Chapter 37
Su Xinge replied, “It’s just some lifeless corpses. Let’s move.”
The group felt relieved hearing this.
Ye Hai took the lead, saying, “I’ll still lead the way. Stay close behind me and don’t fall back; it’s quite dark inside.”
The group lined up in order. Su Xinge fell at the rear, her wrist held by Lin Yuxuan.
Ye Hai reminded them again, “There are many obstacles in here. If you encounter something, do not scream or shout. If there is danger, I will give a warning from the front.”
Zhang Tian couldn’t help but snap, “You’ve said that several times already.”
After the previous ordeal of being hunted by both monsters and zombies, he was already wary of this passage. Ye Hai’s periodic lectures only made him more irritable.
Ye Hai explained, “I’m just afraid of a repeat of last time. Who knows if those monsters were attracted by sound or the smell of blood? In short, once we enter the passage, stay as quiet as possible unless there’s an emergency.”
The group nodded and followed Ye Hai into the passage.
In the gaps where dim light and shadow interlaced, the corpses of monsters and zombies were piled together. A thick stench drifted through the air. It was clear a great battle had taken place here, though it was impossible to tell who the final victor had been.
Everyone moved cautiously, not daring to speak. The faint sound of footsteps mixed with weak breathing echoed in the hollow space. As they went deeper, the number of corpses gradually decreased. The team’s pace quickened, shifting from their initial caution to a lighter stride.
Suddenly, the team came to a halt.
Su Xinge, walking at the back, stopped when she saw the person in front of her stop.
“Why is there a door here, and why is it closed?” A voice came from the very front, carrying a faint hint of terror.
The team formation began to shift into a horizontal line as everyone instinctively moved forward.
Zhang Tian stepped up and asked, “What’s going on?”
Ye Hai replied, “For some reason, a door has suddenly appeared. We can’t get through.”
Zhang Tian felt around in the gloom. “We definitely can’t force it open. See if there’s some kind of mechanism.”
Ye Hai scanned up and down carefully before finally crouching. “I see a keyhole. I wonder if that key we found earlier will work.” As he spoke, he began rummaging through his backpack.
Zhang Tian marveled, “Impressive. You actually kept that key.”
Ye Hai had mentioned the things he’d picked up in the passage to the group before. At the time, everyone had been indifferent; once they were out, there seemed to be no point in keeping such things. No one expected it to come in handy now.
Ye Hai inserted the key and twisted with force, but it wouldn’t budge. He said anxiously, “It’s no use. It doesn’t fit.”
At this point, no one cared about staying quiet; the door was shut tight, so where would any sound leak to?
Zhang Tian cursed, “Crap, who would do something so wicked?”
Su Xinge added, “You should ask who has the guts to be so wicked. Anyone who can make it to this place certainly isn’t an ordinary person. Moreover, they seem to be very familiar with this area.”
At that moment, Wang Qingyue spoke up, “Let me try.”
The group looked at her and made way. Wang Qingyue pulled a miniature tool kit from her bag. Ye Hai quickly moved aside; aside from brute force, he was completely helpless against this door.
“Can we light a candle?” Wang Qingyue asked.
Ye Hai replied, “That’s the only way now.”
Su Xinge stepped forward. “Everyone, gather in a circle. Try to block as much of the light as possible.”
The group obeyed, forming a ring. Wang Qingyue lit a candle and placed it on the ground. Under the flickering light, everyone’s expression was different—some were solemn, others terrified.
Zhang Tian whispered, “This atmosphere is perfect for ghost stories.”
Xiang Tiange replied, “This is a ghost story.”
As the two teased, a sharp click rang out. Wang Qingyue said, “It’s open.”
The group dispersed in delight, and Ye Hai quickly blew out the candle.
Zhang Tian marveled, “Your skill is amazing.”
Wang Qingyue stepped back. “It’s a family trade.”
Ye Hai lifted the door from the bottom up, then turned to Su Xinge. “Check it again.”
Su Xinge stepped forward and soon replied, “Same as before. Nothing else there.”
The group’s hearts settled. Although no one knew why the door had been locked, they were lucky there was a path to take. The puzzle was solved; as for who set it, now wasn’t the time to think about it.
Following their previous formation, they advanced again, this time faster than before. Light appeared at the end of the tunnel. Before anyone could celebrate, Ye Hai spoke again: “Full speed ahead. It sounds like there are more zombies around here. The commotion is louder than before.”
Emerging from the passage, the group didn’t stop. They merely shifted formation, with the Awakened on the outside to guard against approaching zombies. Zhang Tian quickly spat on himself again. As the smell spread, people wrinkled their noses or covered their faces, yet everyone still crowded a few steps closer to him.
On the way, some zombies smelled the scent and steered clear, while others inevitably bumped into them. Fortunately, with Zhang Tian’s “scent buff,” the number of zombies wasn’t overwhelming. Hacking and running, they finally reached their destination.
Zhang Tian leaned over the hood of a green car to check it. “As expected, the cars we drove here were driven back. I hope there are enough spares for us.”
Ye Hai found a blue car and checked it while saying, “There are definitely enough cars; I just don’t know if there’s any fuel left.”
Su Xinge walked through several discarded, junk-looking cars and said, “We can definitely find three.”
Zhang Tian stood up. “Let’s stick to the previous convoy arrangement.”
Ye Hai turned to Xiang Tiange’s group. “Can any of you drive?”
Xiang Tiange replied, “I can.”
Ye Hai nodded. “Good. You three take one car and follow behind us.” With that, he opened the door and took the driver’s seat. Su San and the others climbed in with him.
Zhang Tian told Xiang Tiange, “The windows are all open and the keys are inside. Just find one that starts.”
Xiang Tiange nodded and chose a black car. It started up fine. Wang Qingyue and the others climbed in.
Seeing her set, Zhang Tian got into his car and said to Su Xinge and the rest, “Get in.”
Su Xinge nodded, and they took their previous seats. The convoy started up. Three cars had left, and three cars returned, though the passengers had changed.
As they moved away from the zombie-infested city center, the group’s mood gradually relaxed. Outside the windows was still steel wrapped in greenery, but the wind blew through the leaves with a different flavor.
The Return to Base
Upon entering the base, the group headed to the Advance Station to finalize their mission. Zhang Tian dashed inside first, scouting left and right before saying, “There’s no one here yet. Looks like we arrived too early.”
Settlements at the base usually didn’t happen until after 12:00 PM, and those going on field duty left at dawn. Consequently, aside from the guards at the door, they were the only ones in the station.
Seeing no one around, Su Xinge said, “Everyone should rest. We’re all exhausted anyway.”
Ye Hai walked in and teased Zhang Tian, “Now you can play your game for three days and three nights.”
Zhang Tian collapsed onto a sofa. “Now I just want to sleep for three days and three nights. Don’t anybody stop me.”
Ye Hai turned to introduce the facilities to Chen Rusheng and the others. “These rooms are empty right now; you can rest in them.”
Chen Rusheng nodded. “Resting here in the hall for a bit is fine.”
Hearing this, Xiang Tiange quickly dropped her heavy pack. Walking was one thing, but carrying so much gear on her back was exhausting. Although she had rested a bit in the car, she was still drained.
Su Xinge said to Xiang Tiange, “Once the settlement staff arrive, they’ll likely notify your cousin.”
“Oh,” Xiang Tiange replied neutrally. She and her cousin had been bickering since childhood; she hadn’t expected him to actually put in the effort to find her. It was late, but the intent was there.
Before long, a short-haired woman walked in—it was Jiang Le, with that familiar face that was polite yet distant.
Jiang Le walked in, her surprise quickly masked by a smile. “It’s been two days. I thought you were lost.”
It was common knowledge: the longer you were gone, the lower the chance of return. Jiang Le’s eyes shifted inconspicuously to Xiang Tiange’s group. “Are these new survivors?”
Ye Hai answered with a touch of pride, “These are the survivors we brought back from the Haida Branch Campus.”
Jiang Le couldn’t hide her shock. “You actually made it to the branch campus? Which route did you take?” Her eyes scanned the group but didn’t see Liu Lindong.
Ye Hai replied, “We went through a passage.”
Jiang Le nodded. “I’ll have Xiang Tianhai’s people come over to verify. If they really are from the branch campus, the faction will provide the corresponding merit points.” After speaking, Jiang Le hurried out of the room.
The group slumped back onto the sofas to doze off.
A short while later, Jiang Le returned with a man and a woman. The man was tall, his features bearing a resemblance to Xiang Tiange. The woman wore black leathers and looked sharp and valiant.
Xiang Tianhai walked into the hall, looking around. When he saw one of the figures in the corner, he cried out in surprise, “Xiang Tiange! You’re actually still alive?”
Xiang Tiange opened her eyes groggily. “Sturdy life. Can’t die yet.”
Xiang Tianhai approached, puzzled. “Is this all that’s left of the branch campus?”
“There weren’t many people to begin with,” Chen Rusheng said as she walked out of the restroom.
Hearing the familiar voice, Xiang Tianhai turned and froze. “Teacher Chen…”
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