AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 26
Chapter 26
"Take Off Your Clothes."
They walked along the alleyway, heading forward. The road ahead was a junction where two streets converged, splitting the buildings on either side. The road was littered with vehicles blocked by accidents. From a distance, one could see figures wandering aimlessly among the traffic.
“To the other side,” Xia Shen Shu led the way across.
Quickly crossing the road, they entered another residential area. This area was slightly different from the previous one; the buildings were much closer together. Although the houses were still about five or six stories high, both the ground and the walls exuded a sense of newness from a distance.
After passing the row of houses closest to the road, Xia Shen Shu turned his head, searching for a place to hide. Before he could find one, a series of hurried footsteps sounded from behind them.
Xia Shen Shu turned his head, his scalp tingling, and almost simultaneously, a group of people burst into their view.
There were five people in total, two holding guns and dressed in black suits, while the other three appeared to be ordinary team members.
The sudden encounter startled both groups. The two with guns reflexively raised their weapons.
Supporting Lan Zi, Xia Shen Shu raised his gun almost simultaneously.
Facing the dark muzzles, Feng Yimo ignored them and continued moving forward.
Being ignored, the two men from Xue Gang’s team frowned, about to speak, when gunshots rang out from the building across the street. The rest of the survival team were heading their way.
Along with the gunshots came a chorus of terrified, desperate screams, followed by the awakened zombies.
“Find a place to hide!” Xia Shen Shu holstered his gun, dragging Lan Zi quickly towards Feng Yimo and Ji Yanqing.
“...That way,” Ji Yanqing weakly lifted his head from Feng Yimo’s embrace, pointing to an open door not far to the left.
The buildings on this side of the road were new, and being near the road, all the ground floors had security iron doors. Most of the iron doors were locked, except for that one open door.
Xia Shen Shu immediately led the way towards the door. Feng Yimo glanced at Ji Yanqing and followed.
Seeing Ji Yanqing and the others head towards the door, the five from Xue Gang’s team hesitated briefly before following.
The group quickly rushed through the door, pulling it shut without waiting to see the situation inside the hallway.
Almost as soon as they closed the iron door, a series of hurried footsteps echoed through the alley where they had just stood.
The noise was chaotic, filled with screams, shouts, cries, gunshots, and the excited roars of zombies, all surging towards them like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf and tear them apart.
In the hallway, the group clutched their weapons tightly, their faces pale, not daring to look outside or make any noise.
The sounds came and went quickly, sweeping past them in less than ten seconds, heading towards the other end of the building.
In just those short ten seconds, everyone was drenched in cold sweat, their faces bloodless.
Xia Shen Shu looked at Ji Yanqing, who was sitting on the stairs, looking unwell. “Are you alright?”
Ji Yanqing, having been pushed to safety by Lan Zi earlier, hit his head, likely causing a concussion. On top of that, the debris from the car had struck him repeatedly. Now, every part of his body ached. He took a deep breath, suppressing his nausea. “Let’s go upstairs and hide.”
Xia Shen Shu glanced at the others in the hallway, then set down the bloodied and unconscious Lan Zi, grabbing his gun and heading upstairs quickly.
Xia Shen Shu moved swiftly, returning within a minute. “There’s an open room on the third floor.”
He bent down, dragging Lan Zi up the stairs.
Ji Yanqing used the wall for support, fighting his discomfort to stand. He hadn’t steadied himself before he began to sway, about to fall over, only for a hand to reach out from the side to grab his arm.
Ji Yanqing looked over and saw it was Feng Yimo.
“Thank you.” Ji Yanqing leaned half his weight on Feng Yimo, gritting his teeth as they headed upstairs.
They quickly reached the third floor and crowded into the room.
As soon as they entered, Xia Shen Shu laid Lan Zi on the floor of the living room, checking her breathing.
Ji Yanqing glanced at the two unconscious boys, who, although unconscious, appeared uninjured, then went over to Lan Zi.
After checking her breathing, Xia Shen Shu frowned and felt for a pulse on Lan Zi’s other side. Lan Zi was in bad shape, seemingly not even breathing.
“How is she?” Ji Yanqing leaned over Lan Zi’s chest, trying to hear a heartbeat, but his head was buzzing, and he couldn’t hear anything.
Xia Shen Shu pushed him aside, lying down to listen carefully. After a moment, he exhaled deeply. “She’s still alive.”
With that, Xia Shen Shu quickly grabbed his backpack and pulled out some new clothes, placing them under Lan Zi’s neck and head.
Only then did he have the time to carefully examine Lan Zi’s injuries.
Ji Yanqing also looked over.
Car parts had slashed from Lan Zi’s left shoulder up across her neck and half her face. The wounds weren’t too deep, fortunately missing the arteries and eyes, but the three long gashes were gruesome, with skin and flesh turned outwards, bleeding profusely.
Xia Shen Shu took a deep breath, skillfully pressing the clothes against her wounds to stop the bleeding.
Just as Ji Yanqing was about to help, a panicked shout came from inside the room.
Both Ji Yanqing and Xia Shen Shu instinctively looked over.
One of the five from Xue Gang’s team staggered back, retreating from the open bedroom door, where a large and small zombie were lunging at him.
The larger zombie was about to pounce, its fingers already clawing at the man’s shoulder. In a panic, he raised his gun to shoot.
In that instant, Ji Yanqing’s heart jumped to his throat.
If he fired, the zombies that had just passed by would undoubtedly discover their presence.
“Crash!” Feng Yimo kicked the man aside.
He drew the sword at his side, and before anyone could comprehend what had happened, the head of the large zombie rolled to the ground. By the time everyone turned to look, Feng Yimo had already sheathed his blade; the smaller zombie’s head had met the same fate.
The crowd, still shaken, glanced at Feng Yimo. Though he always carried his sword, they had never seen him use it until now. His movements were swift and precise, his black eyes revealing no emotion, as if he had merely lifted his hand rather than severed two zombie heads.
After finishing, he turned to Ji Yanqing. At that moment, Ji Yanqing felt a sudden clarity. He quickly got up and searched the room, hoping to find the family’s stock of medicine. Many households kept common medications, including anti-inflammatories and pain relievers.
Ji Yanqing rummaged through every drawer, large and small, but found no anti-inflammatory or pain medications. He did, however, discover a half-empty pack of cold medicine under one of the bedroom nightstands.
Xia Shen Shu glanced at the cold medicine, feeling slightly relieved. He eased the pressure on Lan Zi’s wound and examined it; blood was still seeping out.
“I’ll do my best to bandage the wound and stop the bleeding,” Xia Shen Shu said, pausing before adding, “Her wound is too long, and she’s lost too much blood. It would be best to apply some medicine; otherwise, infection and fever could become problematic.”
This level of injury would require dozens of stitches even in a hospital.
Ji Yanqing remained silent but stepped forward to help. Although this city wasn’t completely stripped bare like others, it had been ransacked, and both food and medicine were crucial resources. Finding any medication would be a challenge.
After some effort, the two finally managed to bandage Lan Zi’s wound completely. Once that was done, Ji Yanqing turned to check Ji An and Ji Le. After confirming that both were unharmed, he began inspecting his own injuries.
His hands, legs, and back bore wounds—most were scratches from flying metal debris and glass. They weren’t deep, but the sight of them was alarming.
Ji Yanqing quickly wrapped the injuries on his hands and feet, preparing to go to the bathroom to tend to his back when Feng Yimo sat down behind him.
Startled, Ji Yanqing sat back down.
“Take off your shirt,” Feng Yimo said.
Suppressing the pain from his wounds, Ji Yanqing gripped the hem of his blood-stained white T-shirt and pulled it off, exposing his entire back.
Feng Yimo’s gaze fell on Ji Yanqing’s back, and he paused slightly. The skin was pale and smooth, revealing Ji Yanqing’s slender frame, with prominent shoulder blades that made his waist appear exceptionally narrow—hardly the figure of someone who could wield a hefty axe.
What surprised Feng Yimo wasn’t just the sight of Ji Yanqing’s back, but the numerous old scars mingled with fresh wounds. Some injuries were months old; others had only recently healed, still tinged pink.
Suddenly, Feng Yimo recalled Ji Yanqing’s face from the previous night, when he had removed his goggles.
Ji Yanqing had always taken on the role of their team leader, deliberately presenting himself as cold and composed. Although everyone saw through the facade, they gradually began to perceive him as a reliable and steady person. In reality, he was the youngest among them.
Before the apocalypse, he would have just been a college student, sheltered and protected by his parents.
“What’s wrong?” Ji Yanqing maintained his gaze on the shirt in his lap, waiting for a response, but when he didn’t hear anything, he turned to look at Feng Yimo.
Feng Yimo snapped back to reality, picking up the torn shirt that Ji Yanqing had discarded. He approached Ji Yanqing hesitantly, unsure as he prepared to help with the bandaging.
Since awakening, he had never been injured, nor had he ever bandaged someone else’s wounds. The act was utterly foreign to him.
As he drew closer, Feng Yimo caught the distinct metallic scent of blood from Ji Yanqing’s wounds—an oddly sweet aroma that stirred an unfamiliar feeling in his chest.
Ji Yanqing shouldn’t be hurt.
Feng Yimo’s body temperature was perpetually low, making his fingers icy. When he touched Ji Yanqing’s side, Ji Yanqing involuntarily shivered.
At first, Feng Yimo’s movements were clumsy, but he quickly became more adept, skillfully wrapping Ji Yanqing’s wounds until they were all secured properly.
“Thank you,” Ji Yanqing said, biting the bullet and putting on a fresh shirt.
Feng Yimo watched from behind, noticing that the motion of dressing caused the freshly bandaged wounds to bleed again. His expression, usually devoid of human emotion, slightly furrowed.
Once dressed, Ji Yanqing turned to Xia Shen Shu. “We’re not too far from the hospital we passed earlier.”
Xia Shen Shu, who was busy helping Lan Zi drink water after tending to her wounds, looked up, surprise flickering in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but ultimately said nothing.
Lan Zi needed medication; without it, the risk of infection was 100%. If she were to become infected and inflamed, she wouldn’t survive.
Hearing Ji Yanqing’s words, several members of Xue Gang’s team, sitting at the other end of the living room, looked incredulously at him.
“Are you crazy?” one man, armed with a gun, couldn’t hold back. He glanced at the unconscious Lan Zi. “Is it worth risking your life for someone barely hanging on?”
Schools, hospitals, and markets were always the most crowded areas in the city, teeming with zombies—ranging from hundreds to thousands.
In such places, no matter how large or heavily armed a survival team was, they would have to detour.
For Ji Yanqing to voluntarily venture into such a place was tantamount to seeking death.
Ignoring him, Ji Yanqing continued speaking to Xia Shen Shu. “The noise Xue Gang just made should have drawn some of the zombies away from that area.”
“Even so, the zombies trapped in the hospital number at least in the high-hundreds, possibly even thousands,” the man persisted.
Ji Yanqing shot him a glance before turning back to Xia Shen Shu. “I’ll be quick.”
After a moment, he looked at the unconscious Ji An and Ji Le, adding, “I’ll return as soon as possible. But if I’m not back before dark tomorrow, please take care of Ji An and Ji Le as best as you can.”
It was clear that asking Xia Shen Shu to treat Ji An and Ji Le like his own children was unrealistic; in this apocalypse, even surviving alone was a struggle.
Xia Shen Shu glanced at the two unconscious boys, took a deep breath, and instead of arguing, he grabbed his backpack and emptied its contents onto the floor. Inside were food, water, bullets, and clothing.
The food and bullets were supplies he had gathered while in the village, never expecting that Baldy and Wu Yao would choose to leave and even turn over the team’s supplies to Xue Gang. His supplies were limited.
He quickly sorted through the clothes, bullets, and water, then divided the remaining food into two piles, pushing one towards Ji Yanqing. “Take this. It should last you about five days if you ration it. I’ll wait for you here for five days. If you’re not back by then, I’ll take them and leave.”
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Ji Yanqing’s mouth, revealing a clean, gentle expression.
Xia Shen Shu understood that if Ji Yanqing failed, he wouldn’t last five days. If he couldn’t succeed, even surviving the night would be in question.
He could have chosen not to give Ji Yanqing this food—it would be a waste.
At least the five members of Xue Gang’s team nearby thought so, their faces darkening at the sight of Xia Shen Shu giving away supplies.
Ji Yanqing didn’t refuse; he packed everything into his backpack.
After watching Ji Yanqing fill his bag, Xia Shen Shu spoke again, “You should get some sleep now. It’s better to move at night. Xue Gang and the others haven’t gone far; many zombies will still be drawn to the noise.”
Zombies were easily attracted by sound, and once they heard commotion, they would rush toward it frantically.
Though the noise Xue Gang made had likely drawn some zombies away from the area, those further away would be heading this way.
If they didn’t find Xue Gang, those zombies would wander aimlessly nearby until they calmed down.
Ji Yanqing glanced at Lan Zi and then at the rapidly rising temperature outside. After a moment’s thought, he nodded.
Finding a spot to sit, he ate a little and drank some water before taking a cold medicine pill. The medication would help him sleep, and he needed to rest before nightfall, but the pain throughout his body made it difficult to do so.
After taking the cold medicine, Ji Yanqing lay down next to Ji An and Ji Le, quickly succumbing to sleep.
When Ji Yanqing woke up again, the room was already pitch dark. Ji An and Ji Le had already woken up and were sitting on either side of him, keeping watch. Seeing him open his eyes, they immediately brightened up.
“Daddy...” Ji Le exclaimed happily.
“Does it still hurt?” Ji An asked, eyes red, looking at the bandages on Ji Yanqing’s body.
Ji Yanqing rubbed the heads of the two little ones and sat up from the floor. After sleeping all afternoon, he felt much better mentally, but the pain in his body had not disappeared.
“Does it hurt a lot?” Ji An anxiously looked at the wound on Ji Yanqing’s arm. He couldn’t quite remember what had happened before; his memory stopped at the moment he saw Ji Yanqing fall, surrounded by blood. He remembered that he had been extremely angry, almost losing his mind. He seemed to have rushed towards Ji Yanqing, but he couldn’t recall what happened after that. When he woke up again, his body was in constant pain, and his head hurt terribly, but none of those pains compared to seeing Ji Yanqing lying beside him, covered in wounds. If Ji Yanqing were to die, no one in this world would ever love him again.
“It doesn’t hurt,” Ji Yanqing softly reassured.
Ji An’s clear, black-and-white eyes looked at Ji Yanqing and then at the blood seeping through the bandages on his wound. His eyes reddened even more, and he could see tears welling up.
“It hurts a little, but it’s much better after a nap,” Ji Yanqing corrected himself.
Ji An wiped away the tears that had escaped from his eyes. “Really?”
“Yes.”
Ji An glanced at Ji Yanqing and believed him somewhat. Xia Shen Shu had also said that Ji Yanqing was just exhausted and had fallen asleep.
Ji Yanqing looked towards Xia Shen Shu. Xia Shen Shu was checking on Lan Zi.
“She started to have a fever in the afternoon, so I gave her some cold medicine. It also has some anti-inflammatory effects...” Xia Shen Shu explained. It was a desperate move, but there was no other choice. Lan Zi hadn’t woken up, and excessive blood loss had made her breathing and heartbeat very weak.
“Do you remember what happened before? Why did the lizard suddenly stop attacking us?” Xia Shen Shu suddenly asked.
Ji Yanqing was stunned for a moment before he realized what Xia Shen Shu was referring to. They had been attacked by that awakened zombie before, and everyone had fallen into chaos, certain they were doomed, but they somehow found a chance to escape.
Ji Yanqing shook his head. After he had protected Lan Zi, he was in a semi-conscious state and only remembered the sound of intense crackling in his ears.
Xia Shen Shu looked at Feng Yimo. Among all of them, only Feng Yimo had remained conscious.
Feng Yimo ignored him.
Ji Yanqing looked over. “Do you know what happened?”
Feng Yimo’s dark eyes glanced at Ji Yanqing. “I don’t know.”
Xia Shen Shu’s mouth twitched. Feng Yimo definitely had a grudge against him!
Xia Shen Shu rubbed his nose and began to ponder again. He had been knocked unconscious by the door of the first car that crashed over, and he vaguely remembered a second car flying over, crashing into the supermarket far from them.
Ji Yanqing thought for a moment but couldn’t come up with an answer. He took out some food and distributed it to the group. After giving portions to Ji An, Ji Le, and Feng Yimo, he tossed a share to Xia Shen Shu. When he turned back, he noticed that there was more food in his portion than before.
Ji An and Ji Le had secretly given some of their food to him.
When he turned back, Ji Le was in the middle of sneaking something into his pile of food.
Seeing this, Ji Yanqing felt a wave of warmth in his heart. He took out an entire box of chocolate sticks from his portion, opened it, and handed it to the two little ones.
Ji An shook his head like a little adult, his childish voice serious, “I have enough.”
Ji Le glanced at the sweet chocolate, his Adam’s apple bobbing, but he still firmly shook his head. “You need to eat more to heal your wounds quickly. When your wounds are healed, they won’t hurt anymore.”
Ji Yanqing’s heart felt warm. “This is very sweet.”
Hearing the word “sweet,” Ji Le’s swallowed again. At just three years old and perpetually undernourished, he had no resistance to sweet things.
The older Ji An tried to maintain a serious expression, but his throat also bobbed, and his long eyelashes trembled lightly.
Ji An wanted to refuse, but he was very hungry. Ever since he woke up, he had been especially hungry, so much so that he felt dizzy and his hands trembled.
“Then I’ll just have a little...” Ji An said softly, his voice tender.
Ji Yanqing nodded and handed him the entire box of chocolate sticks.
Ji Le couldn’t resist any longer. Seeing Ji An agree to have a little, he quickly reached for the box. He grabbed a stick and immediately put it in his mouth. He didn’t devour it quickly but sucked on the chocolate stick, slowly savoring the bittersweet taste.
Seeing Ji Le eat, Ji An quickly reached for one too. He was already starving. Just as he was about to eat, his hand, weakened from hunger, trembled, and the chocolate stick rolled to Lan Zi’s side.
Ji An quickly crawled over to retrieve it. Approaching, he saw the chocolate stick touching the bandage on Lan Zi’s shoulder wound, stained with blood. He froze.
Smelling the sweet, fragrant, and bloody scent so close, his Adam’s apple moved uncontrollably, and his stomach growled loudly.
He picked up the blood-stained chocolate stick, his eyes locked on the blood at the tip. Saliva overflowed from his mouth.
It smelled so good…
The blood smelled so good…
“Don’t eat dirty things,” Ji Yanqing said, taking the chocolate stick and carefully breaking off the blood-stained tip. He blew off the dust from the remaining part and handed it back to Ji An. “Here.”
He was so hungry.
*
Ji Yanqing quickly finished his portion of food and drank some water before standing up. The night had fully set in, and he needed to act quickly. If all went well, he would return before dawn; if not…
He glanced at Ji An and Ji Le. Ji Le was captivated by the sweet chocolate sticks, having initially intended to eat just one but unable to resist grabbing another. Ji An, meanwhile, was absentmindedly munching on his own chocolate.
Ji Yanqing turned to Xia Shen Shu, who nodded in understanding. If Ji Yanqing didn’t come back, he would take care of Ji An and Ji Le within his abilities. Though he wanted to accompany Ji Yanqing, someone had to stay behind to watch over Lan Zi, and he didn’t trust the five members of Xue Gang.
With his backpack secured, Ji Yanqing noticed Feng Yimo picking up the sword resting against the wall, ready to follow him.
Taken aback, Ji Yanqing wondered if Feng Yimo was truly going with him. These days, a hospital was not a place one could enter and exit freely; it was a hell from which few returned. Did Feng Yimo really intend to accompany him?
Feng Yimo approached the door and paused, glancing back when he noticed Ji Yanqing hadn’t followed.
“Be careful. This city is indeed strange. Two awakened zombies in a row is unheard of. Perhaps the other Corpse King from the city has done something,” Xia Shen Shu warned in the darkness.
“Corpse King?” Feng Yimo’s interest was piqued.
Ji Yanqing immediately realized who Xia Shen Shu was referring to and turned to Feng Yimo. “You don’t know?”
Feng Yimo’s black eyes held faint confusion.
Ji Yanqing sighed; it was a miracle Feng Yimo had survived this long. He explained, “There might be another Corpse King nearby, aside from the Beast Corpse King. They say this one is elusive and incredibly powerful, having killed all the other Corpse King to the north.”
“He fought the Beast Corpse King and then vanished, but he should still be alive; we just don’t know where he went.”
Feng Yimo nodded, silently taking it all in. The fact that such a powerful being could exist in the same city without him noticing was concerning.
Ji An and Ji Le sensed something was amiss and looked up. “Dad?”
Ji Yanqing took a deep breath, not concealing the truth. “I’m going to the hospital.”
Ji An’s little face turned pale. Ji Le, still a bit confused, knew that hospitals were bad places; he had heard many people talk about it.
“Stay here and wait for me,” Ji Yanqing said, gently ruffling Ji An’s soft hair.
“When will you be back?” Ji Le asked, suddenly finding his chocolate bar unappetizing.
“Before dawn, I should be back.”
“Dad…” Ji An tugged at Ji Yanqing’s shirt anxiously.
Ji Yanqing caressed his cheek reassuringly.
Beside them, Feng Yimo observed the scene, noting the unease and worry in the two children’s eyes. A pang of sadness struck him. Why weren’t they worried about him? After all, he was their actual father, well, in a way...
“He will return,” Feng Yimo said.
The two kids, their eyes glistening with concern, turned their attention to him. “Really?”
“Mm.”
“Can you promise?”
“I promise.”
Ji An sniffed. “You’re a strange person, but you’re a good person.”
Feng Yimo froze, his expression blank.
After assuring the two children, Ji Yanqing didn’t waste any more time. He grabbed the axe beside him and walked toward the door where Feng Yimo stood.
As the door closed behind him, Ji Yanqing took a deep breath and led the way into the dark corridor, which seemed to lead to hell itself.
The city at night was eerily silent, devoid of insect chirps or bird calls, even the wind seemed to have died down. In contrast, the darkness that should have felt lifeless felt alive, hiding countless unseen eyes.
Stepping into the dark, Ji Yanqing felt the cold enveloping him, his previously aching body tensing up as his focus sharpened.
He quickly descended to the ground floor, holding his breath as he paused to listen before slowly unbolting the iron door, pushing it open.
“Creeeak.” The screech of the iron door echoed sharply in the stillness.
Ji Yanqing’s nerves were on high alert, and he tried to move slowly to minimize the sound, but it only grew sharper as he slowed.
Fortunately, it seemed the zombies outside had all been drawn away by Xue Gang, as no figures lunged at them from the darkness.
Once there was enough space to pass through, Ji Yanqing quickly slipped out, with Feng Yimo right behind him.
“Stay close to me,” Ji Yanqing instructed, glancing back at Feng Yimo as the man nearly headed back towards where they had escaped from the lizard-like awakened zombie.
Crossing to the road outside the building, Ji Yanqing slowed his pace.
The zombies on the road had changed significantly compared to before, with more of them gathering in this area.
Ji Yanqing took a look and decided to take a detour.
Following the road, they walked nearly five hundred meters to the right until they were far from the wandering zombies. Only then did he lead them quickly across the street.
Entering the buildings on the other side of the road, Ji Yanqing didn’t retrace their previous path but moved directly towards the hospital based on his rough memory.
As they ran, Ji Yanqing frequently glanced back to check on the other man. Feng Yimo had excellent stamina, moving fluidly and almost silently.
Ji Yanqing tested his speed, moving like a ghost in the dark—silent and nimble. One moment he was here, the next he was hundreds of meters ahead.
Silently, he vaulted over a wall and turned into a pitch-black alley. When he looked back, Feng Yimo was still quietly following him, not falling behind.
Ji Yanqing raised an eyebrow.
He accelerated again, this time running at full speed.
When he had been traveling with Xia Shen Shu and the others, they took turns scouting ahead, and he had to slow down to match their pace.
Confirming that there were no zombies ahead, Ji Yanqing sprinted forward. He tapped his foot against the wall and swiftly jumped onto the second-floor corridor. Almost simultaneously, Feng Yimo landed beside him.
Avoiding the zombies on the first floor, they crossed the entire corridor. Ji Yanqing didn’t continue running but instead looked ahead from the end of the corridor.
In the darkness, not far away, a huge hospital sign hung on a building wall. From their vantage point, they could see three department buildings and the side of a mobile inpatient building.
In less than ten minutes, they had reached the hospital’s perimeter.
The hospital, whether before or after the virus outbreak, was never a comfortable place. Shrouded in darkness with no light, it felt even more so now.
Standing in the distant corridor outside the hospital, Ji Yanqing seemed to smell the scent of disinfectant. He didn’t like that smell; it brought back bad memories.
Ji Yanqing glanced at Feng Yimo beside him and lowered his voice. “Our goal is to find anti-inflammatory drugs, hemostatics, painkillers, and disinfectants. If possible, it’s best to bring out as much as we can.”
These common medications were more precious and scarce than food and water in this apocalypse. If they encountered other survival teams, they might be able to trade these for a substantial amount of other supplies.
Feng Yimo quietly watched Ji Yanqing, leaving the decisions up to him.
Ji Yanqing was momentarily speechless.
Without saying more, Ji Yanqing led Feng Yimo upstairs after a brief thought.
The top floor of the building they were in was locked. Ji Yanqing didn’t risk prying it open, as the noise from the axe against the iron door would be significant. Instead, he climbed up using the air conditioner units on the wall.
The rooftop was spacious, with only a few solar water heater units.
Ji Yanqing approached the hospital’s corner and looked down from the height, calculating their entry strategy.
From above, he could see all the areas of the hospital facing them. The parking lot, with only two or three zombies, the wide and dark main entrance, and the department buildings where shadows of figures could be seen.
There weren’t many zombies outside the hospital, but there were definitely many inside.
Ji Yanqing glanced at Feng Yimo again. Seeing Feng Yimo’s complete trust in his decision, he stopped asking and headed to the other side of the roof.
The gap between their building and the opposite one was about four meters. The distance wasn’t short, but their building was two stories higher. If they were fast enough, they could jump to the other roof.
The opposite building was close to one of the hospital wards.
That ward was near the main building. They could descend from that ward and enter the main building from the back.
Entering directly through the main entrance was also an option, but the few zombies outside the main door weren’t easy to deal with. Any noise or sighting could drive all the zombies in the hospital into a frenzy, and Ji Yanqing didn’t want to take that risk now.
Halfway across the roof, Ji Yanqing found the right angle. Just as he was about to jump to the opposite roof, he saw Feng Yimo looking in the direction they had come from.
Ji Yanqing followed his gaze. That was where Ji An and the others were.
In the darkness, Ji An and Ji Le sat alone in the living room, wrapped in blankets, their eyes wide awake without a trace of sleep. The rest of the house was silent, everyone except the night watchman fast asleep. This quietness reminded them of their days in Xue Gang’s survival team.
Under the blanket, Ji Le anxiously reached out to hold Ji An’s hand, but Ji An suddenly pulled away, clenching his fist.
“Brother?” Ji Le’s unease deepened.
Ji An shook his head, shoving the dirty object he had gripped into his pocket. It was the blood-stained chocolate bar Ji Yanqing had discarded earlier. After sitting in the corner, he had found himself next to it and had inexplicably picked it up.
“Brother?” Ji Le leaned against Ji An, sensing his fear, which only heightened his own anxiety. What if Ji Yanqing got hurt? What if he was bitten by a zombie?
Ji An’s focus was elsewhere. He buried his face in the blanket, on the verge of tears. He clutched the chocolate bar, its sharp edges digging into his palm. He wanted to throw it away, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. The blood on it smelled sweet and enticing, and he felt weak from hunger.
The things Ji Yanqing had given him were hidden in his pocket, but he couldn’t eat any of them; they disgusted him. He craved blood.
The cold air lessened the scent of blood in the room, but he could still distinctly smell Lan Zi’s blood, inhaling deeply. His throat involuntarily tightened at the thought.
Realizing what he was doing, Ji An jumped, tears suddenly spilling from his eyes. He quickly wiped them away, pretending to sleep on the blanket, not wanting Ji Le to notice.
How could he want blood? Only zombies craved blood. Was he going to become a zombie?
He imagined himself as a hideous, ragged little zombie, and tears flowed uncontrollably. If he turned into a zombie, Ji Yanqing would definitely kill him.
Ji Yanqing was incredibly powerful against zombies; one swing of his axe could take one down.
The thought of Ji Yanqing beheading him made Ji An shrink back in fear. That would hurt terribly, and he absolutely did not want Ji Yanqing to chop off his head…
“Ugh…” Ji An couldn’t help but let out a small whimper, like a frightened cat.
The sound startled him, and he quickly covered his mouth.
“Brother…” Ji Le, already scared and upset, sensed Ji An was crying in secret. His lips trembled, and tears streamed down his cheeks.
What if Ji Yanqing didn’t come back?
Sighing softly, Xia Shen Shu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them. “He will come back.”
Ji An wiped his tears and looked up, mimicking Ji Yanqing’s usual gesture of patting their heads as he gently touched Ji Le’s. “Don’t cry, don’t cry.”
He made a decision: when he really became a hideous little zombie, he would definitely not bite Ji Yanqing. He would hide and follow Ji Yanqing, protecting him. He would tell the other zombies not to bite Ji Yanqing.
If they didn’t listen, he would fight them.
He was strong; he would definitely win.
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