Chapter 150: Ability, Enhanced!

Go! Quick!

Zhang Su made an instant decision, yanked Zheng Xinyu into the safety door, and with a whoosh, Lu Yubo dashed in carrying Lanlan.

Old Tan, are you crazy? Run!

When Zhang Su turned around, he saw Tan Huajun still frantically waving her caliper, completely unresponsive even to his shouted warning.

"Mom!" Pang Dakun screamed.

Shit!

Zhang Su leaned out to look—the zombies on the other side were already close, less than five meters from the safety door. The fire on the fourth floor blazed fiercely, nearly illuminating the entire mall. Though the flames rose upward, if even one burning object fell to the first floor, the whole mall would ignite!

With no time to spare, he grabbed Tan Huajun's backpack and pulled with all his strength, dragging her into the safety door.

Thud—the two tumbled into a heap.

Thump.

Pang Dakun shoved the safety door shut, barely brushing Tan Huajun's arm—but it was too late. Two zombie arms and a head were jammed in the door crack.

Amid howls of "ao-wu, ao-wu," the scene was so terrifying, no one could breathe.

Help!

Pang Dakun gritted out the words through clenched teeth. The dim light hid his face, swollen purple like a liver—but if the zombies behind had even a shred of sense, his strength alone couldn't hold them.

We're helping! Tan-jie, come quick!

Zheng Xinyu also pressed hard against the safety door, refusing to loosen her grip, while calling out to Tan Huajun for help—right now, her weight was desperately needed.

Coming!

Ignoring her pain, Tan Huajun rolled up and slammed her body against the safety door.

I'll kill you all!

Lu Yubo set Lanlan down, drew his dagger and food sampler, and stabbed at the zombies' limbs protruding through the door crack.

But Zhang Su was faster—a flash of blade, his brand-new dog-leg knife (the old one given to Zhao Xue) cleanly severed the zombie's head. His hand moved again, blade falling once more—another arm hit the floor.

Thump!

After Zhang Su severed both zombie arms, the safety door finally slammed shut under collective effort, the locks securing all sides—but this was no time to relax. The zombies' pounding against the door was like a tidal wave.

No one dared trust the door's integrity now.

Go! Downstairs!

Not a second to waste—Zhang Su yanked the lock shut and sprinted for the stairs.

The mall's emergency stairwell was far wider than an apartment building's—three or four people could run side by side. The distance from the safety door to the stairs was about three or four meters. Just as Lu Yubo pulled Lanlan to the stairs, the safety door crashed down with a thunderous boom!

Aaoooaooao...

The first row of zombies fell flat, slowing those behind from crossing the threshold.

Hey! What's your situation? We're about to exit—clear a path now!

Zhang Su ran downstairs while pulling out his walkie-talkie to contact the vehicle crew, beads of sweat coating his forehead.

Some guy tried to chat us up—we chased him off. First floor is clear, Boss!

Wu Lue's voice came through.

Go! Back to the car!

Zhang Su shouted down the stairs, knowing the others would hear.

When the group reached the first floor, Zhang Su froze at the sight: a crowd held the safety door open to let people through. Tang Xiaoxiao and Tang Xiu had regained mobility and were being dragged by the arms; Xiang Wei lay like a dead fish, hauled forward by Jia Shiqin and the delivery guy, his face bruised and swollen.

I told you to restrain them—did you kill him?

Zhang Su pointed at Xiang Wei's battered face.

When they'd left, Xiang Wei was just disheveled. Now, his face was covered in bruises, blood oozing from nose and mouth—he was unconscious, clearly beaten senseless.

Fuck, Boss! This guy's insane! Shortly after you left, he slit his zip-ties, jumped up, snatched the fruit knife from me, and stabbed me—look!

Wang Xin rose from behind the crowd, clutching his shoulder. Zhang Su now saw his hand was drenched in blood.

Luckily, no tendons or bones damaged—just flesh wounds. Disinfect and stitch two seams, that's all.

Zhong Xiaoshanjian had already checked Wang Xin's wound.

Boom!

At that moment, a burning promotional sign dropped straight from the fourth floor to the first. Flames rained down, sparks scattering like molten iron filings—utterly stunning.

Puff!

The two-meter-tall sign crashed down, unleashing a tongue of fire toward them.

Run! Don't waste time—hurry!

Zhang Su had originally planned to wait—since only the fourth floor burned, maybe the lower levels were safe, and they could sweep the mall. Now, all that was ruined.

Like dominoes—once the first sign fell, more objects began tumbling down to the first floor...

Puff-puff, boom...

The group sprinted for the mall's main entrance. Burning debris rained around them. The most terrifying moment came when a ball of fire landed directly behind Zheng Xinyu—barely missing her back. But Zhang Ya, right behind her, wasn't so lucky—the heat wave seared her pants, nearly setting her crotch ablaze. She turned green with terror.

Hurry! Faster!

At the entrance, Wu Lue and Chen Hanzhou held the doors open, waving frantically. Beside them, the anxious corgi, Haoyun, paced in circles.

Aowuowu.

Just as Zhang Su's group neared the main entrance, zombies following the stairs from the third floor reached the first floor. Burned by the flames, they lost their targets and began wandering aimlessly.

The zombies behind didn't catch up—but a large group suddenly emerged on the escalator closest to the mall's main entrance.

Climbing up was slow—but rolling down? That was damn fast...

Too late. Before they could rise, Zhang Su's group had already burst out the main door. As Jia Shiqin and the delivery guy dragged Xiang Wei out, Wu Lue and Chen Hanzhou slammed the doors shut and slid the sawn-off iron lock across the handle.

Thump-thump, thump.

Moments after closing the glass doors, the zombies inside reached the entrance. Their withered palms pounded the glass, jaws gnashing wildly—as if biting the glass could reach the living flesh beyond.

Though made of glass, the main door was incredibly sturdy—symbolic of the mall's face, far stronger than the internal safety doors. Even with relentless pounding, not a single crack appeared.

Get in the car—hurry! Old Tan, don't zone out—your daughter's in your car!

Zhang Su gave orders as he sprinted to the driver's seat of the Mercedes RV—only to freeze in shock: someone was stealthily tugging the door handle!

Since he used a smart key card to start the vehicle, the driver's door had no magnetic sensor—it was always locked, used only for temporary entry/exit. Seeing someone pull the handle was bizarre—and the man was unfamiliar.

This bastard was trying to steal the car?

Impossible to imagine such madness—just moments after the guards left, this guy appeared. Truly, fortune favors the bold!

But the man trying to open the door now realized the owner had returned.

Their eyes met—utterly awkward.

Fuck you!

Zhang Su unlocked and yanked the door open in one motion, flipping the thief off the tire and onto the ground.

I'll kill you...

Just escaped danger, Zhang Su's rage boiled over. Anyone dumb enough to cross him wouldn't escape unscathed—he leapt from the car, ready to teach the man a lesson, if not kill him outright, at least break an arm!

But the fallen man was no fool. As he tumbled, he rolled smoothly to the side, scrambled up on hands and feet, and vanished into the darkness—leaving no opening.

Lucky you ran fast, damn it. Huh?

As Zhang Su cursed inwardly, a line of text flashed in his mind.

【All members assisted Tan Huajun in overcoming hardship. Difficulty: A. Mo Qianlan (identified), Tan Chengwu (identified). Completed.】

So it really was "alive, find the person; dead, find the body..."

Zhang Su sighed. He'd been troubled he hadn't saved Tan Huajun's father—worried the challenge reward might shrink, and that the team's core member might collapse emotionally.

Half his worry lifted.

【Reward: Vision Enhancement】

"Vision enhancement? How's this supposed to... Whoa, fuck!"

As Zhang Su wondered how it would manifest, a slight dizziness passed—and the world before his eyes transformed utterly.

The pitch-black night now looked like daylight. Instant clarity made him instinctively squint—but no glare, no discomfort—he adapted immediately.

Night vision! Holy shit...

Zhang Su's heart surged with excitement. Ahead, a shadowy figure rubbed his ass and ran toward Mall B—clearly the same thief who'd tried to steal the car.

He focused—and the zoom instantly tightened, pulling the distance closer. He could even read the English letters printed on the man's back: ValarMorghulis!

Night vision plus optical zoom—this is like a cow giving birth to a rocket!

Zhang Su gazed everywhere like he'd entered a new world: people peering from high-rise office windows, zombies wandering at the road's end, an unknown bird perched on a lamppost, head tucked under its wing, fast asleep.

Precise. Minute.

If any organ defied evolution, it was the eye. Its complexity rivaled the brain—too many inexplicable structures, mysterious, powerful.

Vision enhancement offered immeasurable advantages—Zhang Su would need time to fully uncover its potential.

(End of Chapter)