Chapter 33: Red Maple Town
After learning everything, Ji Ruwen immediately said that he wanted to leave to look for his daughter.
He admitted that it made him seem ungrateful. Liang Shaoqing and Bai Qi’s group had saved him, yet here he was, in such a rush to leave.
But…
He was sorry, he just had his own obsession.
Whether it was worry or regret, in any case, he absolutely had to find Mibao.
It was all because of him that Mibao had fallen into danger.
“No, I get that you’re anxious, but don’t be so hasty!” Bai Qi pushed Ji Ruwen, who had just stood up, back down into his seat. “The network is down right now. Even if you want to look for someone, where could you possibly go? Do you really think your daughter would go back home?”
That villa had already been overrun long ago.
Ji Ruwen: “…”
That… made sense.
“So if you want to find your daughter, the best thing you can do is stay here!” Bai Qi said with a serious face. “As long as your daughter learns about the safety base, she’ll definitely try to make her way here.”
Ji Ruwen’s expression twisted for a moment. “My daughter is only five years old. How could she possibly know?”
Bai Qi: “But she wouldn’t be traveling alone, right? Whoever is with her would definitely know.”
Ji Ruwen: “…”
That… also sounded reasonable.
And so, Ji Ruwen managed to calm himself down.
“Mr. Ji, according to the examination, your physical abilities have improved significantly. Also, your situation is rather special, so the higher-ups want you to join the special squad.” Liang Shaoqing then spoke up. “I wonder what you think about that?”
Ji Ruwen thought for a moment. “What benefits would I get?”
Liang Shaoqing: “…”
As expected of someone who studied finance.
“We know what you’re most anxious about is finding your daughter, so I can help you apply to have your information included in the broadcasts that are being sent out.”
Ji Ruwen looked puzzled. “Didn’t you say the network has collapsed… wait, are you talking about radio signals?”
“Yes.”
That thing didn’t require the internet.
Ji Ruwen’s eyes lit up again.
If that was the case, then as long as Mibao was still alive, she would definitely be able to find her way to him.
“Alright, if that application goes through, I’ll join!”
…
…
Chaolu felt that it was about time for them to leave.
Why? For one, the adults’ training was more or less complete. For another, the number of zombies around them was increasing.
These past two days she had killed so many zombies that her arrows were almost running out. In the end, she even had to carry a knife to hack them down.
It was truly too much to ask of a twelve-year-old girl.
The adults had no objections. They really didn’t want to keep training anymore!
Hurry up and find a radio to check on the situation outside!
The big and small vans got back onto the road and, using the city map as a guide, drove toward the nearest small town.
About two hours later, the faint outline of houses finally appeared in their line of sight.
“That town up ahead is called Red Maple Town. I recognize it.” Li Xiangyu, sitting in the passenger seat, pointed at the town ahead. “I once drove past and stopped there to buy something. It was autumn at the time, and the maple trees in town were especially beautiful.”
Hearing this, the driver, Wang Defa, was reminded as well. “I remember I even brought back some maple leaves to make bookmarks for my grandson.”
At the mention of their grandson, it was inevitable that they thought of their own children. Wang Defa and Li Xiangyu both let out a sigh.
They had no idea how their children were doing now.
Are they… still alive?
They didn’t dare think too deeply about it.
The car drove toward Red Maple Town, and soon everyone noticed that the place was crawling with zombies.
As the zombies swarmed up to smack against the car windows, Wang Defa, who was driving, got such a fright that he almost forgot to turn the steering wheel.
Sitting in the back, Chaolu looked exasperated. “Didn’t you all train for so long?”
How could they still be scared?
Wang Defa’s lips twitched. That training was done knowing nothing bad would happen. This was a real fight—how could it be the same?
Fortunately, although he was scared, he didn’t lose his head. After taking a few deep breaths, he quickly shook off the zombies chasing them.
The van behind them followed suit, and before long the two vehicles had pulled up at the only shopping plaza in town.
There were plenty of zombies in the plaza too, so getting inside wasn’t going to be easy.
But their goal was to find a radio, so they decided that one van would draw the zombies away while the others slipped inside to search.
Given Chaolu’s combat strength, she was naturally part of the team that got out of the car, while Chaoyang and Mibao stayed in the other van.
Everyone had walkie-talkies so they could stay in contact at any time.
The smaller van blared its horn, quickly attracting a large horde of zombies.
At first it circled slowly around the plaza, and once enough zombies had gathered, it began to drive outward. A long trail of zombies followed behind, the sight looking rather spectacular.
The driver of the smaller van, Zhu Dafu, truth be told, already wanted to bolt during the first lap. But Chaoyang ordered him not to run, to keep circling.
Damn it, it wasn’t that he was cowardly, it was just that the zombies’ claws were already brushing the rear bumper!
And yet, while the adults were all terrified, Chaoyang remained completely calm—and what was even stranger, the youngest one, Mibao, wasn’t acting normal either.
She started singing loudly at the window.
And she sang with great joy.
“Two little tigers, two little tigers, running fast~ running fast~ One has no eyes~ One has no tail~ So strange~ so strange…”
Mibao howled the nursery rhyme at the top of her lungs, and it was… very off-key.
The adults in the van looked at the two little kids, their expressions impossible to describe.
Kids these days really were…
Were there even any normal ones left!?
Why were children braver than them, for crying out loud!
This made them feel embarrassed about being scared!
…
On the other side, seeing that most of the zombies had been lured away, Chaolu and the others drove up to the supermarket entrance and got out.
There were still a few stray zombies staggering toward them, but Chaolu ignored them completely. She strode quickly into the supermarket and pulled the doors shut behind them.
The moment she turned her head, two zombies in cashier uniforms rushed at them.
“Ah!”
Wang Defa screamed in fright.
Before he even had time to react, Chaolu had already drawn her bow and shot one zombie through, then swiftly pulled out her machete and slashed at the other!
Puchi!
The zombie’s neck was half-severed, and it collapsed onto the ground.
Only then did Wang Defa and the other adult with him finally calm their pounding hearts enough to pat their chests.
Good lord, that scared them to death!
The other man was Qian Suiyou, slim-built, the youngest among the adults, and also the one in the best physical shape.
“Stay close to me. There must still be zombies in here.” Chaolu’s expression was grim as she held up her machete. “And stop screaming.”
Wang Defa: “…Sorry.”
It was just that when he turned around and saw two zombies enthusiastically charging toward him, his throat reacted faster than his brain, and he screamed.
The supermarket was a mess, with all sorts of things scattered on the floor, likely because people had rushed to gather supplies in the early days of the outbreak.
The inside of the supermarket was pitch dark, but luckily there were flashlights near the cash register. The three of them each grabbed one.
Radios counted as electronics, and were usually kept in the general merchandise section.
Chaolu stood up on the cashier counter, shining her flashlight into the depths of the supermarket. She spotted them in the farthest corner on the left.
Hmm…
Pitch black. Didn’t look too promising.
