Chapter 53: I Paid Cash for This Apartment

“Su-ge, that special police officer is talking to us!”

Zhong Xiaoshan also noticed the situation across the way, but the environment was too noisy for her to make out what they were saying.

Zhang Su frowned tightly, glancing downstairs—the massive explosion had drawn the zombies around them, and the confused undead were surging toward Building Two; curled flames had already engulfed the fourth and fifth floors, and with the wind feeding the fire, it wouldn’t be long before it reached their side!

Want to run?

Of course not…

Zhang Su had already planned ahead, packing portable supplies, intending to exhaust all non-portable resources before leaving the compound; in his plan, by then, the three of them would have developed solid combat skills and Moqi , better equipped to face the harsh environment.

But plans can’t keep up with changes!

Zhang Su gave a firm nod to the opposite side, then turned to Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan: “Grab your bags—we’re leaving!”

“Huh? This, this this…”

Zheng Xinyu immediately panicked, pacing in a tight circle.

She knew they’d eventually have to leave, but such suddenness still caught her off guard.

Zhong Xiaoshan was better off than Zheng Xinyu—she didn’t even live in this compound, so her sense of belonging was limited; ever since Zhang Su said they’d leave, she’d been mentally preparing, making her far more accepting than Zheng Xinyu.

“Sister Xinyu, hurry and get ready!”

Seeing Zheng Xinyu flustered, Zhong Xiaoshan grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the bedroom!

Before this, Zhang Su had already stored as much gear as possible into the bags—so if an emergency arose, like now, they could just grab and go!

Soon, six bulging backpacks were carried into the living room, each packed full of supplies.

Thud!

Zhang Su pried open the box under the bed holding weapons; only the finest dog-leg knife remained—he slung the scabbard over his waist, an absolute Liqi in close combat!

“Grab the crowbar and the fire axe—they’ll come in handy!”

Weapons are absolutely critical resources—even more vital than food!

The two women knew there was no time to waste; they clenched their lips, grabbed whatever weapons they could, and strapped them to their packs.

“No time—go!”

Zhang Su ran back to the window and glanced out—the fire raged fiercely, already consuming the seventh floor of the adjacent building; due to wind direction, smoke was now rising from the base of their own building!

Without firefighters, the whole building was likely doomed.

“Wait!”

Zheng Xinyu suddenly cried out urgently: “Arm guards! We haven’t put on our arm guards!”

Because of the cold weather, everyone had layered their clothing, causing them to forget about the arm guards.

Arm guards were indispensable protection; they hastily slipped on the modified versions—which weren’t just for arms, but covered their calves too, making them look like ice hockey players.

“Go, go!”

The three donned their armor, strapped heavy packs to their chests and backs, gripped their preferred weapons, and rushed swiftly to the main door.

Zhang Su turned back and spotted a case of water in the corner; he gritted his teeth, ran back, and grabbed it.

“Su-ge, we’ve got enough water—let’s go!”

Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan stood at the door, waving frantically.

“I paid cash for this apartment, damn it!”

Zhang Su reached the door, cast one last lingering glance, slammed the door shut with a bang, then pointed to the emergency stairwell: “Go down!”

Tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap.

Rapid footsteps echoed through the stairwell; Zhang Su led the way, nearly leaping down the stairs; Zheng Xinyu followed close behind, mimicking him—leaping forward, gripping the railing, swinging her body down, landing.

Zhong Xiaoshan had it hardest—her legs were still weak from stair-jumping training, and now burdened with heavy gear, she clearly couldn’t keep pace.

She said nothing, teeth clenched, eyes locked on the steps below, steadily descending—yes, slower, but only by one floor’s difference.

“Wait!”

Reaching the fourth floor, Zhang Su suddenly stopped, his gaze sharpening as he looked down—nothing visible, but the rapid footsteps didn’t lie.

“Someone’s there!”

“Definitely survivors from lower floors—great!”

Zheng Xinyu flashed a brief smile; in her view, meeting a living person now was better than facing zombies.

“Go!”

Zhang Su said nothing, his gaze hardening as he continued down.

Conditions in the stairwell were grim—scattered debris and parked electric bikes slowed them down, but thankfully, no zombies.

Boom-thud…

Reaching the second floor, all three heard a heavy thump below.

“Damn, the plastic windows must’ve burned through!”

Zhang Su kept moving, exclaiming in surprise.

The two women weren’t as calm—he didn’t have time to speak, lips tightly sealed.

Soon, they reached the first floor.

Zheng Xinyu followed closely behind Zhang Su, assuming he’d head for the building exit—only to see him keep going downward!

Zhang Su slowed his pace, gestured for them to follow, adjusted his breathing, and waited until both Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan were behind him; then he whispered: “Those two people didn’t leave the building.”

In other words, they’d also come down to the parking lot.

“But you said the parking lot’s full of zombies!”

Zheng Xinyu whispered, heart still pounding from exertion.

On the first day of the disaster, Zhang Su and Zheng Xinyu had deduced from various reports that the zombie outbreak occurred around 7 a.m.—peak commuting hours.

Sheng Qin Jiayuan used a vehicle-pedestrian separation design; owners who drove out would retrieve their cars from the underground parking—meaning far more people were belowground than above.

Zhang Su crept slowly down the wall, nodding: “Yes, that was true then—but not necessarily now. Besides, we need a car to break out.”

Road conditions were unknown, but vehicles still passed daily, proving it wasn’t completely impassable.

In zombie-dense areas, trying to cross on foot was nearly impossible; vehicles offered unmatched mobility.

“My Halanda is parked near the building…”

Zhong Xiaoshan forced her breath steady as she spoke.

Zhang Su nodded—his van was even closer, just the second spot to the left after exiting the stairwell door; owning the apartment outright gave him priority in choosing parking spots.

The three moved quietly; as they descended, the light dimmed—all lighting had failed due to power loss—but a faint glow glimmered at the final stairwell turn.

Zhang Su raised an eyebrow, signaled silence to the two behind him, tilted his head, and listened intently.

“Bro, there must be eighty or a hundred zombies in the parking lot—can’t we take another route?”

A faint, trembling voice whispered.

“Stay calm, Xiao Hai!” came a deep voice: “I’ve tested it—if we move slowly enough, those things won’t notice us. Don’t panic, stick close, remember—absolutely, absolutely, absolutely don’t make a sound!”

The deep voice repeated the warning.

“Bro, I’m still scared—what if the zombies spot us?” The timid voice spoke again.

“Don’t worry—we’ve got weapons. If they spot us, attack. I’ve confirmed your theory: destroy their brains. Aim for the head—stab right there!”

The deep voice remained patient.

This time, the timid voice fell silent.

The newbie protection period is about to end…

(End of Chapter)