Zhou Shoushan, standing before them, was a far cry from the frail, elderly man he had been on his sickbed. His back was ramrod straight, like an unyielding mountain, and a resolute gaze filled his eyes, exuding an undeniable aura of authority.
Luo Xiaole led her teammates forward.
"You've arrived?" Zhou Shoushan greeted them with a nod.
"This journey ahead might be quite troublesome," he said, his brow furrowed.
He then gestured to the man who had arrived earlier to report at the base. This man quickly briefed Luo Xiaole and her team on the situation.
"We came from Luocheng Base to rendezvous with the commander, but... the rest of our comrades perished on the way." He pursed his lips, speaking with difficulty.
"We received the commander's orders and set out immediately from Luocheng Base. However, all our communication equipment malfunctioned, and we even encountered several incredibly strange zombies. Furthermore, many important road signs have been destroyed or lost. On our way back, we can only try to rely on our memories to see if we can retrace our steps... the risks are immense..."
"Will you regret it? Taking on this mission?" Zhou Shoushan looked at Luo Xiaole.
"We've come this far, we're used to it," Luo Xiaole said, touching her nose. For her, zombies were all the same; they all triggered her paralysis, rendering her immobile. But eventually, they all fell to her sharp weapon. After so many experiences, she seemed to have gained a considerable amount of courage.
"Good," Zhou Shoushan's eyes softened with a touch of warmth. He even stroked his nonexistent beard.
"Then let's be on our way," Luo Xiaole shrugged. She had a map, so they shouldn't get lost.
Luo Xiaole's group split into three teams and got into the cars. Zhou Shoushan's three accompanying soldiers drove each vehicle.
"Xiaole, I need to talk to you," the mother said hesitantly. She hadn't gotten into the car and stood by the window of Luo Xiaole and Zhou Shoushan's vehicle, calling out to Luo Xiaole.
As the mother was speaking to Luo Xiaole, her child, a boy of about seven or eight, seemed to have spotted something near the defense perimeter... He was now walking, step by step, towards the base's defenses with a look of surprise on his face.
"What is it, Auntie?" Luo Xiaole leaned out.
"Last time, didn't Zhou Xiaojun and Luo Shu bring back two batches of collected supplies? They said they were distributed by someone named Qin Mingyang downstairs," the mother whispered to Luo Xiaole. "There was a knife among them. It looked very familiar to me. When I looked closely, it was my husband's. That knife was his sharpest weapon, and he had carved my name on it. See, it says 'Juan'." Tears welled up in her eyes.
Luo Xiaole leaned closer. On the somewhat worn handle of the knife, there was indeed the character "Juan."
"So, I'm wondering, is my husband still alive?" she asked, unable to suppress her sobs.
Luo Xiaole pondered, resting her chin on her hand. It wasn't entirely impossible... Qin Mingyang, like her, had come from the direction of the airport. And they had heard that this mother had come from near Luocheng Base. Since they were going in opposite directions, why would Qin Mingyang have his weapon?
But then she thought about it... she actually felt the possibility of the husband's survival was slim... Qin Mingyang could have his weapon either because the husband was rescued and handed it over to Qin Mingyang, or because the husband encountered something, and Qin Mingyang found his weapon along the way. However, there didn't seem to be any new people in Qin Mingyang's group... Besides, the knife was chipped in many places and stained with blood, indicating that its owner had likely encountered zombies on the road...
But she didn't want to shatter the mother's hopes and cause her more pain. Moreover, the trip to Luocheng Base couldn't be delayed any further. She was wondering if there was a way to achieve both objectives at once.
Suddenly, the sound of several cars starting up in the parking lot around the corner interrupted her thoughts. Immediately after, several cars sped out through the nearby exit, heading straight for the base entrance, driving away in haste.
Luo Xiaole narrowed her eyes. The appearance of these cars seemed a bit familiar... Weren't these the cars Qin Mingyang and his group had driven into the base? Since they were leaving today anyway, why was Qin Mingyang in such a hurry?
At that moment, a voice came from the side. "Commander Zhou, we apologize for our previous negligence. Please bear with us. Our young healer's abilities were unstable before, and we were afraid she might injure you, which is why we didn't come out to treat you immediately. We hope for your understanding." It was the base officer, speaking with a practiced ease.
"It's alright, thank you for your trouble," Zhou Shoushan nodded, showing understanding, but a chilling indifference flickered in his eyes.
...
"Chief..." a soldier ran over in a panic. "Zombies... a horde of zombies are swarming towards us... and many are heading for our main gate!"
The officer was aghast. "Quick! Prepare to activate the defense grid! Form ranks and have everyone assemble in the square. No shouting!"
"We're leaving now!" Zhou Shoushan said without hesitation. Staying at the base would only be more dangerous. They still had a chance to break out before they were completely surrounded.
As the three cars were about to depart, the mother suddenly cried out, "Where is my child?" She quickly opened the car door and rushed out. Looking back, she gasped! Her child was standing by the electric fence, his small arm reaching through the gaps in the defense grid, hugging a... rather tall zombie...! The zombie didn't bite him, but its sharp fingers scratched his arm, drawing noticeable black blood.
"Ah Lin!" It was her husband... who had turned into a zombie and wandered outside the base's defenses...! Seeing her son hugging her zombified husband, the mother's tears flowed uncontrollably. Her son's arm was scratched, and before long, his eyes gradually turned pale, revealing the signs of a zombie.
"Be careful!" Luo Xiaole shouted from behind. Her hand reached for a thumbtack, but the father and son were entangled too tightly, making it impossible for her to find an opening. The mother, ignoring everything, stumbled and rushed towards them, reaching them in an instant.
Finally, the son fully turned into a zombie, his eyes becoming utterly cloudy. He grabbed his mother as she rushed towards him and opened his sharp teeth! Then, with a surprisingly gentle motion, he took a small bite on her arm. The mother's face was streaked with tears, but her expression was strangely serene. The wound on her arm didn't hurt. She gently stroked her son's head.
Everything happened in a flash. The people in the car couldn't even react in time. Everyone turned into a zombie at a different pace. Luo Xiaole never expected this mother and son to turn so quickly... The mother seemed as if she had finally found her belonging after a long journey. She closed her eyes and patted her son's back, a smile frozen on her face. The next moment, when she opened her eyes again, her once dark and expressive eyes had also turned a sickly pale.
"Gurgle..." A zombie's growl emanated from her throat.
"How could this happen..." Zhou Xiaojun and the others were stunned.
"Xiaole, could it be that they are like Chen Xiaolin?" Luo Shu reminded her from the side.
Luo Xiaole shook her head with a heavy heart. She stared intently at the brows of the family of three. The swirling masses of energy above their brows had all turned a distinct black. That was the color unique to zombies... It was too late to save them.
The mother and son's hands had already grown sharp nails. However, they didn't rush towards Luo Xiaole and her team. Instead, they used their sharp claws to climb the electric fence and leaped down, reuniting with the husband. The three zombie figures slowly disappeared into the morning forest. Luo Xiaole thought she saw the mother turn back at the last moment, parting her lips in a grateful smile towards her. Was it a hallucination...?
At the same time, the base's defense system activated. The electric fence suddenly came to life with a crackling sound. Zhou Shoushan, who had witnessed the entire scene, sighed, "There's no time to lose, let's go."
"Yes, Commander!" The three cars started almost simultaneously, speeding towards the base gate!