Chapter 26
Zombie tide? What zombie tide?
Seeing the heavy, helpless expression on the crew-cut man’s face, someone finally reacted. Their face instantly turned pale. “Are you saying there’s going to be a zombie tide?!”
As soon as the words were out, even those who didn’t fully grasp the meaning realized something was very wrong.
But for the past few days, the area around the neighborhood had been calm. They had rarely encountered even small groups of zombies, so it was hard for them to imagine the scale of a zombie tide.
“How many zombies are we talking about in this tide?”
“No idea, probably dozens, maybe a few hundred?”
“I think there could be a few hundred too. The makeshift barriers we’ve put up might not hold. When we’re out gathering supplies later, let’s see if we can find any metal sheets to reinforce them.”
The group began chattering away, oblivious to the indescribable expressions on the faces of the crew-cut man and his companions.
One of them, a man with a scar across his face, couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
He nudged his teammate and joked, “I gotta say, this place really has some good luck. It’s been days since the apocalypse started, and they haven’t even seen a few hundred zombies.”
It wasn’t surprising that Scarface reacted this way.
They had traveled a long, grueling journey, braving the elements and seeing countless horrifying scenes. Now, seeing this group of innocent survivors was like stumbling upon a few rabbits lazily grazing in the middle of a predator’s den. It was equal parts surprising and amusing.
His companion also couldn’t help but remark on Wen Xin and his group’s good fortune: “There’s gotta be over a thousand people in this neighborhood.”
If even one nearby area had been overrun by zombies, no one would be casually saying things like “the zombie tide might have a few hundred zombies.”
What they didn’t know was that before the scavenging team had even left, Wen Xin’s little ones had already cleared out the area, wiping out more than just a few thousand zombies.
Because the nearby area was now filled only with minor threats, they had felt safe enough to let Wen Xin go out exploring with the team.
But despite all the precautions, Wen Xin had still ended up in danger just moments ago. He’d nearly gotten hurt.
The canary silently blamed itself, thinking it should’ve kept a closer watch on Wen Xin.
Wen Xin, however, asked on behalf of the team: “How many zombies are in this zombie tide you’re talking about?”
Scarface answered, “About a hundred thousand or so.”
What?
They must’ve heard that wrong. A hundred thousand?!
The rest of the team’s eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
Wen Xin was about to ask more when he suddenly felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned to see the canary’s serious expression, unlike anything he had seen before. The canary nodded slowly.
Wen Xin knew his little ones weren’t ordinary. Seeing even the canary worried, he could only imagine how terrifying this zombie tide would be.
He decided on the spot.
While the team leader, Old Zhang, was still skeptical and thought Scarface was pulling their leg, Wen Xin grabbed his arm and spoke firmly: “Old Zhang, if what they’re saying is true, we need to go back immediately and inform everyone. Then we have to find a way to leave G City as soon as possible.”
“Leave… leave G City? So suddenly?”
The team members looked completely baffled.
Someone couldn’t help but question, “Wen Xin, who are these people to you? Can we really trust what they’re saying?”
Another chimed in, “Yeah, nothing’s happened so far, right? There’s been no movement at all. How could it possibly be as bad as they’re saying?”
“Ten thousand zombies showing up all at once—that’s impossible.”
The crew-cut man and his team remained silent.
They had encountered plenty of people who doubted them in the past. They had said what needed to be said, and issued warnings, but often to no avail.
In the apocalypse, there were plenty of people who couldn’t see the reality in front of them. Many of them ended up dead.
Call it cold-hearted or ruthless, but they had long grown tired of wasting words on people who were about to die anyway.
Facing the group’s disbelief, Wen Xin remained resolute, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor. “They have no reason to joke about something like this.”
Normally, the scavenging team saw Wen Xin as easygoing, someone who went along with whatever needed to be done, never losing his temper.
But now, the typically gentle young man was serious, and there was an undeniable force in his gaze that made it impossible to ignore him.
Wen Xin turned to Scarface. “Where will the zombie tide come from?”
Scarface, surprised by Wen Xin’s determination, still answered, “From the southwest.”
In other words, from the west side of the city!
The first large outbreak of zombies in G City had also come from the west. Wen Xin had no reason to doubt them further. He looked at the rest of the scavenging team.
“Our neighborhood’s maintenance team has three drones, right? We can use one of them to scout the west side. That way, we’ll know if they’re telling the truth.”
But the team was reluctant.
A good drone, equipped with a camera, cost thousands of dollars, and only a handful of enthusiasts owned them. When they had searched the entire neighborhood for drones, they had only found three.
The west side was far, and they’d have to follow the drone’s range carefully. If something happened and they lost a drone, it would be a huge loss!
Not to mention, drones use up a lot of power. The entire neighborhood was running on just one diesel generator, which had to supply over a thousand households. Power was already tight, so where could they find extra electricity to use?
Wen Xin cut to the heart of the matter with a single sentence: “What’s more important, your lives or the drones?”
Everyone looked at each other.
Finally, the team leader, Old Zhang, gritted his teeth and made the decision: “We can’t make a decision this big on our own. Let’s go back and get everyone’s opinion, then we can figure out what to do.”
The others agreed with Old Zhang, though many of them didn’t seem too concerned.
A hundred thousand zombies? That’s ridiculous. Even spread across the whole city, that many zombies would be packed in like sardines. Could they really fit in the west side?
The team members hurried back toward the neighborhood, while the crew-cut man and his companions stood by, arms crossed, watching. But when they noticed Wen Xin also following them back, their expressions tightened.
Truthfully, they wished they could bundle Wen Xin into the car and teleport straight to A City, far away from any potential danger.
However, they weren’t heartless enough to just watch these people stay here and die. That’s why they had been willing to wait and let Wen Xin convince the neighborhood to use the drones.
But Wen Xin following them back? That was a different story.
What if he planned to stay behind and face the tide with the rest of the neighborhood? How were they supposed to get out in time?
Scarface, feeling a headache coming on, tried to grab Wen Xin, grumbling, “Let them do their thing. Why are you going back too?”
But before his hand could reach Wen Xin, the boy at Wen Xin’s side, as if anticipating the move, stepped forward and blocked his path, staring coldly at him.
In an instant, a sense of danger, sharp as lightning, shot through Scarface’s nerves.
He instinctively took a step back, his hand moving toward the gun at his waist, staring warily at the boy with growing alarm.
Who was this kid, and why did he make Scarface feel so threatened?
The crew-cut man noticed Scarface’s reaction, glanced at the boy, and, seeing nothing amiss, frowned in confusion.
He explained to Wen Xin, “The nearby Z City has already fallen. We’re taking the G177 highway, which is a longer route. At most, we can only stay here for five hours.”
“If you want to wait for the drone’s scouting results, I advise you to give up on that idea.”
There was another thing the crew-cut man didn’t say out loud.
Judging from the skepticism he’d seen earlier from the neighborhood residents, he suspected they’d spend half a day just getting the drone in the air.
After speaking, the crew-cut man studied Wen Xin’s expression closely.
If he still insisted on staying, they’d have to find a way to change his mind.
But Wen Xin didn’t hesitate. “I’m going back.”
The worst-case scenario had arrived. The person they were supposed to pick up had no sense of reality.
Scarface’s face darkened instantly, and he was on the verge of cursing again. The crew-cut man and the others couldn’t help but sigh.
But to their surprise, Wen Xin wasn’t going back for the reasons they thought.
Wen Xin said, “There are still things I haven’t packed. I need to go back and get them. You can come with me.”
Scarface was incredulous. “What could possibly be so important that you have to go back for it?”
Wen Xin’s expression remained calm as he answered, “Five cans of high-calorie treats, including chocolate, two boxes of instant noodles, beef jerky, chicken sausages, and some canned meat.”
Upon hearing this, the men, who had been surviving on energy bars for nearly ten days to save time on cooking, couldn’t help but swallow hard.
Seeing the grime on their faces, Wen Xin added another line that they couldn’t refuse: “And you must be exhausted after rushing all the way here, right?”
“Before the water stopped, I stored several buckets of tap water. I’ve already tested it—it’s safe for bathing. I still have six buckets left, which should be enough for everyone to wash up.”
“I have sofas and beds. You can lie down and rest. The neighborhood is relatively safe for now, with no zombies around, so you don’t have to worry about any sudden attacks.”
“I only need about 40 minutes to pack, and I’ll also need to explain a few things to the others. It won’t take more than an hour, then we can leave.”
The group was persuaded.
Seeing their expressions soften, Wen Xin turned to Scarface, asking for his opinion: “Sure, you can find food and water on the road, but wouldn’t it be easier to grab what’s already here?”
Scarface’s surly expression had vanished.
Under Wen Xin’s gentle gaze, he sheepishly scratched his nose and muttered, “Sorry for earlier.”
…
The crew-cut man and his group followed Wen Xin back to the neighborhood.
The open area in front of the neighborhood’s garden was buzzing with activity, with people heading toward the sound of a gathering horn.
It looked like the residents were preparing for a meeting.
Aside from that, the neighborhood itself was shockingly clean. The trees, flowerbeds, and even the notice boards were all intact, without a trace of damage. The crew-cut man’s group exchanged surprised glances.
They had assumed Wen Xin meant the zombies had been cleared out, but it seemed like the place had never been attacked by zombies at all.
Without exaggeration, this was by far the most peaceful and well-maintained place they had seen since the apocalypse began.
They followed Wen Xin upstairs.
Glancing at Wen Xin’s straight back, Scarface and his companion, who had been mocking him earlier, had a sudden change of heart. They couldn’t help but whisper to each other.
“Why does he seem different from what we heard…”
“Yeah, he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would throw a tantrum and run away from home over something trivial.”
“They said he was stubborn and hot-tempered, that he left home for years.”
“Cough, cough!”
Afraid Wen Xin would overhear and get upset, the crew-cut man let out a heavy cough, interrupting their gossip.
He shot them a stern glare, lowering his voice as he warned, “Don’t believe idle gossip. If the boss hears about this, you’ll be in trouble.”
Scarface and his friend immediately clammed up.
Even though they were whispering, to the sharp-eared canary, it was like they were talking right next to him.
The canary couldn’t help but glance at Wen Xin.
It seemed that not much had been said about Wen Xin’s family.
Soon, they reached Wen Xin’s door, but instead of immediately pulling out his key, Wen Xin paused with his hand on the door.
He turned to the crew-cut man and his team, saying, “I have some cats at home. I plan to take them with me when we leave.”
This was something the crew-cut man and his group hadn’t anticipated.
Scarface opened his mouth, clearly ready to curse again.
But remembering how he had already embarrassed himself once by being too hasty, he bit his tongue, though his face still showed obvious disapproval.
The others had similar reactions.
They hadn’t minded when Wen Xin said he’d bring the boy with them. After all, there was still room in the car. Bringing one or two extra people didn’t make much of a difference.
But animals were a different story.
If you brought a person, you could at least control them if things got dangerous. But how were you supposed to handle an uncooperative animal?
The crew-cut man, usually the calm and rational one, was the leader of the rescue mission for a reason. He spoke in a low voice, “As a rule, we don’t bring pets on the road.”
Wen Xin nodded. “I understand, but I’m still going to bring them.”
Seeing how resolute Wen Xin was, the crew-cut man knew it wouldn’t be easy to convince him otherwise.
But he had to ask, “What if your pets start making noise on the road and attract zombies?”
“I can guarantee they won’t cause any trouble,” Wen Xin said. “If they do attract zombies, I’ll leave the car with them.”
They, not it, meaning there was more than one.
Scarface and the others twitched at the corners of their mouths.
Hearing this, the crew-cut man felt a headache coming on.
Why hadn’t Wen Xin mentioned this earlier? If he had, they would never have agreed to let him come back to the neighborhood.
Wait a minute.
The crew-cut man’s expression shifted as he stared at Wen Xin. “Were you afraid we’d take you away immediately, so you waited until now to bring up the cats?”
Wen Xin nodded. “Yes.”
Hearing him admit it so calmly, the crew-cut man’s face darkened.
In their eyes, this journey was essentially an escape, not something to be taken lightly. It wasn’t a time for games or scheming.
The crew-cut man’s voice dropped as he spoke slowly, “Even though we’re at your door, we could still take you away by force.”
“Our mission is to bring you back safely. To accomplish that goal, we’re willing to use less-than-civilized means if necessary.”
The atmosphere suddenly turned tense.
Hearing the threat against Wen Xin, the canary’s eyes flickered with anger.
And not just the canary—the little ones inside the house had heard the exchange as well, and in that instant, they had already figured out where they’d bury Scarface and his buddies.
But the one who broke the tension was, once again, Wen Xin.
He calmly tapped on the door to soothe the agitated little ones inside.
Then he turned back to the crew-cut man and his team, looking at them with a serene expression. “If you force me, you won’t get any food or water.”
“You might not know this, but the nearby stores, supermarkets, and convenience shops have all been stripped clean by the residents.”
“The nearest supermarket is 20 kilometers away. We scouted it with a drone earlier. There are a lot of zombies there, and with your tight schedule, I doubt you have time.”
“Even if you do make it there in time, there’s no guarantee the place hasn’t already been cleared out by other survivors.”
As Wen Xin’s calm and detailed reasoning sank in, the crew-cut man’s face remained cold, but he couldn’t help but feel a bit of admiration for him.
The young man was sharp and methodical. If it weren’t for the current situation, and the fact that he was the brother of that person, they might have invited him to join their team on the spot.
There was just one problem.
For some reason, this neighborhood had been spared from the zombie tide, and Wen Xin hadn’t faced any truly bloodthirsty situations. He still held on to a bit of pre-apocalypse naivety.
The crew-cut man rubbed his chin, deciding it was time for Wen Xin to learn a harsh lesson. With a smirk, he said, “Who says we can’t get food and water? Or are you saying you don’t carry your keys when you leave the house?”
Wen Xin responded calmly, “Are you planning to rob me?”
The crew-cut man corrected him, “Friend, don’t make it sound so bad. It’s called ‘emergency measures.’”
As he spoke, he motioned for Scarface and the others to search Wen Xin.
But what happened next completely caught them off guard.
Wen Xin chuckled softly and remained where he was, not moving an inch, as if waiting for them to make the first move.
Sensing something off, Scarface quickly stopped in his tracks. The crew-cut man was just as puzzled. “Why are you laughing?”
“Because I finally have a legitimate reason to complain to my brother.”
Wen Xin’s tone was casual, as if he didn’t care how shameless his words sounded. His innocent eyes blinked up at them.
“It normally takes five days to get from A City to G City, but you made me wait almost ten. If my luck had been any worse, I might’ve already become zombie food by now. Isn’t that your fault?”
The crew-cut man instantly wanted to retort, “That’s because—”
But Wen Xin cut him off, “Whatever the reason is—whether it’s because of difficulties or delays—you can explain it to my brother later. You don’t have to explain it to me.”
“All I know is that after all this, not only did you fail to take my feelings into account, but now you’re trying to forcefully take me away and rob me of my supplies.”
“That’s going to hurt me deeply, you know. Sigh.”
As Wen Xin made a small show of clutching his chest, the crew-cut man and the others’ faces twitched.
Then Wen Xin twisted the knife.
“If you’re just temporary hires, then you can use whatever means necessary to get me to A City. As long as you complete the mission, it’s fine… But as far as I know, you work under my brother, right?”
Wen Xin’s expression made it clear that if they tried anything, he would be sure to tattle on them to Wen Jinfeng.
The crew-cut man and his team were dumbfounded, especially when Wen Xin added another line.
“I hope you’re brave enough to admit what you did later. Don’t be afraid to take responsibility, and don’t be scared when my brother gets angry.”
Everyone: …………
Shameless as it was, they were definitely threatened. Damn.
Under Wen Xin’s effective maneuvering, the crew-cut man and his team quickly put on friendly smiles, ready to make peace.
The tension evaporated.
When Wen Xin finally turned to open the door, his composed expression wavered, and he squeezed his fingers tightly.
Despite his confident front, Wen Xin had been incredibly nervous.
When Wen Jinfeng had sent him the crew’s profiles, all he’d seen were ID photos.
And as anyone knows, ID photos have a way of making even the most dangerous-looking people seem harmless.
That led Wen Xin to underestimate the fact that, despite their mundane professions, these people might have drastically changed personalities in the post-apocalyptic world.
Once he met them and saw their ruthless efficiency firsthand, Wen Xin quickly realized he was dealing with people who wouldn’t hesitate to use force if necessary.
His hasty strategy had just barely enough substance to hold up under scrutiny. There were holes in his story, some small, some big.
For instance, there was no way he’d actually tattle to Wen Jinfeng. And even if he did, Wen Jinfeng probably wouldn’t scold his subordinates over something like this.
Luckily, his bluff had worked.
Otherwise, he would’ve refused to travel with the crew and figured out another way to take the little ones with him.
Wen Xin let out a slow breath as he finally opened the door.
At the same time, Scarface gave the crew-cut man a meaningful look: Are we really bringing these cats?
The crew-cut man nodded slightly. They’d have to.
If the cats were really as well-behaved as Wen Xin said, it wouldn’t hurt to bring them along.
And if they weren’t? The road from G City to A City was long, and who knew what kinds of “accidents” might happen along the way?
When it came to survival, people always came first. Otherwise, everything would fall apart.
Dark thoughts swirled in the crew-cut man’s mind as he heard a soft sound from inside the house.
“Yip.”
Instantly, it was like someone had slammed a hammer into the crew-cut man and his team’s heads. Their pupils dilated in shock.
Wen Xin didn’t notice the reaction behind him.
He greeted his little ones as usual, then noticed the little fox lying listlessly in its nest. Feeling concerned, he scooped it up gently.
“There, there. Are you still not feeling well?”
The little fox’s health had been rapidly declining over the past few days, experiencing intense pain like the little black one had gone through.
If the canary hadn’t told him that this was a normal part of the fox’s growth, Wen Xin wouldn’t have known what to do.
The little fox twitched its ears in comfort under Wen Xin’s gentle scritches.
It lifted its head with great effort and nuzzled his cheek, trying to comfort him in return.
“Yip! Yip yip!”
It’s okay! I’m about to evolve into my full form. Then I’ll be even better at protecting you!
Seeing the little fox work so hard to comfort him despite its pain, Wen Xin hid the worry in his eyes.
He patted the fox gently, like soothing a child. “I’m not worried. Our little fox is growing up, so I should be happy.”
“But we’ll be heading out soon. There are going to be a lot of monsters in this city, so we need to leave early. I’m sorry you’ll have to bear with it for a while.”
The little fox rested its head on Wen Xin’s shoulder, letting out a soft yip as if to say it understood.
At the same time, its dark, clear eyes looked toward the doorway, meeting the dazed gazes of the crew-cut man and his team.
“Yip.”
We won’t cause trouble. Don’t do anything sneaky.
The crew-cut man and his team mumbled silently: Okay, no sneaky stuff.
“Yip.”
Listen to Wen Xin. Don’t bully him.
The crew-cut man and his team: Got it, we’ll listen to Wen Xin and not bully him.
“Yip.”
Leave the good food and drinks for Wen Xin. You can have some too, but we don’t need much.
The crew-cut man and his team: Okay, okay.
After giving its instructions, the little fox visibly grew more tired.
It shifted into a comfortable position, its fluffy head resting in the crook of Wen Xin’s neck, and slowly closed its eyes, falling asleep again.
The crew-cut man and his team suddenly snapped back to reality, scratching their heads in confusion.
Seeing Wen Xin start to pack, something clicked in their minds, and they hurried over with newfound enthusiasm.
“Leave it to us! You take a break!”
Wen Xin blinked, taken aback by their sudden change in attitude. He stared at them, puzzled, and asked, “Huh?”
