Chapter Fourteen: The Construction Site

The two men were seasoned veterans; judging by the tire pressure and the tracks on the road, they could tell this box truck was heavy, surely packed full of goods.

"Look, here comes our food," the gaunt man said, a glint flashing in his eyes.

They took it for granted that some survivors must have gathered a large amount of supplies and were now returning fully loaded.

"I wonder if there are any cigarettes inside," the bearded man said expectantly.

As the box truck drew closer, they could see more clearly: behind the wheel was a pretty girl.

"Since she’s run into us, it’s just her bad luck," the thin man said with a vicious sneer, starting up their big truck and, seizing the right moment, flooring the accelerator.

He cut the truck across the road, blocking all passage.

A screech of tires broke the air as Su Xiaorou, startled by the sudden turn of events, slammed the brakes to the floor, the tires leaving black marks on the asphalt.

The truck stopped with less than a meter to spare before the larger vehicle.

"That was close," Su Xiaorou thought, her heart still pounding with fear.

The sudden stop made the whole truck shudder, and the inertia sent the tank in the back bumping forward with a crash.

He was instantly annoyed and decided to give Su Xiaorou only an installment of the five-star review he’d intended.

Lin Dong, however, remained calm; even with his eyes closed, he could guess what had happened.

Sure enough, two men jumped down from the truck, arms wrapped in tape and newspaper, brandishing bloodstained steel pipes.

"You two, get out of the truck!" the bearded man shouted.

Su Xiaorou glanced at them and quickly understood the situation. In the post-apocalyptic world, cannibalism was not uncommon. These men had only one goal: to survive at any cost.

"Boss, what should we do?" she asked.

Lin Dong said nothing, observing the men’s attire—they looked strikingly similar to Wang Cong, who’d previously ransacked his supermarket. They were probably from the same group.

Casting a look into the distance, he noticed a construction site—not just any site, but what was known as the "Delivery Headquarters."

Dealing with these sorts wasn’t worth his attention; he’d let his underlings handle it.

But the two men had no inkling of what was about to befall them, leering as they approached the truck.

"Don’t be afraid, sweetheart," the thin man sneered. "Big brother will take good care of you."

"Take...care," the sound echoed, followed by a strange cackle right by his ear.

The female zombie in the back suddenly perked up at the mention of a "beauty."

Did someone call me...?

She longed to be cherished by humans, and these two seemed so warm. Without hesitation, she pushed open the door and leapt out.

The gaunt man was just at the door, ready to smash it open if necessary.

"Hey, you’re quite the pretty one. If you cooperate, maybe I’ll spare your life."

"Co...operate, heh heh heh..."

A bizarre laugh sounded in his ear.

It was clear the female zombie had eaten well today and evolved further—now, beyond basic expressions, she could even mimic simple phrases.

But the man, hearing this, felt the hairs on his body stand on end. He turned to see the slender, grinning zombie woman.

"Take...care," she uttered, and in a flash, she lunged at him like the wind, moving so fast she left afterimages.

"Shit!" the man cried, panic-stricken.

He tried to swing his steel pipe, but she was too quick. She tackled him to the ground and dragged him three or four meters.

"Second! Help me!" he shouted, struggling.

But the bearded man ignored him, heading around to the back of the truck.

"Cigarettes, I need cigarettes. Gotta find some first..."

"You...ah—!" the thin man tried to curse but felt a sharp pain in his neck—the zombie’s "care" had found him. Now, he truly knew pain.

Meanwhile, the bearded man hurried to the back, convinced the truck was brimming with goods—cigarettes, perhaps liquor, and plenty of food.

He could hardly wait and yanked the door open.

But all he saw were two zombie faces.

The Doctor Zombie watched him with interest, as if finding this all very amusing.

The Tank Zombie, still agitated from earlier, figured that the bumpy ride in the "black box" was surely this guy’s fault.

The bearded man’s eyes widened in utter shock.

Gone was the pleasant scene he’d imagined. The truck was filled with terrifying zombies!

In the next moment, as if realizing something, he hurriedly took the half-smoked cigarette from behind his ear, lit it, and took a deep drag, satisfaction spreading across his face amid swirling smoke.

Then a massive hand reached out and dragged him bodily into the truck.

Within seconds, all was calm again.

Su Xiaorou, still in the cab, pursed her lips.

How tragic. These two must not have checked their horoscopes before leaving—imagine daring to block her boss.

At last, Lin Dong spoke. "Let’s go to that construction site over there."

"Okay," Su Xiaorou replied immediately.

She didn’t know what they were going there for, but as an employee, she knew her place: go wherever the boss said, no questions asked.

She started the engine, steering around the roadblock.

They drove toward the construction site, its perimeter enclosed in blue steel sheeting. The main gate had collapsed. All around lay zombie corpses, crushed by trucks—severed limbs and blood everywhere, a gruesome sight.

Following the tire tracks, the box truck charged straight in.

Lin Dong reasoned that there must be quite a few survivors here, forming a small stronghold. Wang Cong and his gang had harassed him before; now two more had blocked the road. They likely all came from here.

Enough was enough. To prevent further trouble, Lin Dong decided to wipe them out completely.

Receiving the "hunt" signal, his three underlings leapt from the truck, faces alight with excitement.

Following the boss really was the best—there was always prey, always fresh blood and flesh to be found.

Inside the construction site, all was eerily quiet. The zombies had been beaten to death, their bodies cleaned away, suggesting the people here were no pushovers.

Ahead stood an unfinished building, desolate and forlorn, but at one corner there was a peculiar structure.

It was built entirely of reinforced concrete, thick and heavy, without windows. Even the door was made of white steel plate, with no glass—only a few fist-sized ventilation holes.

The structure was three stories tall, solid and imposing, like a fortress.

Clearly, it had been built for one purpose: to keep the zombies out.