Chapter 4 – The Pei Siblings

Gasoline was an indispensable resource in the apocalypse, but before it hit, it wasn’t easy to obtain. Lin Yu also didn’t have enough money, so she planned to wait until order collapsed to collect it.

Fortunately, Qingquan Mountain was in the suburbs, and when the apocalypse came, it happened to avoid rush hour. Only a few scattered cars were stuck on the roadside.

Inside those vehicles, the people had already turned into zombies. Hearing the sound of an engine, they pressed their faces against the windows, throats rasping with guttural “hoho” sounds. But with seatbelts restraining them and doors locked, they couldn’t get out.

As long as they didn’t block her path, Lin Yu ignored them. The most important thing right now was gathering supplies. She could deal with clearing zombies for the system mission later.

The road was smooth all the way until she reached Jialan Gas Station.

Her eyes immediately lit up when she saw a tanker truck parked there.

Several cars were also scattered around the station. Cautious, Lin Yu parked outside, scanned the surroundings, and when she confirmed there were no zombies nearby, she locked her Hummer, grabbed her spiked club, and got out.

The gas station was eerily quiet. The car doors of the vehicles inside hung open, their occupants nowhere in sight. Dark, fresh blood pooled on the ground, clearly marking a tragedy that had occurred not long ago.

Her eyes narrowed. Alert for zombies that could rush out at any time, she moved toward the tanker.

Two tankers sat parked at the station. Lin Yu stored one into her warehouse, leaving the other untouched.

She decided to leave someone else a way out.

With the tanker gone, the view of the convenience store was revealed. At the entrance, seven zombies crouched, feeding. Two still wore gas station uniforms.

Once the tanker no longer blocked her scent, her presence quickly drew their attention.

The feasting zombies jerked their heads up, their gray-green faces smeared with blood. Their gaping mouths nearly split to their ears, sharp teeth still dangling with half-eaten intestines. Viscous fluids and blood dripped from them, releasing a nauseating stench.

If this had been her first time, Lin Yu might have vomited her guts out. But she had lived through this before.

The zombies’ clothes were plastered with gore and shredded flesh, only their shoulders showing traces of the original color. Abandoning their meal, they rose slowly, throats issuing phlegmy growls. Their lifeless gray eyes fixed on Lin Yu as they staggered forward, bloodstained hands reaching, hoarse voices rasping “hoho” in excitement.

Lin Yu narrowed her eyes, shifted her stance, and swung her spiked club at the nearest one’s head.

With a sickening crack, the skull caved in, brain matter and rotting blood spraying in every direction as the zombie collapsed instantly.

The one behind was splattered with gore, its twisted veins bulging grotesquely across its face, making it even more terrifying.

Lin Yu didn’t let a single drop touch her. Her club rose and fell again, striking down the rest in quick succession.

On the floor, the corpse they had been eating twitched. Just as Lin Yu raised her weapon to finish it, her brows furrowed. She gripped the club tighter and stared at the convenience store entrance with caution.

“Who’s there? Come out!”

She saw no one with her eyes. But she had sensed a fluctuation of power—an awakened ability. Without that, she wouldn’t have shouted.

At her voice, the person hiding at the entrance froze, suppressing their urge to vomit, barely daring to breathe.

Lin Yu advanced steadily, club ready.

As she neared, a figure flickered into sight. A panicked face appeared, accompanied by an unconscious man.

An invisibility ability-user?

Not zombies. Lin Yu ignored them and pressed forward.

Pei Linlang’s heart nearly stopped from fear, but she still stepped in front of her brother, Pei Yan.

Lin Yu brushed past them and struck down the twitching corpse with one clean blow.

Only when Lin Yu didn’t attack her did Pei Linlang let out a shaky breath. Her voice trembled as she asked, “Big sister, do you know what’s happening to those people?”

Lin Yu glanced at her. A beautiful girl of about thirteen or fourteen, still childish in her looks.

The unconscious man’s arm bore a wound, crudely bandaged to stop the bleeding. It was obvious he had been bitten. His head rested on the girl’s shoulder, exposing only half of his defined profile. His features resembled hers—they were likely siblings.

For some reason, Lin Yu felt a flicker of familiarity with his face. But when she tried to recall, she realized she had no memory of either of them. She dismissed the thought.

Pei Linlang’s young face was full of panic, but her eyes held a surprising firmness beyond her age.

Lin Yu’s steps paused. She admired the girl’s courage—dragging her brother to escape zombies at that age was no small feat. Seeing the blood on the man’s arm, Lin Yu kindly reminded her:

“Once they’re bitten, they become zombies. They can no longer be considered human. You’d better tie your brother up.”

Pei Linlang’s heart lurched. She looked at her flushed brother. Would he become one of those mindless monsters?

“Big sister, do you have a way to save him? I have money, I can—”

Her mindset was still clinging to the old world, where money meant everything. But in the apocalypse, money was worthless. Even if she offered riches, Lin Yu couldn’t reverse a zombie bite.

Lin Yu shook her head. “That depends on his willpower. But you can try cooling him down with water.”

She paused. “If you’re lucky, he might awaken an ability like you.”

With that, Lin Yu turned and entered the convenience store to collect supplies.

“An ability?”

Pei Linlang was stunned. But she didn’t have time to ask questions. Her priority was securing her brother.

Taking a deep breath, forcing herself calm, she grabbed a rope from a car trunk and tied Pei Yan tightly from head to toe. Then she carried a large bottle of water from the convenience store and poured it over him to cool him down, as Lin Yu had advised.

Meanwhile, Lin Yu gathered snacks she liked, filled her backpack with water and bread, then stopped collecting.

She had only taken about a third of the supplies, deliberately leaving the rest for others.

Pei Linlang, after tending to her brother, also began gathering supplies. Sensibly, she didn’t ask about the missing tanker or why a third of the store’s goods had vanished into thin air.

When Lin Yu’s backpack was full, she slung it on and headed for the exit.

Just then, Pei Linlang called out to her.