“I don’t want to be torn apart,” Si Nan swallowed nervously.

“This isn’t about whether you want it or not…” Yu Sen patted his shoulder.

“Yu Ge, if I’m caught by zombies, for the sake of our years of friendship, just shoot me to make it quick.”

“You’re thinking too much, baby,” Yu Sen smiled, “We don’t have any guns. I can only burn some paper money for you afterward.”

“……”

“Don’t be too pessimistic,” Si Xuanyang said, “The zombies here aren’t very strong. As long as we don’t get surrounded by a large number, we can get through.”

“But the problem is this bare few hundred meters; once we go out, we become living targets. Also, who can be sure that zombies in the first ring don’t run faster than those in the fifth ring?”

“Tsk, you’re being regionally prejudiced. Your awareness is lacking,” Yu Sen glanced around outside, squinting and thinking, “Do you think… there might be other people observing the situation from the shadows?”

“You mean other players? They definitely will be. There aren’t many edible things in the city, and the water isn’t clean. If they don’t complete the mission, they’ll just slowly wait to die. Anyone with a bit of sense will take a chance,” Si Xuanyang said.

“Then we might as well wait and see,” Yu Sen suggested.

“Wait? Wait for others to set an example?” Without wanting to be the first one, Si Nan immediately looked disheartened, “Great idea!”

Si Xuanyang, however, seemed hesitant: “This… might not be good?”

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Yu Sen glanced at him, “I think ninety percent of those hiding in the dark are thinking this way. There’s no need to be a hero or feel guilty. It’s not about harming others; everyone is just trying to survive. Someone will eventually come out first, and it’ll be easier then.”

Si Xuanyang fell silent, seemingly trying to digest the words Yu Sen had just said, and after a while asked, “What if no one comes out?”

“Impossible, there will definitely be someone who can’t hold back,” Yu Sen now appeared calm and composed, “Moreover… there will definitely be those who have been lightly injured by zombies but haven’t turned yet. They can’t wait.”

Si Xuanyang remained silent; it was indeed very likely.

As Yu Sen had predicted, the waiting time didn’t even last half an hour before there was commotion outside.

And it was a huge commotion.

A loud ‘crackling’ explosion shattered the false noon tranquility. Nearby shops suddenly erupted with a loud bang amid flames, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Shit! An explosion? So big?” Si Nan stared in shock.

But the noise didn’t stop; instead, it continued, with shards of glass from the shop scattered everywhere, air mixing with smoke, and thick dust rising around.

“Why is there still bling-bling from inside the building?” Yu Sen looked again. “Was it fireworks all along?”

“Not just that, but also firecrackers,” Si Xuanyang said. “And they’re all large-scale, setting the whole room on fire.”

“There can’t be a firework store in the city center,” Yu Sen murmured, “Which genius snuck into a firework factory and brought them out? A real talent!”

With this undeniable commotion, almost all the zombies on the plaza avenue focused in that direction, as if hungry hellish spirits finally heard some human noise and began moving towards it.

The path from the B exit of the subway station where Yu Sen and the brothers were to the Eternal Life Technology Company was completely cleared!

“Damn! Luck is really on our side, nothing can stop it now.” Si Nan grinned widely, his steel bar spinning flexibly in his hand.

“Get ready! Run straight there when the time comes, and don’t scatter!” Si Xuanyang said, glancing worriedly at Yu Sen, “You’re okay, right?”

Hehe, being treated as weak again! Yu Sen touched his inner palate with his tongue and leaned close to Si Xuanyang’s ear, whispering, “What could be wrong? Little brother, do you have a prejudice against gays?”

Si Xuanyang shot him a look, glancing sneakily at the excited Si Nan who hadn’t noticed them, and said fiercely in a low voice, “I don’t have a prejudice against gays; I just have a prejudice against you!”

Yu Sen: “Shocked! You’re too much! Even if there is prejudice, must you state it so directly?”

Si Xuanyang’s expression instantly deflated: “…”

His expression changing conveyed a message to Yu Sen: Upon careful thought, it’s quite excessive; after all, he’s my in-law, not like a biological brother who can handle it.

Noticing the guilt in the person in front of him, Yu Sen struggled to suppress his laughter and turned away, secretly complaining: This guy is too soft-hearted. It would be a waste of such rare luck not to tease him a few more times.

But fun aside, the important thing was the task.

Keeping an eye on the situation on the street, when the number of zombies on the main avenue decreased to a certain extent, Yu Sen called out, “Go!”

The three of them charged out like arrows off target.

Meanwhile, Yu Sen also saw a man and a woman rushing from the east, as well as a pale-faced man running not far behind them, carrying two plastic buckets.

Yu Sen’s heart skipped a beat. He shot an arrow that pierced a zombie’s head five meters away and then looked back at the man, realizing his complexion was indeed off.

It seemed that he was already infected with the zombie virus. If the task wasn’t completed soon, his life might be in danger.

The sound of the firecrackers in the shop stopped shortly and among the zombies attracted over, some had already locked onto the living players. They emitted a continuous ‘gurgling’ sound from their throats, quickly turning everyone rushing to Eternal Life Technology Company into the zombies’ targets.

“Damn it! How come these zombies have such good eyesight? Aren’t there any near-sighted zombies? There are too many, too many to fight… My hairs are standing on end!” Si Nan shouted loudly.

“Run if you can’t fight! Who told you to confront them head-on?” Yu Sen exhaled, calculating the distance. Although the firecracker noise had drawn them a bit of a distance, given the zombies’ speed, they would be caught before they could enter the building.

He added, “…Although facing them head-on is unavoidable.”

“Fuck—!”

Having prepared for a fight, he wasn’t so scared when it actually came to action.

Fortunately, all three of them were quick on their feet. When the zombies surrounded them, they were only a few steps away from Eternal Life Technology Company. Yu Sen noticed that Si Xuanyang was bloodshot, his sharp side profile showing a fierce determination like a wolf cub, radiating a reckless ferocity. He was a completely different person from the soft-hearted and gloomy one earlier, and with a swing of his axe, three or four zombie heads fell to the ground.

Even with a bit of black grime, his chin still looked somewhat sexy.

It was a strange feeling. Yu Sen pursed his lips and followed closely behind, shooting arrows through the zombies’ brains. After half a minute, his arm holding the crossbow bolts began to feel numb.

As they were almost at the company building, suddenly, a frantic figure ran past Yu Sen. It was the man infected by the zombie virus, who, disregarding protection, charged into the building like a bull and collided with a zombie covered in rotting flesh, which then slammed into Yu Sen.

It seemed to be on his body, but in reality, it had just hooked the crossbow bolt on his arm. Yu Sen tugged forcefully, but it didn’t come off.

“Fuck!”

Being too close, the stench of decay and blood from the zombie invaded his nose, making Yu Sen’s expression twist. Holding his breath, the zombie’s black-red hand was already reaching for him.

Yu Sen’s pupils contracted. Shit! In just one day, he had felt so many palpitations. He was starting to wonder if he had a heart condition.

Just as he was preparing to get a bit hurt and directly snap this guy’s neck, a bony hand suddenly reached out from the side, quickly grabbing the hand bone that was about to reach his face. With a forceful twist, a crackling sound was heard, and at the same time, the zombie’s head was instantly severed from its body by a red axe.

Once again, it was Si Xuanyang who saved him.

In just a second, Yu Sen’s sharp eyes noticed that the zombie’s sharp claws had left a red scratch on the back of Si Xuanyang’s hand.

“Si Xuanyang!” Yu Sen’s temples throbbed.

“Stop shouting! Hurry inside!” Si Xuanyang, as if he hadn’t seen the injury, pushed him away and, with one hand holding Si Nan, the three of them rushed into the Eternal Life Technology Company’s main entrance.

Yu Sen hadn’t even thought about how to block the crazy zombies when he saw the man who had entered before them forcefully throw the two plastic buckets he had been carrying against the side of the door.

The pale yellow liquid in the buckets gurgled out, emitting a familiar smell.

“It’s gasoline!” Si Nan yelled.

The man’s neck was bulging with purple veins, his face showing a manic grin, and he kept muttering something. He pulled out a lighter, ignited it, and shakily tossed it into the large pool of gasoline at the entrance.

The flames swirled up like a gust of wind.

The entrance quickly turned into a sea of fire. The zombies, oblivious to the danger, only knew there were people inside. They kept walking in and getting burnt, the strange smell and thick smoke soon making it hard for anyone to breathe.

At this moment, besides them and the man, only another man and woman rushed in when the fire had just started. The man seemed to be burned in several places and was holding the woman while howling in pain.

Si Xuanyang’s brows furrowed deeply: “How are the others supposed to get in now?”

“Don’t worry about the others. Look at him; does he look like he has the energy to care about anyone else?” Si Nan nodded toward the man by the elevator, indicating for him to look.

That man was struggling to move to the elevator, visibly trembling all over. His exposed skin was a terrifying purple-black, his hands spasming, and pressing the elevator button was extremely difficult. It was uncertain whether he could hold on until he drank the serum.