"Oh, right! Next time we can just grab what we need without worrying about the zombies outside—they can't get in!" Zhao Dagang's eyes sparkled with realization. "Bing, you're a genius!"

"Enough with the compliments!" Tang Bing finished securing the door and quickly joined Zhao Dagang. "Let's head back to the factory, now!"

"Okay!" Zhao Dagang swiftly maneuvered the cart, racing back to the factory with Tang Bing.

The supermarket wasn't far from the factory; a short sprint and they were practically there, only a matter of minutes.

Still, they proceeded with caution. The area was eerily silent, devoid of any visible zombies, but they quickened their pace, wary of an unexpected horde appearing.

There's a saying that good predictions may fail, but bad ones never do—and sure enough, trouble struck.

As they neared the factory gates, a jarring car horn blared behind them.

The blaring horn was like a beacon, alerting every zombie in the vicinity to converge for a gathering.

Tang Bing and Zhao Dagang grimaced at the sound. They turned to see a red luxury sports car zoom by, toppling a trash can before veering off and crashing into a flowerbed. The car's piercing alarm echoed down the street.

"Whoosh!" Just beyond the end of the road, an uncountable horde of terrifying zombies emerged, swarming madly in our direction.

The wandering undead, drawn by the blaring car alarms, were also converging, reclaiming the 'safe zone' that Tang Bing had painstakingly cleared by luring the zombies away.

"There's someone!" Zhao Dagang exclaimed, pointing to the car crashed into the flowerbed.

At that moment, the door swung open, and a dazed, beautiful woman in a yellow dress stumbled out, her left arm appearing to be injured.

"Bing! It's a celebrity! Bing! She's famous!" Zhao Dagang shouted with excitement as he recognized the woman in the yellow dress. "I've seen her on TV, in a cellphone commercial!"

With that clue, Tang Bing had a flicker of recognition. He too had seen this woman in an advertisement, but her name eluded him. She had some fame, but wasn't a household name, and Tang Bing wasn't one to follow celebrity culture closely.

The encircling zombies, drawn by the scent of blood and the piercing alarm from the woman's car, went into a frenzy, swarming around her.

"Dagang, quickly take the supplies back to the factory!" Tang Bing assessed the distance to the approaching zombies. "And take my car home, then lock the door and stay quiet!"

"Bing, what are you going to do?" Zhao Dagang asked urgently as the zombies closed in.

"I know!" Tang Bing pushed the car towards Zhao Dagang. "Don't waste time, just wait for my return!"

"Bing!" Zhao Dagang wanted to protest, but Tang Bing was already sprinting towards the car with astonishing speed.

As the zombies poured toward the intersection, Zhao Dagang knew he had to make it back home before they spotted him. Casting one last look at Tang Bing's retreating figure, he dashed to the factory gate. "Ms. Meng, open up, quick!"

"Where's Bing?" Sun Meng asked, her voice laced with worry, as Zhao Dagang returned alone.

"There's been a crash, and there's a TV star involved!" Zhao Dagang explained, "Bing's trying to save her! Open the door fast—the zombies are on their way, and we need to get the supplies inside immediately!"

"Got it!" Sun Meng's heart skipped a beat as she heard the zombies approaching, and she quickly unlocked the door to let Zhao Dagang hurriedly drive the vehicles into the factory.

"What about Brother Bing?" Sun Meng hesitated to close the door after Zhao Dagang entered, her eyes filled with concern as she peered outside.

"Brother Bing told us to wait for him!" Zhao Dagang urged, "Lock the door fast, and let's keep a close watch from the security room's window!"

"Right!" In such dire straits, Sun Meng immediately agreed.

Meanwhile, Tang Bing, having boosted his Agility, was making a beeline for the survivor with remarkable speed.

To his dismay, the female celebrity, upon exiting the car, glanced at her arm and burst into loud, uncontrollable sobs.

'What kind of foolishness is this?' Tang Bing thought, growing impatient. At such a life-or-death moment, she stood by the car, weeping, as if waiting for the zombies to come and devour her. What was the point of her desperate driving and crashing to get here if this was her reaction?

Despite his frustration, Tang Bing saw several zombies closing in and hastened his pace, determined to rescue her before they got to her.

The female celebrity, startled to see Tang Bing running towards her, blurted out, "Are you alive?!"

Tang Bing was dumbfounded. 'Can't she see I'm alive?' he thought, pressing, "What are you doing? Hurry and follow me!"

"Don't come any closer!" The celebrity inexplicably backed away, "Stay away from me!"

Seeing her reaction, Tang Bing was on the verge of exploding with anger. "The zombies are almost here! Do you want to die? Come with me, now!"

"I said don't come near me!" To his shock, she fumbled for a lighter in her purse, eyeing the car that had started to leak oil, "Move it! Or I'll light the gasoline, and we can die together!"

"Have you lost your mind? I'm trying to save you, and you're talking about dying together?" Tang Bing froze, his eyes darting to the encroaching horde of zombies, "Come with me, quick! We've got a safe haven with plenty of food and water! In times like these, all survivors should be banding together!"

"I can't survive this!" The female celebrity's voice was tinged with hysteria as she brandished a lighter in her right hand, showing it to Tang Bing with a trembling left hand. "I've been bitten by zombies. I'm going to turn into one of them! I have no idea when I'll morph into that kind of monster, so I can't come with you! Run for it! Get out of here before they spot you—move!"

Tang Bing's realization dawned; the celebrity was terrified after a zombie bite, convinced she was beyond hope and uncertain of when she'd turn. She refused to accompany him, fearing she'd drag him down with her.

"Hear me out!" Tang Bing could sense the woman's selflessness amidst her panic. He called out urgently, "Don't be scared! Being bitten doesn't guarantee you'll turn! I have a cure that can save you!"

"There's no cure for this virus!" Despair etched the celebrity's features as she rejected Tang Bing's words. "Just go, don't bother trying to save me! I'm as good as dead; there's no hope left!"

"Please, just calm down—I'm speaking the truth!" Tang Bing was desperate to dash over and forcibly take her with him, but the risk of her igniting the gasoline held him back. Desperation could drive a person to extremes. With the horde of zombies closing in, he pleaded, "We're out of time. Trust me! Come with me, and I swear, I can cure you!"

"Don't come any closer!" The female celebrity cracked a tragic smile and flicked the lighter to life. "You're a good man, but I'm out of options! I've been checking online every day; those bitten are infected, no question. Zombies hone in on sounds and the scent of blood. If you stay, you'll die alongside me! So get out of here, don't waste another second! If you stay, we both die now. If you leave, maybe you'll survive a few more days in this doomed world. Go! Just go!"

"Stop, don't do anything foolish!" The zombies were nearly upon them. With no other choice, Tang Bing readied himself to sprint forward, snatch the lighter from the woman's grasp, and escape with her in tow.

But before he could act, she yelled defiantly, "I told you not to come near me! I don't need your pity! Get out of here! Go, now!"

"Don't panic—I can truly heal you!" Tang Bing pleaded as he saw her growing more frantic, lighter in hand, ready to set the gasoline ablaze. "Believe me! I promise you'll make it through this!"

"He said the same thing to me once, asking me to trust him..." The female celebrity's face was etched with a sorrowful smile as she released the lighter, tossing it onto the gasoline-soaked ground. "I'm done with it all! This world... it's devoid of hope."

"No!" Tang Bing lunged to save her, but a zombie was already hurtling toward him. And as the lighter's flame touched the gasoline, it spread instantly.

He desperately wanted to save her, to prevent this survivor from perishing before his eyes, but not at the cost of his own life.

As the fire roared to life, he saw the look of release on the female celebrity's face.

Why wouldn't she believe me? A chill of desolation ran through Tang Bing. With resolve, he spun on his heel and sprinted away, dodging the oncoming zombie, his heart heavy with regret.

"Boom!" The flames found their way to the fuel tank, following the trail of spilled gasoline. In an instant, the female celebrity vanished in the violent explosion that consumed the car.

Tang Bing's heart clenched at the sound, but he didn't hesitate, accelerating his escape. The blast would draw most of the zombies, yet with his speed, he was confident he could still get away safely.