Chapter Seventeen: A Trip to the Supermarket (Part Two)

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Zhao Qiang and Wei Tao fought in the darkness, eliminating most of the zombies inside the supermarket. When the lights came back on, Zhao Qiang realized that the battle was now even more difficult than before. The neatly arranged shelves, so convenient for shopping, were entirely unsuited for a combat search operation.

After bringing everyone into the supermarket, Zhao Qiang and Wei Tao had no choice but to search the place thoroughly once again. Among the group were women and children—a single mistake could lead to devastating losses, an outcome neither man could accept. What worried Zhao Qiang most was not the ordinary zombies lurking about, but the sleepers.

Sleepers were the kind of zombies Zhao Qiang had previously encountered in the clinic. At first glance, they were indistinguishable from the dead. But if a living person passed by, the sleeper would awaken from its slumber, silently stalking the unsuspecting human…

Crisp gunshots echoed through the supermarket from time to time. Zhang Yongming gripped his gun, his gaze alert to every movement inside. His wife and son stood just behind him, and he would not allow any mistake to put them at risk.

Glancing at Li Zihan, who was amusing Zhang Yu nearby, Li Zixin came up to Zhang Yongming and whispered, “Old Zhang, I need to talk to you about something.” As he spoke, he tried to pull Zhang Yongming aside.

Zhang Yongming didn’t budge, a bit puzzled as to why this couldn’t be said in front of everyone. “Why can’t we talk here?” he asked.

Li Zixin shot another look at Li Zihan, and seeing she wasn’t paying attention, he lowered his voice further. “Old Zhang, what do you think of that Wei Tao kid?”

“Wei Tao? He seems alright to me,” Zhang Yongming replied mildly, his eyes never leaving the supermarket entrance.

“That kid is too overbearing. Who does he think he is, the boss? Always scowling, always opposing whatever we say or do.” Seeing Zhang Yongming unmoved, Li Zixin pressed on, “Once things settle down here, the guys and I are thinking of going out on our own. Will you come with us?”

“What?” Zhang Yongming's eyes widened, his voice rising.

“Shh, keep your voice down.” Li Zixin hurriedly tried to calm him, glancing around before continuing, “I’ve already talked it over with the others. They’re all with us—it’s just you left.”

“What are you planning?” Zhang Yongming’s voice dropped, urgent. “He saved all our lives. Without him, we wouldn’t have made it this far. And Li Zihan—she saved my son too. Have you all forgotten?”

“So just because they saved us, they get to boss us around? Old Zhang, look at Wei and Zhao—they treat us like laborers. If this goes on, sooner or later, you, me, and the other guys will end up as their slaves.”

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“Bullshit!” Zhang Yongming swore under his breath. “Old Li, don’t forget, you’re still a police officer!”

“To hell with being a cop! Everyone’s dead—what’s the point? If you don’t look out for yourself, you’re doomed. Old Zhang, think about it: we have guns, we have a vehicle, we could carve out our own territory, live as we please. We’re the most senior, and the others listen to us. As long as we ditch those two and that girl, we could live like kings!”

“Shut your mouth!” Zhang Yongming finally exploded, unable to believe what his old friend had become. “Who do you think I am? My whole family owes those two our lives, and you want me to betray them? I can’t do it. I’ll pretend this never happened, but if you still consider me a brother, don’t ever bring this up again—or don’t blame me for turning against you.”

Li Zixin seemed about to argue further, but seeing that Zhang Yongming was truly angry, he bit his tongue and retreated awkwardly. Yet a flash of cold calculation glinted in his eyes. If you won’t play along, Old Zhang, don’t blame me for what happens next.

Zhao Qiang trailed Wei Tao, alert to every movement around them. The supermarket was too vast, with poor lines of sight—it was impossible to predict which corner a zombie might lunge from to end it all. After a long, exhausting search, the two finally cleared out the entire supermarket, transferring all the bodies to the cold storage.

Sitting on a large bed in the home goods section, Zhao Qiang finally exhaled in relief. Though the fight hadn’t been fierce, the relentless tension left him feeling like he’d rather face a horde of a hundred zombies. Damn, even a battle with a hundred zombies wouldn’t have been this draining.

He had barely sat down when gunfire rang out again from downstairs.

Something had happened! Wei Tao’s expression changed; grabbing Zhao Qiang, he raced down the stairs.

The supermarket’s back door was open; Li Zixin, a group of police officers, and the bus were gone. Zhang Yongming lay motionless on the ground. Li Yun was kneeling beside him, clutching Zhang Yu and sobbing. Li Zihan was handcuffed nearby, another girl standing beside her. Two girls, guns drawn, fired desperately at zombies pouring in through the back door.

Li Zihan’s training allowed her to keep her shots relatively accurate, but the other girl was far less skilled—firing with her eyes shut, squeezing the trigger again and again. The bullets slowed the zombies, but could not stop their advance. Seeing that Li Yun and her son were about to be torn apart, Li Zihan closed her eyes in despair.

Suddenly, a volley of rapid gunfire erupted. Li Zihan opened her eyes to find Li Yun and her son still kneeling unharmed, while the zombies that had threatened them lay motionless. Following the sound, tears streamed down Li Zihan’s cheeks.

Zhao Qiang instantly understood what had happened. With no time for questions, Wei Tao swiftly dispatched the two zombies threatening Li Yun and her son. Zhao Qiang charged forward, fury blazing in his eyes as he faced the ten or so zombies, raising his blade…

The rolling shutter slowly closed again; Zhao Qiang and Wei Tao quickly finished the fight. Wei Tao checked Zhang Yongming’s pulse, his furrowed brow finally relaxing. Turning to the still-crying Li Yun, he said calmly, “He’s fine—just fainted.” Then he moved to Li Zihan’s side and unlocked her handcuffs.

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As Wei Tao freed her, Li Zihan could no longer contain herself. She threw herself into his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. The other girl, exhausted, collapsed to the ground.

Zhao Qiang walked over to the armored van. The empty interior seemed to tell its own story. He kicked the door hard, then turned to join Wei Tao.

“They didn’t leave a thing!” Zhao Qiang said, anger thick in his voice.

Zhang Yongming came to and, seeing the scene before him, understood what had happened. With Li Yun’s help, he confessed everything, filled with guilt.

“I’m sorry. If I’d realized sooner, none of this would have happened.” He took all the responsibility on himself; even though he’d been knocked out, he didn’t see that as an excuse.

“Brother Zhang, don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault. Since everyone’s alright, let’s put this aside for now,” Zhao Qiang said, having moved past his initial fury—though forgiveness for the traitors was another matter. If he ever crossed paths with them again, they’d pay dearly.

He glanced at the unfamiliar girl, curious. Though she’d fired with her eyes shut, her courage was undeniable. “What’s your name?” he asked. He had seen her a few times during special training, but had never spoken to her.

“My name’s Xuanxuan.” The girl had recovered from her fright. “Thank you for saving me.”

“It was nothing. As long as everyone’s safe, that’s what matters,” Zhao Qiang replied coolly.

“Zhao, take them upstairs to rest. I’ll check things over again.” Wei Tao, silent until now, ended the conversation and headed for the armored van.

Zhao Qiang scooped up little Zhang Yu. “Come on, little Octopus, Uncle’s taking you for a tour of the supermarket.”