Chapter 33: Regret

【System Prompt: Day 4 of the apocalypse, blizzard raging, outdoor temperature -40°C, abnormal biological signals fully covered, large number of zombies in the bottom-level stairwell.】

At 1:00 AM, Lin Chen had just finished his shift when he heard a dull "thud" from the elevator shaft.

It was the sound of metal colliding. He instantly gripped his gun, signaled Xia Nuan to hide in the storage room, and stood against the wall himself.

Staring at the elevator door, a dark shadow crawled out—it was Zhang Hao.

Zhang Hao's arm was wrapped in bandages, and he gripped a rusted machete. The blade was stained with dark red blood. Seeing Lin Chen, he grinned.

"Lin Chen, I've finally waited until you're on night watch alone." His voice was hoarse, carrying an indescribable resentment.

"How did you get up here?" Lin Chen aimed his gun at him. "The elevator shaft has a maintenance ladder; you taught me that in the previous life."

Zhang Hao took two steps forward, his eyes even more vicious. "You sealed the 45th floor like an iron barrel? Su Qing and I were watching from the bottom level."

"The way those bitten by zombies screamed was just as miserable as Xia Ya back then."

Lin Chen's finger tightened on the trigger, his knuckles turning white. Xia Ya was his regret from the previous life, and Zhang Hao insisted on bringing her up.

"You want revenge?" Lin Chen asked coldly. "Revenge? I want to watch your safe house get torn apart."

"Watch Xia Nuan get torn apart by zombies, watch you fail to protect her!" As soon as he finished speaking, a loud "hum" came from outside the window.

It was more piercing than the helicopter from before. Lin Chen leaned out to look. Three modified armored vehicles were parked downstairs.

A Gatling gun was mounted on the roof of each vehicle, their muzzles aimed at the 45th-floor glass. "It's the 'Shadow' organization!" Lin Chen's heart sank.

Just as he was about to grab Zhang Hao as a hostage, Zhang Hao retreated two steps and pulled out his phone to press the call button.

The sound of the Gatling gun exploded instantly. Bullets hit the glass like a rainstorm, leaving dense white marks.

The glass vibrated violently but did not shatter.

Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief—the 12mm bulletproof glass could indeed hold up.

"Lin Chen, don't get cocky!" Zhang Hao shouted into the phone, "Use that!"

A black grenade was thrown from the roof of the vehicle. It didn't smoke when it landed; instead, it made a "sizzling" sound.

"It's a high-frequency vibration grenade!" Lin Chen shouted. He pulled Xia Nuan, who had just come out, to hide behind the load-bearing wall.

With a dull "Boom—", the entire 45th floor shook. Lin Chen leaned out to look; the glass had exploded into a bowl-sized hole.

Gatling bullets swept in through the hole. "Swish, swish," they hit the floor, wood chips flying.

Xia Nuan's arm was scratched by debris, and she groaned in pain. "Xia Nuan!" Lin Chen supported her, just about to grab the first-aid kit.

His phone suddenly rang—an unknown number, not the last one. Lin Chen answered, and a cold voice came through: "How does the high-frequency vibration grenade taste?"

"Who are you? What is your relationship with Zhang Hao?" Lin Chen asked. "We are the 'Shadow' action team; Zhang Hao brought us to find you."

The other party laughed: "He wants to kill you with his own hands, and now the glass is broken."

"If you don't open the door, we'll use a rocket launcher to blow up your load-bearing wall!"

"Do you think the safe house can still hold?"

"Go to hell! If you have the ability, blow it up!" Lin Chen roared.

His eyes were fixed on Zhang Hao—who was moving toward the hole, trying to escape.

"Don't be in such a hurry to hang up; listen to the sounds downstairs."

The phone carried the sounds of zombie roars and human screams. "Those who didn't escape from the bottom level have all become food for the zombies."

"Aren't you a reborn person? Why didn't you save them?"

Lin Chen's chest heaved violently; the other party's words were like needles. In the previous life, he didn't save Xia Ya; in this life, he only cared about protecting Xia Nuan.

He had forgotten that there were still innocent people on the bottom level.

"Lin Chen, don't listen to him!" Xia Nuan grabbed his arm. "Let's block the hole first!" The two moved a steel plate to block it.

Gatling bullets hit the steel plate, sparks flying everywhere.

Zhang Hao took the opportunity to run toward the elevator shaft. Lin Chen raised his hand and fired. He missed, only grazing his arm.

"Lin Chen, I will be back!" The voice faded away.

The Gatling gun stopped, and the armored vehicles didn't move. Lin Chen leaned against the steel plate, panting; the phone hadn't hung up.

The other party's voice came again: "Consider yourself lucky this time." "Next time we'll bring even more powerful weapons. A reminder—"

"The zombies downstairs are about to climb up; hurry and block the elevator shaft."

The call hung up directly.

Lin Chen and Xia Nuan welded the elevator shaft entrance shut with steel pipes. They also laid a steel plate over the large hole in the floor and fixed it with screws.

Xia Nuan tightened the screws: "Su Qing is on the bottom level; will she be bitten?"

"No, Zhang Hao wants to bring her for revenge." Lin Chen shook his head. "The 'Shadow' also needs her as bait; they won't let her die."

He walked to the window and looked downstairs.

The armored vehicles had already driven away, and the snow was full of zombies.

They were swarming toward the stairwell entrance, and several windows on the bottom level were broken.

Zombies were crawling out from the windows.

【System Prompt: Large number of zombies entering the stairwell, danger coefficient 70%, suggest reinforcing the stairwell entrance.】

Lin Chen and Xia Nuan moved solid steel pipes over. They welded the 45th-floor stairwell door shut and piled several boxes of supplies behind the door.

Forming a double defense, the sky had already brightened.

Outside, it was still snowing, and the white breath they exhaled instantly turned to ice. At 7:00 AM, the two ate some compressed biscuits.

Lin Chen went to check the surveillance.

The bottom-level stairwell was full of zombies, climbing upward. Their speed was slow, but they hadn't stopped; the 30th-floor stairwell door had already been smashed open.

"They can reach the 45th floor by tomorrow morning." Lin Chen frowned.

"We must stop them, otherwise the door will be smashed open."

Xia Nuan dug out several bottles of gasoline: "Pour it in the stairwell and light it, burn them to death."

"No, there are power lines in the stairwell; it will blow up the whole building."

Lin Chen remembered the snowplow blade of the pickup truck and had an idea.

"Drive the pickup to the bottom level and use the snowplow to push the zombies."

"You are responsible for shooting the zombies in the head."

"It's full of zombies downstairs; can the pickup get through?" Xia Nuan worried.

"The manganese steel protective plate can withstand the impact, as long as we don't get surrounded." Lin Chen took a map and drew a route.

"Go through the underground passage from the garage to the residential area entrance." "Circle around to the bottom-level stairwell entrance to push the zombies."

The two began to prepare. Lin Chen filled the pickup with gas and checked the snowplow and protective plates.

Xia Nuan put the first-aid kit, gun, and bullets into the pickup. She also brought two boxes of compressed biscuits to prevent being trapped. At 10:00 AM, the two drove the pickup toward the bottom level.

There were no zombies in the underground passage, and they arrived at the residential area entrance smoothly. They opened the garage door, and zombies immediately swarmed toward this side.

Lin Chen started the snowplow and stepped on the gas. The pickup was like a beast, pushing the zombies to both sides. Xia Nuan opened the passenger window and shot the zombies in the head.

"Drive to the stairwell entrance!" Lin Chen shouted, and the pickup rushed over. The snowplow pushed the zombies at the entrance far away.

Xia Nuan took the opportunity to shoot and clear the zombies at the entrance. Lin Chen was just about to reverse when he saw an off-road vehicle driving over.

It was Zhang Hao and Su Qing, with a machine gun mounted on the roof. "Lin Chen, let's see where you can run this time!"

Zhang Hao leaned out and fired at the pickup. The bullets hit the protective plate but didn't penetrate; the pickup shook.

Su Qing sat in the passenger seat, her eyes cold, saying nothing. She took out a photo—a group photo of Lin Chen, Xia Ya, and her from the previous life.

Xia Ya in the photo was smiling brightly, and Lin Chen's heart shrank violently.

He had no mind to tangle and quickly reversed toward the garage. Zhang Hao's off-road vehicle followed behind, machine-gunning.

Xia Nuan turned back and fired, shattering the rear window of the off-road vehicle. "Don't chase!" Su Qing suddenly shouted, and Zhang Hao was stunned for a moment.

The off-road vehicle slowed down, and Lin Chen took the opportunity to drive back to the garage, lock the door, and return to the 45th floor.

Lin Chen leaned against the wall, the photo constantly flashing in his mind. He didn't protect Xia Ya in the previous life; he must protect Xia Nuan well in this life.

"Lin Chen, are you okay?" Xia Nuan handed him hot milk.

Lin Chen took the milk, and his phone suddenly rang. It was Zhang Hao calling; he answered without speaking.

"Su Qing didn't let me chase because she wants you to live a little longer." Zhang Hao's voice carried mockery: "She wants you to watch Xia Nuan die just like Xia Ya."

"'Shadow' will bring armor-piercing shells tomorrow; your glass can't hold up." "The zombies downstairs are almost at the 40th floor; hurry and reinforce the door."

"If you have the ability, come here! Don't just talk!" Lin Chen roared. "Don't be in a hurry, you'll know tomorrow." The phone hung up.

Lin Chen stared at the black screen, his heart very heavy. Tomorrow he had to face armor-piercing shells and deal with the zombies that were arriving soon.

He walked to the window; the snow was still falling outside. Zhang Hao's off-road vehicle was wandering outside the residential area, as if waiting for prey.

Xia Nuan patted his shoulder gently: "Don't worry, we'll think of a way together."

Lin Chen nodded and gripped the gun in his hand. He knew tomorrow would be a fierce battle, but he wouldn't retreat.

For Xia Nuan, to make up for his regrets, he must win.

It was just that he didn't notice, in the corner of the storage room.

A small camera was pointed right at them—it was one Zhang Hao had secretly installed just now. ===== CHAPTER 34 =====