After crossing the bridge, Wang Zhi and the other three arrived at the nearby riverbank. A park lay ahead; passing through it would lead them to the outer wall of the Research Institute.
Wang Zhi and the other three continued walking according to their plan.
"There's a wooden cabin ahead; it looks like a store," Wang Zhi said, lowering his binoculars.
"Looks like we got lucky!" Su Muying picked up her own binoculars to take a look.
The group approached the small wooden hut; the door was still locked. It seemed no one had been there. Through the window, they could see that the interior was mostly stocked with drinks, bottled water, and some candy.
"We can come back for it when we return."
Wang Zhi, naturally, would not pass up these supplies.
Passing through the copse, Wang Zhi finally reached the perimeter wall of the Research Institute. The wall stood three meters high. Now, Wang Zhi faced a new problem: the Research Institute was vast; where should they start looking for people?
Wang Zhi took out the Drone, intending to get an initial understanding of the interior.
*Whirrr...* The Drone ascended and entered the Research Institute.
Wang Zhi was currently positioned near the wall at the Research Institute's ecological station, an area usually deserted. After flying a short distance in, he spotted the science popularization hall in the central zone—the most densely populated area and, consequently, the area swarming with the most Zombies. Hundreds of Zombies shambled about the central zone.
Behind the science popularization hall was the experimental base, consisting of two three-story buildings. The two structures were linked by an elevated corridor, allowing movement between them. Wang Zhi was certain the person they needed to rescue was inside this experimental base.
Just as the Drone was surveying the terrain near the experimental base, Old He, watching from behind, stared at the screen and exclaimed in surprise, "Look quickly! There are people in the elevated corridor on the second floor! A man and a woman—I wonder if they are the ones we're looking for."
"They must have ventured out looking for food. We need to get there quickly," said Wang Zhi, retracting the Drone.
Wang Zhi and his three companions circled around to the base of the nearest wall of the experimental base and climbed over it. With their current strength, they could pull themselves up over anything they could get their hands on.
After climbing the wall, they found themselves in a parking lot. Upon landing, the Zombies had already noticed Wang Zhi and the others and rushed toward them. Wang Zhi didn't bother with stealth, grabbing his rifle and opening fire immediately.
The situation was urgent now. Since they had located the targets, they had to rush over right away; if the targets died, the loss from this trip would be enormous.
Inside the building.
"Brother Xiao Qi, should we go back?" Yang Liu's female assistant looked at the blood covering the entire corridor and was so frightened her legs felt weak.
Xiao Qi looked at the only young woman who had followed him out with a complicated expression and said, "An Qing, you should go back. It's too dangerous outside."
"I'm not afraid. Staying inside means death anyway," An Qing still refused to listen to his advice.
Xiao Qi stared at An Qing for a long time, finally sighing, "Sigh! Fine. No matter what we encounter or what happens later, don't make a sound. If something happens to me, run straight back to the laboratory; once the door there is closed, it will block out you, your scent, and your sound. Here, give me your foot."
Saying that, Xiao Qi grabbed An Qing's high-heeled shoe and broke off the back heel. This would facilitate running and greatly reduce the sound of her footsteps.
"There is a vending machine on the opposite side of the first floor. There should be water and bread inside. We'll head there in a moment."
"Okay..."
An Qing responded nervously.
The two of them stealthily moved from the second-floor skywalk corridor to the opposite emergency exit. Normally, the number of people at the research Base was small; after the Zombie virus outbreak, the Zombies here had all come from outside and were mostly concentrated on the first floor.
Xiao Qi peeked out at the emergency exit and immediately spotted a Zombie standing motionless on the spot, one arm bitten off, covered in blood. Startled, Xiao Qi quickly pulled his head back.
Seeing Xiao Qi frightened again, An Qing urged, "Brother Xiao Qi, if it's impossible, let's go back. Starving to death is better than being eaten by those ugly things."
Hearing An Qing's words, Xiao Qi hesitated. His own hands were trembling, but then he thought of Dr. Yang lying weakly unconscious on the ground, and he tightened the iron bar in his hand.
"Isn't it just a brainless monster with one arm missing? As long as we deal with it, we can get close to the vending machine!"
With that, he turned into the stairwell. As soon as Xiao Qi entered the stairs, the Zombie immediately sensed him. Xiao Qi, gripping the iron bar, rained down a flurry of chaotic blows from high to low onto the head of the one-armed Zombie.
"Li... Brother Xiao Qi, that's enough, it's already dead." An Qing pulled at Xiao Qi from behind.
Only when he heard An Qing did Xiao Qi gradually calm down. At that moment, he noticed that the Zombie beneath his feet had already been beaten into a bloody mess by the iron bar in his hand.
"Brother Xiao Qi, are you alright?"
An Qing looked fearfully at Brother Xiao Qi, whose eyes were frantic and whose body was splattered with blood.
"I'm fine, let's go downstairs quickly," Xiao Qi said, wiping the blood from his face with his sleeve.
Going down the stairs, the vending machine was against the wall beside the lobby.
"We're lucky; we haven't seen any Zombies nearby," Xiao Qi said to An Qing, pulling his head back.
"That's great, we're saved," An Qing smiled.
Xiao Qi looked both ways again, then turned back to An Qing and said, "That vending machine is out of power, and we don't have the key, so we'll have to smash the glass panel to get what's inside. If I smash the glass and attract Zombies, you just grab a few bottles of water and some bread and run straight back; I'll take care of drawing them away."
Hearing Xiao Qi suggest using himself as bait to escort her back, An Qing immediately grew anxious and insisted, "No way. If we go, we go together. I can't leave you behind."
Xiao Qi looked at An Qing, who was being stubborn even at a time like this, and said, "Listen, An Qing, if something goes wrong, either we both stay there, or I stay there. Dr. Yang has already saved this life of mine once; this time, it's my turn to repay her. If both of us die, who will bring food to Dr. Yang? That's settled."
Without looking at the red-eyed An Qing, he walked straight toward the vending machine.
Chapter 44: They All Deserve to Die
Xiao Qi and An Qing quietly approached the vending machine.
*Smash!* Xiao Qi used the iron rod in his hand to break the glass! In the silence of the building, the sound of shattering glass was exceptionally jarring.
*Roar~* The Zombies near the first floor heard the noise from this direction and instantly let out low growls as they moved closer.
Seeing that he had already disturbed the Zombies, Xiao Qi smashed the vending machine a few more times, completely shattering the glass.
"Quick! An Qing, grab the things and go back fast!" Xiao Qi shouted as he pulled items out of the vending machine.
Actually, An Qing had already resolved to grab the supplies and return after hearing Xiao Qi's words on the stairs, but standing here fighting side-by-side, she changed her mind—she couldn't abandon him!
"An Qing? What are you doing? Hurry up and go!" Xiao Qi asked, watching An Qing standing still, staring blankly at him.
"Brother Xiao Qi, you are a man of responsibility and commitment. If this weren't the apocalypse, how wonderful life would be!" Saying this, An Qing put down the food in her hand and took out the fruit knife she carried.
"An Qing, what are you doing?"
"I'm coming with you to deal with those things."
As soon as the words fell, several Zombies had already arrived in the hall and were running toward the two of them.
Xiao Qi couldn't worry about anything else and rushed forward, grappling with the Zombies.
"Brother Xiao Qi! Waaah~" Watching Xiao Qi fight fiercely with the Zombies, An Qing also rushed forward.
Thud, thud, thud! A Zombie fell in front of An Qing.
"Crouch down!"
A human voice sounded from the distance.
An Qing looked back instinctively. There stood four fully armed people. She immediately burst into tears. It had been so many days; hope had turned into despair. Just when she thought they were all dead, she suddenly saw the army.
"Hurry and crouch down!"
The voice came again from the distance. An Qing finally reacted and immediately dropped to the ground.
Rat-a-tat-tat! Another burst of gunfire, and all the Zombies in the hall had been shot dead.
"Hoo! We weren't too late," Wang Zhi said, dropping his empty magazine.
"Are you Dr. Yang Liu?" Wang Zhi asked as he helped the deeply crying An Qing up from the ground.
"Gentlemen, please save us, save us!" An Qing said emotionally, grabbing Wang Zhi.
"Are you alright, Xiao Qi?" Old He asked, helping him up from behind her.
"I'm fine. Thank you all for the rescue. Are you looking for Dr. Yang Liu?"
"Yes, we were tasked with getting Dr. Yang Liu out," Old He replied.
"That's wonderful," Xiao Qi murmured weakly.
Wang Zhi looked at the increasingly weak Xiao Qi and stated, "We were a step too late; he's wounded!"
Seeing Wang Zhi suddenly raise his rifle, An Qing snapped back to reality and shouted, "What are you doing?"
"He's wounded. In a short while, he'll turn into a Zombie. There's nothing we can do," Wang Zhi explained.
Xiao Qi froze, only then realizing the excruciating pain in his shoulder. Looking at the wound, someone who specialized in research like them knew clearly: he was beyond saving.
Xiao Qi managed a relieved smile: "Give me a quick death."
After speaking, Xiao Qi lay on the ground, closed his eyes, the corner of his mouth curving up slightly. Perhaps he was glad Dr. Yang was saved, or perhaps he was relieved he wouldn't have to become one of those inhuman Flesh-and-Blood Corpses.
Wang Zhi, his expression complicated, looked at Xiao Qi on the ground and pulled the trigger.
"Miss, please take us to find Dr. Yang Liu." Wang Zhi turned around and said.
An Qing acted as if she hadn't heard. She slowly walked over to the vending machine and began slowly picking up the water bottles and food that had spilled onto the floor.
"Xiao Qi! Why were you so foolish! None of the others came out, only you did, risking your life to find food for them! *Sob*~"
An Qing murmured to herself as she gathered the food.
Wang Zhi stood to one side watching An Qing. At this moment, Su Muying couldn't stand it and prepared to step forward to confront her, but Wang Zhi stopped her.
"Miss, isn't the most urgent matter right now saving people first?" Wang Zhi approached An Qing and asked.
"Save people? You won't save Brother Xiao Qi, but you want to save that bunch of cowardly, selfish ghosts? They all deserve to die!" An Qing furiously shouted at Wang Zhi.
Wang Zhi did not get angry, speaking kindly, "Miss, no matter how much those people deserve to die, we still must save Dr. Yang. I ask that you consider the bigger picture."
Hearing Wang Zhi's persuasion, and remembering the purpose for which she came out with Xiao Qi, An Qing calmed down. She wrapped everything up in her coat, and without a word, walked towards the second floor.
Wang Zhi and his three companions exchanged glances, then followed closely behind her.