019 Journey to the Base

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The horde was dense—nothing but zombies as far as the eye could see. The moment the car headlights flicked on, the slow-moving zombies seemed to be provoked, suddenly charging forward like mad.

Shen Shiwei held her breath, gripping Shen Heng’s hand tightly.

Lu Sui remained calm and composed. He turned the car sharply around, pressed the accelerator to the floor, and the sports car shot forward like an arrow.

Shen Shiwei’s voice trembled slightly, but she forced herself to speak steadily, “Turn left up ahead, then go straight!”

She was the only one most familiar with the terrain here. To successfully escape the swarm of zombies behind them, she knew she had to guide Lu Sui.

Though terrified, she resolved to do everything possible to get away.

Lu Sui swerved left without slowing down.

Just as Song Yingjun had said earlier, Lu Sui’s driving was steady. Even as he pushed the speed to over 400, the car barely shook.

The zombies behind chased fast, but nowhere near as fast as the sports car.

Soon they were left far behind.

Everyone finally exhaled in relief, and Lu Sui gradually eased off the gas.

Then, out of nowhere, a figure suddenly appeared and spread their arms wide, blocking the car’s path.

The car was moving fast and the sudden obstruction caught Lu Sui off guard. He couldn’t brake in time and crashed straight into the figure.

With a loud bang, the figure was sent flying far back.

The car slowed to a stop.

Song Yingjun’s eyes widened. “What’s going on?!” As he opened the window to look out, someone suddenly lunged at it.

A drenched zombie clawed at the window, half its body reaching inside, mouth wide open, ready to bite him.

At the same moment, the person who had been hit and thrown to the ground staggered up and swayed toward them.

“Drive! Drive!” Shen Shiwei shouted.

Lu Sui slammed the accelerator again and the car sped off.

The zombie clinging to the window refused to let go, baring its teeth at Song Yingjun.

Song Yingjun opened the door, trying to shake the zombie off, while Shen Heng handed him a knife.

“Cut its hands.”

Without hesitation, Song Yingjun swung the blade at the two hands gripping the window. Fingers snapped and fell away in pieces, and the zombie tumbled down.

With a bang, Song Yingjun slammed the car door shut.

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He leaned back, exhaling deeply. “That was exhausting.”

Lu Sui suddenly spoke, “They’re changing.”

“Moving faster...” Lu Sui recalled the image of Gao Li dodging bullets.

“Seems like they’re beginning to think…”

The person who blocked the car was clearly a zombie.

Shen Heng raised a question, “There’s another mystery—how did Gao Li turn into a zombie? And what about Han Zhu who died in the car?”

Lu Sui analyzed as he drove, “Judging by the blood splatter, the person in the passenger seat must have attacked.”

“Han Zhu was in the driver’s seat, so Gao Li must have been in the passenger seat.”

“And Gao Li’s left wrist has bite marks, probably from Han Zhu.”

Shen Heng said, “So you’re saying Han Zhu turned into a zombie and bit Gao Li?”

“But,” Song Yingjun interjected, “Captain, when we dragged Han Zhu out, he had no bite marks. His death was from a crushed skull and excessive bleeding.”

Shen Shiwei added, “Then maybe she turned zombie on her own. Didn’t the outbreak start with a group turning suddenly and attacking each other?”

Wei Qing agreed, “Yeah, during our experiment, some people suddenly went berserk and bit many others.”

Song Yingjun frowned, “So you’re saying any survivor could turn at any time? Including us?”

Lu Sui responded, “It can’t be sudden.” He paused, then added, “Tonight’s rain is strange, just like that heavy storm a few days ago.”

“Gao Li and the other two didn’t have raincoats; they must’ve gotten on the car in the rain,” Song Yingjun said.

“So you mean anyone exposed to this rain will become a zombie?” Shen Heng asked. “I’ve been in contact with this rain before.”

Lu Sui said, “There’s a connection, but it’s not absolute. I’ve been exposed to both storms.”

“Enough. Worrying about this solves nothing now,” Shen Shiwei said to Lu Sui. “Captain, where are you planning to drive to?”

“To the nearest base.”

“How far?”

“Almost two hours away.”

Shen Shiwei looked at Shen Heng. “Brother, how far is the manor from here?”

Shen Heng replied, “About the same distance, a bit over two hours. But they’re in opposite directions.” He hesitated, “Though we can’t contact anyone there now; not sure if it’s safe.”

“Yingjun, try contacting the base.”

“Okay.” Song Yingjun took out the radio, adjusted it, then pressed the button. “Base A2012, this is R139 squad, Song Yingjun.”

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Static crackled from the radio, and after a few seconds, a distorted male voice responded.

“Comrade, this is Base A2012. Please give your instructions.”

Song Yingjun replied, “We’ve found three survivors here. Expect to arrive at the base in two hours.”

“Base A2012 copies! We will arrange pickup for you.”

“Roger.”

Song Yingjun turned to the others. “The base has complete infrastructure and is safer.”

Shen Heng glanced at Shen Shiwei.

She recalled a passage from the novel—after going to the villa near the manor, the character was soon bitten by zombies and died.

If that’s the case...

Shen Shiwei looked at Song Yingjun and nodded. “Let’s head to the base first.”

Song Yingjun exhaled in relief. “Finally, I can get you there safely.”

In the cold, silent rainy night, a black car sped onward.

The rain gradually lessened, and a dim light appeared on the horizon.

Shen Heng checked his watch—it was past four.

He looked outside at the approaching sunrise, then at the scenery, and marveled, “When did this place get so green? Trees and grass are everywhere.”

Shen Shiwei ignored him, tilting her head as exhaustion overcame her and she fell asleep.

Shen Heng watched her affectionately for a moment, then gently tilted her head to rest on his shoulder.

Wei Qing stared out at the disordered streets on both sides—fallen debris, crashed vehicles, no sign of life.

The city looked dead.

The two-hour drive had been smooth.

The base was in a remote area, surrounded only by a few factories and buildings.

Now, the sky was bright, the rain had stopped, and the air was fresh.

Yet, there was no sign of the people arranged to meet them.