94 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chen Wan wiped the blood off her face absentmindedly, feeling a sense of dread for the future. Given the current situation, she feared that their Level 3 RV might not withstand these intelligent creatures for long. Once they settled down, she needed to quickly discuss the RV upgrade with Yi Yi. Meanwhile, back at the base in Funan City, yet another wave of zombies had begun to close in. No longer sluggish like the beginners, Level 1 zombies were akin to slow-moving targets, while Level 2 had become much more agile and had developed partial intelligence, learning how to evade attacks and using cunning strategies to succeed. Consequently, the first line of machine-gun fire from the base proved ineffective. Numerous zombies breached the first defensive line of the base and approached the second line where flamethrowers were positioned. Though they looked intimidating, flamethrowers had limited killing power; only zombies that got too close were killed, and still many managed to bypass to reach the third line—a minefield. This defense was the most effective, but once zombies were blown up, those behind would step over the corpses to climb into walls surrounding C and D zones. Zones C and D were essentially the fourth line of defense, buying time for people in Zones B and A to strengthen defenses and evacuate swiftly. Amidst the chaos outside, residents in A Zone villas began to open their doors frequently, eager to see what was happening. More importantly, they wanted to ascertain the military's stance to ensure they weren't abandoned during the evacuation. In Da Ling Dao's office, Major Yao rushed in to report, "Many zombies have already broken through three lines of defense; do you want us to hold the A and B Zones, or should we evacuate immediately? I've had someone check; the back gate of the base is relatively secluded, and we haven't found any large zombie groups there yet." Da Ling Dao pondered briefly before making a decision, "Notify all tech, medical, and high-level technical personnel to gather at the back gate. Arrange the best, most secure bulletproof vehicles for them. As for other family members, don’t notify them; there's no time." "Understood. I'll first have my guards escort you to the back gate and secure the best battalion for your safety," Major Yao hurriedly replied. "Good, Xiao Yao, once everything is arranged, come to the back gate quickly. Time waits for no one. It's not that we don't want to fight the zombies, but these zombies are too strange this time. Some sacrifices are inevitable. Don’t mention our plan to evacuate to soldiers in Zones C and D, to avoid unnecessary trouble," Da Ling Dao said while walking out, giving final instructions to Major Yao. Major Yao gritted his teeth and answered, "Understood, rest assured, I will handle it properly." "Yeah, that's good." Major Yao then issued orders to his subordinates, informing them of who would be evacuating with them and arranging for notifications, with vehicles at the back gate waiting for only 15 minutes. Any delay would result in the exclusion, regardless of one's expertise, and Jiang Yan Xin and her group were not included in the evacuees. At this moment, Jiang Yan Xin and her family anxiously waited in the first-floor hall, with Yi Yi waiting for news regarding Chen Wan, and Jiang Yan Xin comforting her parents, who were trembling from the sound of gunfire. Jiang Wan Ning held Cai Cai tightly, as Cai Cai buried their little face in their aunt’s embrace, covering small ears with tender hands due to fright from the artillery, worrying about the mom and aunt Qin who hadn't been seen all day, unsure whether they had encountered danger. Chaos reigned in Zones C and D as zombies swarmed from over the high walls toward the tents. Soldiers fired desperately at the wall, but couldn't stop the zombie tide. As more zombies surged toward the tent area, Liu Zi was about to dash into the tents when Zhao Lei held him back, "Are you out of your mind? That's suicide." "They're unarmed civilians, they'll die if we don't help," Liu Zi struggled desperately. Their twenty-man squad leader, Hong, looked at Liu Zi with reddened eyes, "Alright, kid, you've got some guts. I've had enough of this too; better to fight than hide. Brothers, any of you wanting a real fight, come with us; if not, stay at the porch, no pressure." "I'm going too!" "Me as well, let's take on these monsters!" "Alright, load up on ammo, let's go!" shouted the squad leader. In the squad, including himself, none of the twenty soldiers held back, charging into the passage of Zone D to face the monster threats. "Charge!" The soldiers fought desperately, switching from rifles to pistols when they ran out of bullets, and resorted to knives and bayonets when those ran empty. In the narrow corridor of Zone D, driven by rage, they pushed through, sustaining only three casualties at the start, while the remaining seventeen fought with increasing ferocity. Upon seeing soldiers coming to their defense, many civilians of Zone D began to rally behind them, dismantling tables and chairs to fashion makeshift weapons, swinging at the zombies' necks. Facing zombies without simply fleeing gave them an edge. Though zombies were abundant, the three layers of the base’s defenses had already thinned their numbers. In Zones C and D, the sheer number of people almost evened the playing field with the zombies; cowardice without even confronting the zombies was the real threat. Seeing Liu Zi’s squad driven to madness, other teams stationed in Zones C and D also became fired up, rolling up their sleeves and joining the fight. Although there were still casualties in Zones C and D, the situation was noticeably better than before. Zones B and A also saw intrusions by fifty to sixty zombies. Because there were fewer zombies, most were quickly dealt with, with only a few slipping into Zones A and B amidst the chaos. Terrifying screams erupted quickly from the villa next to Yi Yi's group. Yi Yi picked up a chair, effortlessly snapping off a leg that had jagged, uneven spikes. She handed one leg to Jiang Yan Xin, and broke two more, giving them to Jiang Zhao Yuan and Ye Lan, while keeping the final one for herself. Jiang Wan Ning, holding Cai Cai, had her hands full. "Help! Ah! Don’t bite me, please, anything you want, just don’t bite me, ah..." With another sharp cry, the screams from next door came to an abrupt halt, and soon the zombies from that villa were eyeing Yi Yi's group, approaching rapidly—not just one but two zombies, a male and a female. Ye Lan peered through the villa's floor-to-ceiling windows, noting the appearance of the two zombies outside, clinging fearfully to her husband’s arm, while the little girl clung tightly to Cai Cai. It was understandable—they had hardly seen zombies since the apocalypse began due to their favorable living arrangements in Funan City, having moved to the base early on. "These zombies should be Level 2 by now. They're faster and smarter than Level 1. Be careful, everyone," Yi Yi intended to handle it herself but warned the others. By then, the zombies outside had seen them through the window and charged toward the villa frenziedly. "Move back," Yi Yi instructed, positioning herself at the coffee table with her spiked wooden stick. Jiang Yan Xin guided her parents and sister behind the sofa, then prepared to assist Yi Yi. Seeing her daughter step up, Ye Lan was on the brink of tears, and Jiang Zhao Yuan insisted, "Yan Xin, stay here; I’ll go. I am an alpha, after all." Jiang Yan Xin shook her head quickly, "I've fought zombies before, dad. You just protect them." She hurried forward, taking a stance beside Yi Yi. Jiang Wan Ning, palms sweating from anxiety, felt helpless. She didn't want either of them to be hurt. The zombies crashed against the door of the villa but didn't break through, so they circled to the floor-to-ceiling window, bursting into the villa. Yi Yi moved first, kicking the male zombie away while striking the female zombie against the coffee table, causing it to fall hard. Yi Yi then headed to the corner, intending to finish off the male zombie, while the female zombie, recovering, leaned on the table to stand. Jiang Yan Xin seized the moment before the female zombie could fully rise, swinging her chair leg at its spine, knocking it down again. She seized the chance to embed the sharp end of the leg into the zombie's neck, then pulled it back out. On the other side, Yi Yi swung the chair leg with such force that she snapped the male zombie’s spine, causing it to slump to the ground, immobile. She then turned back to assist Jiang Yan Xin, and with her superior strength, one strike shattered the female zombie's spine, finally silencing it. They didn't have proper weapons on hand; items like chair legs were mere defensive tools unless wielded by someone very strong. Fortunately, there weren't too many zombies in the villa area, and Yi Yi and Jiang Yan Xin could handle them for now. As the soldiers in Zones C and D continued their arduous defense, a large crowd had gathered near the back gate of Zone A. They hastily boarded bulletproof military trucks, ready to leave the base and find refuge at the capital's base. Major Yao was directing soldiers to quickly load the necessary supplies for the road. Nearby residents in Zone A rushed over to try and board the vehicles, creating a chaotic scene. Da Ling Dao, resting in his bulletproof car, checked the time and instructed his guard, "Go tell Xiao Yao it's time to leave. We shouldn't wait for the others; the longer we delay, the more chaotic it gets. It's better to leave early." "Yes, sir!" The guard swiftly relayed the order to Major Yao for evacuation. Meanwhile, more and more people dashed toward the trucks, their pleas ignored as the convoy began to roll out. "Wait for us! I'm an expert in satellite technology, just give us a few more seconds," a man cried out desperately, but no one paid heed. Many stood helpless, watching the military's vehicles driving away, unable to stop them even by attempting to climb aboard. "Damn it, they've left us behind. We're all just disposable here." "As if we didn't know? Quickly, let's find the remaining soldiers, or we'll all die." "Right, right." Frantic, the crowd surged toward the main gate of Zone A, aware that they didn't stand a chance without the armed soldiers. Two small teams guarded the main gate of Zone A. Their squad leader frowned at the approaching crowd, "Why aren't you staying in your villas? Why come here and cause trouble now?" "It's not us causing trouble. Your leader has already evacuated through the back gate, leaving us behind. What should we do now?" A bespectacled man, once a professor specializing in microbiology, protested. "Impossible, there's no way the leader would abandon us. Stop spreading rumors or I'll deal with you myself," the squad leader retorted, drawing his gun. "I'm telling the truth, we've all seen it." Voices rose in chaotic agreement among dozens who had come with the man. The squad leader gritted his teeth, firing a shot into the air, "If you want to survive, follow my orders and hide in your villas. If you’re determined to die, we can't save you. Understood?" "We're the top talents of Funan City; you must save us, you must save us. We can't die." Already agitated from fighting zombies, the soldiers' tempers flared further upon hearing that their leadership had fled, leaving them with nothing but disdain for the usually high-ranking personnel of Zone A. "Why do you think you can't die? We’ve already lost countless in Zones C and D. In the apocalypse, there’s no such thing as someone who can't die. Keep talking and you won't need the zombies, I'll take care of you troublemakers myself," the squad leader warned, sternly. Frightened, those so-called elite members retreated but chose not to return to their respective villas. Instead, they crowded into the villa closest to the soldiers, planning to flee at the first sign of trouble.