Su You agreed with his decision. “The faster we leave, the better.”

After all, since the official army couldn’t control the situation, stricter measures would inevitably be taken sooner or later. If these infected weren’t eliminated, it would only be a matter of time before the infection spread to other cities.

So they had no choice but to stay on guard and prepare to respond.

Just then, new messages came in from the community group chat.

Judging from the reactions in the group, it was the doomsday enthusiast’s neighbor posting. Their houses weren’t far apart, and the other family was digging a basement in their backyard with specialized excavation equipment.

Seeing the survivalist’s messages, the neighbor was filled with jealousy and resentment. He drove his machine close to the survivalist’s underground shelter and even blasted a hole in the thick, reinforced cement wall, forcing his way inside. The two fought violently.

It was the survivalist’s wife who recorded the video and posted it to the group, asking the community to judge fairly. But when people saw the arrogant guy get beaten back and forced to live through hard days like the rest of them, no one spoke up for him. In fact, many secretly enjoyed it.

In the end, Bassen brought people to separate the two. But the fight was fierce, and both men were half-dead, while most of the supplies were taken by Bassen.

One lost both his wife and his soldiers, while the other harmed others without benefiting himself.

When this video was shared, the mood in the group shifted again, and people began to criticize Bassen.

But now that Bassen controlled most of the armed forces, all they could do was condemn him in the chat. After all, they still relied on him for protection and couldn’t actually confront him.

Later, Bassen, having tasted the benefits, simply drove the man out and moved into the doomsday survivalist’s underground shelter himself.

At that point, no one dared to say a word.

That night was destined to be far from peaceful.

The real trouble began in the rooms where the infected and suspected infected were being held.

Most of the guards were neighbors, even the security staff were people they saw daily.

So when a resident begged to be allowed in to bring food and water to a family member, they were let in after just a few warnings.

But not everyone stayed rational.

One father, unable to bear seeing his son tied up like a zongzi, loosened the bindings. Unexpectedly, the previously quiet infected instantly went berserk, lunging forward and biting the woman who had brought the food.

The woman let out a piercing, painful scream.

The guards outside heard the commotion and rushed in, but in just moments the woman had already transformed, pouncing on a guard and tearing into his neck, ripping out a bloody chunk of flesh.

The man gasped heavily, staring in horror at the woman chewing his flesh. Before his teammates could react, another zombie tackled him, and soon there was silence.

Chaos. Everything had fallen into chaos.

The root of this outbreak lay in the patrolmen. While on watch outside, they were attacked by the escaped zombies and quickly turned into another wave of infected.

Some tried to shoot them, and soon gunfire echoed through the night, unnervingly sharp after the rain.

But these creatures could only be killed with a headshot. Bullets to arms or legs merely slowed them down, so the defenders had to shoot while retreating, fleeing into houses, hoping the buildings would block the monsters’ relentless assault.

Yet not everyone could tell the difference between infected and uninfected. Some didn’t even notice whether they’d been scratched or bitten, clinging to the hope they were fine and entering villas with the others.

Soon enough, such people transformed into the next wave of zombies. And once there was even one, the entire house would turn into a hellish slaughterhouse with no survivors.

The moment Su You heard the gunshots and chaotic noise outside, she sat up immediately.

She hadn’t truly slept anyway—on such a night, everyone was restless, waking at the slightest disturbance.

She quickly pulled up nearby surveillance feeds and confirmed the problem: the villa compound was on the verge of falling.

Without delay, Su You woke Amber and took him to find Elder Li.

Li Xiannian was also awake. Hearing the noise, he quickly realized something had gone wrong. His villa was located on a remote corner of the island, safe for the moment, but if the number of infected grew, nowhere would remain secure.

He immediately gathered everyone in the villa, and Su You arrived just in time.

There was Serena and her four classmates, the old butler, five household servants, two bodyguards, the gardener, the cook, and even a live-in doctor who regularly checked on Elder Li’s health.

Only then did Su You realize how many people were hiding in this villa.

Well, what could she say? The capitalist lifestyle still managed to shock an ordinary civilian like her.

As everyone gathered, nervous and uneasy, Elder Li gave his final instructions.

“The rain has eased. The helicopters can take off now. Our two rescue choppers should arrive in ten minutes. But as you’ve all heard, things outside are already in chaos, and we don’t know when it will reach us. So we must prepare in advance and ensure that before the helicopters arrive, those creatures don’t breach our villa.”

“So now, I need you to split into pairs and once again make sure all doors and windows are sealed. Check every corner of the house for overlooked entry points. We must prevent zombies—or anyone else—from breaking in.”

After giving these orders, his eyes fell on the butler, who nodded and wheeled in a suitcase full of weapons.

Li Xiannian opened the weapons case and spoke sternly again. “All of you have basic firearms training. Each of you, take a gun and spare ammunition, and patrol as ordered. In ten minutes, we regroup in the courtyard.”

“Understood?” He swept his gaze over everyone with authority.

“Understood.” They all nodded.

After the crowd dispersed, some of Elder Li’s commanding aura faded.

Su You couldn’t help but admire his composure.

She had only gained such calm through years of surviving the apocalypse. But seeing Elder Li now, he truly lived up to his role as patriarch—his presence alone kept everyone in check.

Serena went out on patrol with her classmate Michael, leaving the other three behind.

The two girls sat on the sofa quietly crying, terrified that they might be next.

The two boys didn’t look any better, including Herbert, who had earlier demanded to leave. Now he sat with his head bowed, afraid that Elder Li might abandon them.

The situation was dire. Elder Li had already put on a hat and heavy waterproof coat, ready to depart at a moment’s notice.

Meanwhile, Su You took advantage of the time to leave a spatial coordinate. If she ever needed to collect supplies later, this unguarded place could be useful.

Soon, the sound of helicopters thundered above the island, the deafening roar of the blades filling the night.

Even the zombies were drawn to the noise, shambling toward Elder Li’s villa.