Chapter 49: Seeking Help

"Shh, keep it down!"

Qin Ya made a silencing gesture to Liu Xuanyu, then continued, "Little Yu needs to be a good boy and eat his noodles. Uncle Qin is going out for a bit, and when I get back, I must see that you've finished them all, understand?"

"Uncle, where are you going?"

Liu Xuanyu grabbed Qin Ya's sleeve, looking very nervous.

Qin Ya smiled, patted Liu Xuanyu on the head, and said, "I'm going to save the brother and auntie you said ran up to the roof."

"Oh, Brother Tian Fan and Auntie Yu!"

Liu Xuanyu's eyes lit up. He immediately picked up his chopsticks and said, "Then go ahead, Uncle. I'll eat my noodles right now. I can play with Brother Tian Fan in a little while, right?"

"Yes."

Qin Ya nodded, said nothing more, and his figure slowly vanished into the darkness.

Qin Ya gently closed the main door. The numbers on the elevator screen had long since gone dark, leaving only the emergency light glowing with a sickly, pale green hue, illuminating the corridor until it looked like a ghost realm—truly chilling!

Several days had passed, and even though the temperature was gradually dropping, it couldn't stop the corpses from rotting. A faint, nauseating stench filled the air everywhere, making one feel sick and uncomfortable.

Qin Ya took a slow breath, touched the pistol at his waist, tightened his grip on the fire axe, and cautiously headed toward the safety door.

He knew full well that walking out didn't guarantee a way to live, but staying in Shengqin Garden, where water, electricity, and gas had all been cut off, was a dead end.

Escaping Shengqin Garden wouldn't have been difficult for Qin Ya, a former SWAT officer, but with an eight-year-old brat in tow, he knew the chances were almost zero.

Qin Ya needed help. His first thought was the two people from Building 3 who had lured the zombies away for him, but since it wasn't convenient to contact them, he had to give up on that for now. His next option was the two people on the roof!

The sky was pitch black, and the wind on the roof whistled, ruthlessly stripping away body heat.

Tian Fan and Yu Nuo, huddled by the smoke vent to block the wind, said nothing. The energy that dissipated as time passed made them feel panicked, and the long-term lack of supplies only deepened their despair.

A quick death wasn't scary; it was the continuous torture that was terrifying.

"Tian Fan..."

In the night wind, Yu Nuo spoke with difficulty. Her voice was slightly hoarse, and her lips, which should have been rosy, were dry and cracked. "I don't think I can make it until tomorrow. Can I ask you for one thing?"

Tian Fan, his head buried between his knees, heard Yu Nuo, took a breath, looked up at her, and twitched his mouth. "Sister Yu, look at me now—what could I possibly do for you..."

Yu Nuo gave a miserable smile, smoothed her messy hair, and looked at the moon appearing and disappearing in the sky. "The old people in the village say that those who die at midnight turn into vengeful ghosts. When it gets close to twelve, can you please push me off?"

"I want to become a ghost and see why this world turned into this."

Tian Fan looked at Yu Nuo as if she had seen a ghost. He shook his head vigorously. "Sister Yu, that request is too much. You want me to be a murderer? I won't do it. Besides, what ghosts? Don't be superstitious, okay!"

A look of relief suddenly appeared on Yu Nuo's face.

"In this world, who cares about being a murderer? Didn't you see that whole SWAT team get wiped out? Sigh... if not superstitious, what can you believe in now? Buddha, God, or Shiva? Who can come to save us!"

Tian Fan pressed his lips together, a trace of determination still on his face. "I think... Sister Yu, do you remember those three people from the building across the way today? They were all carrying weapons. I think maybe we've overestimated the zombies' abilities. If we fight back, maybe we can carve out a path!"

Yu Nuo frowned. Thinking of the terrifying appearance of the zombies and the stench they emitted, she couldn't help but shiver. Perhaps only by becoming a ghost would she no longer fear them.

Whoosh!

Tian Fan suddenly stood up, stretching his limbs. "Sister Yu, we can't just sit here and wait to die. I've decided that even if I die, I'll die in a blaze of glory. It's just a few zombies blocking the door—let's kill our way out together!"

"Kill our way out. As long as we get back downstairs, back home, we'll have food and drink, and we won't die!"

Tian Fan was fired up. He picked up a hollow stainless steel pipe as thick as a thumb and swung it, determined to give it his all.

Yu Nuo also wanted to stand up, but just as she was struggling to rise while leaning against the wall, a low, nearby roar scared her so much that her legs went weak and she sat back down.

Awoo!

"Tian, Tian, Tian Fan, did you hear that? It sounds like the zombies in Unit 1 are roaring. Heavens, did they hear us? They aren't going to rush up here, are they?"

Yu Nuo was incredibly nervous. With no strength in her legs, she struggled to crawl behind the smoke vent, wanting to hide.

"Don't, don't be afraid. Zombies can't open doors. They can't come up. If they do, I'll finish them off!"

Tian Fan swallowed hard. Most of his bravado had dissipated, but he didn't retreat. He still held the steel pipe, though unfortunately, the hollow stainless steel pipe was of such poor quality that it slightly deformed when he squeezed it hard...

This kind of pipe wasn't even enough to deal with a vicious dog, let alone kill zombies.

The low, bloodthirsty howling didn't last long; it went silent after about ten seconds. Immediately after, there was the sound of a door being pushed, which made both of them tremble even more.

"Heavens, they really are coming up. We..."

Bang!

Before Yu Nuo's voice could fade, a chopping sound rang out, and the door was pulled open.

Yu Nuo, hiding behind the smoke vent, shivered like a chick. Tian Fan, gripping the steel pipe, bit his lip until it bled from extreme tension.

"Ah!"

Tian Fan let out a roar and charged toward the door with the steel pipe. He didn't want to die in silence; he decided to erupt in silence.

"Ah, my eyes."

However, before he could see the situation clearly, a bright light flashed, and he was instantly blinded.

"What are you yelling for? You're a college student, can't you be steady?"

A slightly complaining voice sounded.

The tone wasn't great, but to Tian Fan and Yu Nuo, it sounded like music from heaven.

"Is it a living person? A living person..."

Yu Nuo poked her head out in disbelief to look at the man holding the high-intensity flashlight, and for a moment, she wept with joy.

"Who... who are you? Big brother, are you here to save us? Are you the big brother from Building 3?"

Tian Fan felt a bit more settled. Since he couldn't see, he waved his hands wildly, spinning in place in his anxiety.

Qin Ya sighed and frowned. "Stand still and don't move! I'm asking you, are your surnames Tian and Yu?"

"Yes, yes, I am Yu Nuo. Heavens, you are... SWAT comrade, that's great, we're saved."

Yu Nuo finally saw the person clearly. The word "SWAT" printed on his back seemed to shine with a sacred light, illuminating her dark future.

"SWAT?"

Tian Fan's vision was slowly recovering. After hearing Yu Nuo's words, he felt a surge of joy and hurriedly said, "SWAT big brother, I'm surnamed Tian. How did you know we were here?"

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 50 =====