Chapter 64: Familiar Recipe, Familiar Taste

In the underground parking lot, the hazard lights flickered like a human breath—bright, then dim—as if switching between the world of the living and the underworld; to see clearly, one had only the brief moments when the lights flashed, and in the darkness, one either stopped or relied on memory to move forward.

Zhang Su instinctively wanted to turn on his flashlight, but ultimately chose not to.

The zombies wouldn’t actively attack light sources, but there was still some danger—he felt there might be other survivors in the underground parking lot, and if they saw him, it could lead to unnecessary trouble!

“Go!”

Zhang Su led the way, axe-hammer in his right hand, dog-leg knife in his left, carefully hugging the wall as he moved toward the area beneath Building Three. He knew the underground parking lot well, and with the distant hazard lights of parked cars, he wouldn’t get lost.

The other four followed Zhang Su in the prearranged order.

As Zhang Su had expected, most of the zombies in the underground parking lots of Buildings Three and Four had been lured away by the Duan brothers, leaving only a few wandering between the cars—but even so, they still posed a significant obstacle.

On the path ahead, two zombies shuffled back and forth, moving slowly and calmly—but all this tranquility would vanish the moment they sensed living flesh, transforming them into furious, bloodthirsty monsters.

“We need to lure them away!”

Behind the wall, Zhang Su whispered to those behind him, his voice like a mosquito’s hum.

Zhong Xiaoshanyi reached into her pant pocket, pulled out her car keys, and shook them slightly—implying the car alarm could draw the zombies away.

Zhang Su shook his head decisively—if the Haranda’s alarm went off, zombies from all around would swarm to the area beneath Building Three; that would be a disaster.

“Stick to the old method!”

Zhang Su slid the dog-leg knife into its sheath, pulled a phone from his bag, carefully shielding its light, turned on the sound, opened the countdown screen, thought for a moment, then set a five-second countdown. He showed the phone to the others behind him.

The meaning was clear: get ready to move in five seconds!

Seeing the others nod, Zhang Su took a deep breath, aimed carefully, pressed the start button, and as the countdown reached 00:04, he hurled the phone outward with a swift motion.

The phone’s screen emitted a soft glow, tracing a sharp arc through the air like a meteor streaking briefly across the night sky, flying toward the dense cluster of vehicles.

Beep-beep-beep! Beep-beep-beep! Beep-beep-beep!

As the phone flew through the air, the countdown ended, emitting a rapid, urgent sound that cut sharply through the empty, silent parking lot.

Thud.

The phone slammed into the trunk of a car; the metal provided some cushioning, and when it hit the ground, the beeping continued loudly.

Aaaooh!

Howls erupted from all directions as zombies rushed blindly toward the phone, followed by a series of thuds and crashes—the mindless zombies didn’t know to avoid cars, charging straight into them…

The zombies blocking Zhang Su’s path were naturally drawn away. Just as he was about to lead the others forward, a sudden engine roar erupted.

Vroom, vroom!

A nearby SUV beside the phone’s landing spot suddenly started, followed by a screech of tires—shrill and piercing!

The Aicha 35 burst out of its parking spot with wild fury, speeding crazily toward the parking lot exit.

Behind the wheel, Qin Ya’s face twisted in rage as he muttered inwardly: “Zhang Su, you little bastard—you’ve just screwed me over!”

Others might not know, but he was almost certain the man who used the phone to lure the zombies was Zhang Su—this trick was far too familiar!

Qin Ya had long suspected Zhang Su’s group was hiding in Room 302; based on his police instincts, he believed Zhang Su would likely follow him…

He had always wanted to recruit Zhang Su and his group to travel with him, so he waited inside the parking lot, estimating Zhang Su would appear soon.

And sure enough, Zhang Su showed up—and delivered him a gift!

“I wonder which poor soul it was… Hope it’s not Officer Qin.”

Zhang Su, unaware of Qin Ya’s complicated thoughts, stepped out from behind the wall, watched the Aicha 35 speed away with the horde of zombies chasing after it, and nodded in satisfaction.

“Much safer now, but don’t let your guard down—hurry!”

Saying this, he sprinted toward the parking area.

Soon, Zhang Su found his beloved bread van, yanked open the door, tossed his bag into the passenger seat, and jumped in.

“My car, where’s my car… Right.”

In the darkness, Zhong Xiaoshanyi couldn’t find her car at first; in panic, she pressed her key fob—and realized it was right nearby. The three of them hurried in, climbed into the car, and frantically fastened their seatbelts.

The bread van and the Haranda were only three or four parking spaces apart; Zhang Su could hear the muffled voices inside, confirming they were ready, so he decisively turned on his headlights.

“Baby, let’s go!”

As he spoke, Zhang Su fastened his seatbelt and turned the key—there came a series of sputtering, hissing sounds, leaving him drenched in cold sweat.

It wouldn’t start…

“Fuck, is it dead?!”

This five-year-old bread van should’ve had its battery replaced during its last maintenance; Zhang Su had kept putting it off, planning to hold on for another year before replacing the whole vehicle—never expecting it to fail at the critical moment.

Zhang Su looked toward the parking lot exit: zombies were streaming out in groups—clearly, the Aicha 35 had already escaped. He had to move fast!

The Haranda’s headlights flared on, its body shuddering slightly—clearly, it had started successfully.

Zhang Su felt a surge of frustration—not because he couldn’t afford a better car, but because the bread van offered better value. If he’d known today would come, he’d have modified a Raptor instead!

Put-put-put-put-put.

Zhang Su twisted the key while stomping the accelerator, muttering nonstop: “Baby, baby, after this trip I’ll retire you, okay? Come on, give me some power!”

As if hearing his promise, the spark plugs finally ignited the engine.

Puff—vroom!

The 1.5-liter engine roared to life.

“Hahahaha!”

Zhang Su let out a wild laugh, smoothly engaging the clutch, shifting gears, and flooring the accelerator—bursting out of his spot with a sharp drift, heading straight for the exit, the little bread van suddenly driving with the spirit of a Tofu Shop 86.

Though the Haranda was far more luxurious than the bread van, its movements were far from graceful—it felt twisted, like a sprinter with a sprained ankle, desperate to run faster but unable to.

“Faster, faster, hurry!”

Inside the Haranda, Zhong Xiaoshanyi chanted nervously, gripping the steering wheel tightly, eyes locked on the dimming rear of the bread van ahead, alternating between gas and brake, using every ounce of her driving skill.

Zheng Xinyu in the front passenger seat clenched her lips tightly, eyes filled with fear—just like the first time she’d seen a zombie—her left hand pressed hard against the center console, her right hand gripping the door handle above, toes curled tight.

Wang Guang sat in the middle of the back seat, strapped in with two seatbelts, leaning back with eyes shut, muttering “Amitabha” over and over.

This was worse than when Xiao Yangren was sick last year—coughing, fever, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, nasal congestion, even his lower back ached—was I evolving?

(End of Chapter)