Chapter 6 - The Leader

Facing the large group of zombies blocking the front hall, we dared not proceed recklessly and had to temporarily retreat to the corner. Shen Wei’s reasoning went unheeded, and for a moment the team found itself in a predicament.

After a brief silence, I spoke up, “I’ll go.”

“Tiankuang, let me go with you.”

“No, Ye Xiang, you stay behind just in case.”

“Why? Tiankuang, your body isn’t…”

“Qimeng, don’t worry. I’m fine physically. As for why, because if we keep staying here without advancing, it’ll be very troublesome.”

“Tiankuang, you…”

“Let’s hope Shen Wei’s reasoning is correct.”

“Hurry, Qimeng! Let’s run far away!” But before we could run a few steps, a figure suddenly dashed out from the side and knocked me to the ground! The continuous sound of explosions masked the attacker’s footsteps; otherwise, I would have detected its presence earlier!

Ling Qimeng swung the wooden stick in her hand and struck the shadowy figure’s head hard, but it only made a dull “thud” sound.

“Are you kidding me? A zombie wearing a safety helmet!” I finally got a clear look at the zombie’s face! And it wasn’t just any regular safety helmet that only protects the top of the head-it was one used by off-road motorcycle racers that covers the entire head!

Just as I was about to kick this troublesome zombie away, its helmeted head suddenly loomed large in my view. With a “thud!” my nose made an unfortunately close acquaintance with the helmet. Though it didn’t draw blood, the pain brought tears to my eyes. Luckily, the zombie was wearing a helmet; otherwise, my nose would definitely have become its appetizer! Enraged by its failure to taste human flesh, the zombie let out an angry roar.

As I dodged the zombie’s attempts to ram me, Ling Qimeng quickly grabbed a concrete slab used to cover the drainage ditch from the roadside and smashed it down onto the zombie’s helmet. Although I was taken aback by her strength-considering the slab weighed at least fifteen kilograms-I immediately understood Qimeng’s intention. Holding the zombie’s neck in place, I enabled Qimeng to accurately strike the helmet, and with continuous hits, cracks began to appear in the sturdy helmet.

“Crack!” The helmet finally broke open with a large hole. “Smash!” With another sharp sound, Ling Qimeng pummeled the zombie’s head into a pulp with the slab! Kicking away the lifeless zombie’s body that sagged against me, I sprang to my feet and grabbed Qimeng’s hand to run forward. Behind us came deafening explosions, the heat wave generated nearly roasting us alive!

This place was no longer safe. The massive sound of the explosion would definitely attract swarms of zombies from the surrounding area!

Taking that first step from the corner into the front hall was incredibly difficult, especially with dozens of zombies ahead. If Shen Wei’s reasoning was wrong, not even ten lives would be enough for me to lose in such a scenario.

Even though I had steeled myself for the worst, when it came time to truly step forward, fear still gripped my heart.

“Tap.” I took the first step, but the zombies treated me as if I were invisible. “Tap.” A second step, still nothing happened. This made me secretly breathe a sigh of relief; it seemed Shen Wei’s reasoning was correct.

I tiptoed through the swarm of zombies. “Click.” I gently pushed open the front hall door, still all clear. Now I had to find a way to divert the zombies’ attention, ensuring they didn’t block the group’s path. So, I picked up a severed limb from the ground and tossed it in the opposite direction. “Thud.” It hit a bulletin board with a dull noise, and immediately the dozens of zombies swarmed towards it.

I signaled Ye Xiang, who was peeking from the corner, to move forward. Ye Xiang led the way as the group of about a dozen people quickened their pace, trying to minimize noise. No one wanted to linger in a pile of zombies even for a second longer! Once we were through the front hall door and into the spacious parking lot, we’d have room to maneuver around the zombies, assuring everyone could safely get to the cars.

But some things never go as planned. One tall student at the back tripped over a severed limb and fell headfirst into the pile of bodies. The noise he made attracted the dozens of zombies I had just diverted! Suddenly, the sound of zombies filled the front hall.

“Roar-roar-!”

“Run!”

“Idiot!”

“Why make noise? Just stay silent and deal with any approaching zombies quietly!”

“This is no time for arguing! You could use the time to run instead of talking!”

Seeing the situation couldn’t be concealed any longer, I dodged an attack from a zombie and grabbed Ling Qimeng, who was closest to me, rushing towards the parking lot. The others did similarly, with those who were stronger helping those who were weaker, charging forward with all their might.

“We’re almost there! Keep it up, everyone!”

Despite our efforts, someone still got left behind. A male student wielding a metal bat was bitten on the thigh by a zombie that had been pretending to be a corpse. The zombie tore off a sizable chunk of flesh, causing the student to collapse! The zombies tailing us naturally seized the opportunity to devour fresh meat, swarming him and filling the spacious field with blood-curdling screams.

“Donghang!” cried a girl Shen Wei was holding onto. She was in tears, desperately trying to break free from Shen Wei’s grip, wanting to run back to the bitten student. It was pretty clear he must have been her boyfriend.

“Donghang!”

“Let it go! If he’s bitten, there’s no hope… Hey! Come back!” But the girl paid no heed to Shen Wei’s pleas and wrenched her hand free, running back.

Watching the girl’s silhouette disappear, Shen Wei’s body began to tremble. “Why? Why? We already said there’s no hope once you’re bitten, so why go back?!”

Ye Ling, her head lowered, said, “I can understand how she feels. If the whole world is like this, maybe dying would be easier.”

Shen Wei shouted, “And you call yourself a doctor?!”

“Dangerous!” Liu Yonglin shot a zombie in the head that was attempting to ambush Shen Wei. He said, “Shen Wei, stay calm!”

“Liu Yonglin, you have no right to stop me from speaking!”

After a moment of silence, Liu Yonglin lifted his head with a wry smile, “We can talk as much as you want once we’re someplace safe.”

“Liu Yonglin…” Shen Wei blushed. Meanwhile, Ye Xiang began to whistle, making Shen Wei’s cheeks flush even more.

“Such a close relationship, I’m so envious, Wei Wei.” Xueqi cheerfully pulled a stunned Shen Wei, who was still processing Liu Yonglin’s words, as they continued running towards the bus. Liu Yonglin, seemingly a bit embarrassed, accepted the keys from Ling Qimeng, unlocked the bus, and quickly hopped inside to secure a good vantage point. He then extended a nail gun out the window and said, “I’ll cover from here. Move quickly!”

With Liu Yonglin providing cover from above, we didn’t have to worry about zombies ambushing us from the sides, and we naturally moved faster. When Ye Xiang and I reached the bus doors, we didn’t get on immediately. Instead, we stayed by the doors to help the others and prevent any zombies from sneaking on board.

“Hurry up at the back!”

“Teacher, everyone’s on board! Let’s get moving!”

“Wait!!” “Help us!” “Save us!”

Just as Ye Ling started the bus, cries for help came from behind.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Feng Hai, the class teacher for senior year Class H! And some students from Class H!”

“Feng Hai!”

“Ms. Ye, hold on!”

“The zombies up front are starting to gather! We won’t be able to move soon!”

“Can’t we just run them over?”

“No way! This bus will tip over if it runs over too many!”

“Just wait a moment. I’ll go save them!”

“No, Tiankuang! Don’t go after him!”

“Qimeng, you-”

“Someone like him isn’t worth helping! You’ll regret it if you save him!”

There was an argument brewing inside the bus, while outside…

“Hurry, everyone! We have to get saved!” shouted a young man in his early twenties, sporting black-rimmed glasses, side-swept bangs, and fox-like eyes, smiling as he encouraged the struggling students.

This man was Feng Hai, but secretly he was thinking: It’s easy to say, but getting out might not be possible.

As he contemplated how to stop Zhang Tiankuang’s bus, a student twisted his ankle and fell in front of him, clutching Feng Hai’s pant leg. “Teacher! I hurt my foot, please help me!”

“Oh, I see.” Feng Hai smiled warmly, “Then this is where you’ll stay.” Just as the student expected Feng Hai to lend a helping hand, Feng Hai instead lifted his foot and viciously kicked the student in the face, sending him flying toward the approaching zombies.

“Ah-teacher, don’t leave me! Teacher!” the student screamed.

“Get out of the way, worthless scum! In this ruined world, the weak have no right to survive!” Feng Hai’s face twisted into a devilish grin. This was the last thing the student saw in his life.

“Ms. Ye, they’re all on board now! Drive!”

“I’m on it! Stop rushing me! I haven’t driven in a year!”

“Is Tiankuang the leader here?” Feng Hai asked with that seemingly friendly smile as soon as he climbed onto the bus.

I shook my head and replied, “No, there isn’t anyone like that. We’re just helping each other to escape.”

While we were having this pointless conversation, Ye Ling had already started the bus. Her hands trembled as she repeated to herself, “They’re not human, they’re no longer human!”

The bus quickly picked up speed, bulldozing zombies blocking the road, either sending them flying or crunching them beneath the wheels! Blood and limbs splattered everywhere, leaving two trails painted in red on our path.

“That won’t do,” Feng Hai said, keeping his pleasant smile, his fox-like eyes narrowing to slits. “To survive, a leader is essential-someone with a clear goal who can maintain order.”

“Hold on, everyone! We’re breaking through the school gates!”

“You’ll regret it. You’ll absolutely regret saving this guy.”

At the time, I didn’t understand what Qimeng meant by regretting it, as I didn’t know anything about Feng Hai. I had no idea what awaited us in the crumbling world outside and felt uneasy.

The situation outside was much like inside the school. Cars were crashed together on the road, bodies and blood were everywhere, and limbs were scattered! Countless zombies were feasting on the corpses along the roadside! Some zombies were continuously vomiting, leaving filth everywhere. They saw us and began to close in, shuffling their feet as they approached, emitting ear-piercing screams!

The zombies were closing the circle around us, but they weren’t posing a threat to the fast-moving bus yet. Even though we were inside the bus, the overwhelming stench of blood, the sourness of vomit, and the acrid smell of burning fires attacked my nostrils, causing my stomach to churn violently!

Ye Ling bit her lip hard and mustered all her strength, stepping on the gas, knocking down two zombies in our path, and swerving away from those getting too close, driving forward at high speed.

“Bang!”

Ye Ling once again rammed a small car blocking the road, forcing the bus through a tight gap, causing a violent shake. Although there was no other choice, many people were still upset by it.

“Why do we have to stick with Zhang Tiankuang and his group?!”

“Hey! Haven’t you decided how to get to the Armed Forces Department yet? Moving forward like this is too dangerous!”

“If it’s about safety, isn’t the school building better? Who knows if the Armed Forces Department is even still there?!”

“Moving ahead like this is really too risky! Let’s just find a place to stay put! Tian Chao will send someone to rescue us!”

In this chaotic situation, Feng Hai stayed uncharacteristically silent, hands clasped over his lips, glasses reflecting light and concealing his expression. Meanwhile, Ye Ling, frustrated by the ongoing argument, erupted like a volcano. “Enough! I can’t drive properly with all this arguing!” In her anger, she pulled the bus over onto an empty side road.

“Zhang Tiankuang, what are you staring at?! Want me to hit you?” a rebellious student taunted me.

“What do you want?” Xueqi asked calmly.

“I’m just annoyed! Just can’t stand this guy!” the troublemaker shouted, pointing at me as I wiped the steel spike.

“What’s with the attitude? You think you’re all heroic?” Liu Yonglin, holding a nail gun, was about to stand up for me when Shen Wei stopped him.

“What’s the problem? Did I do something to you before?” I asked, frowning.

“Damn it, I just can’t stand you…” The troublemaker was poised to continue provoking me, but before he could finish, Ling Qimeng swiftly struck him with a stick! Her move was so fast that even I, standing nearby, didn’t catch it. Qimeng’s blow landed squarely on the troublemaker’s side.

“Kidney smash!”

All the other guys on the bus, except for me, secretly felt relieved that they hadn’t been the ones provoking her. Watching the troublemaker writhing on the floor in pain, Ling Qimeng simply muttered “Pathetic” before throwing herself into my arms.

“Qimeng, you-” I was left flustered by her sudden embrace.

At this moment, Feng Hai stood up, clapping his hands. “Tiankuang, this is quite a team, but such actions might stir internal strife. My point about needing a leader is valid. A leader is necessary.”

Shen Wei pushed up her glasses, “But is there only one candidate for the leader position?”

Feng Hai donned his signature smile again. “Shen Wei, I’m a teacher and you’re all students. Isn’t it clear enough who’s qualified?” He gestured grandly, “What do you all think? If there are no objections, please show your approval by clapping!”

Apart from Ye Xiang, Qimeng, Ye Ling, and a few others who joined me from the start, everyone else on the bus applauded for Feng Hai. After receiving the applause, Feng Hai gave a self-satisfied, supposedly charming nod, like a gentleman bowing. “With the majority’s support, I am now the leader. Starting now.”

“Open the door, teacher! I want off this bus! I refuse to stay around this kind of person!” Ling Qimeng’s reaction was surprisingly strong. She flung open the bus door and jumped out!

Feng Hai rubbed his forehead, feigning a troubled expression, and said, “Such a child with no sense of community. But if she wants to go, let her. We don’t need people dragging us down.”

“What the hell did you say?!” I stepped forward and grabbed Feng Hai by the collar. Seeing his infuriating smile, I had the overwhelming urge to bash his head in with the steel spike!

“She’s getting away,” Feng Hai pointed out, nodding toward the window at Ling Qimeng’s retreating figure.

“Let’s hope we never meet again!” I released Feng Hai’s collar, turned, and got off the bus to chase after Ling Qimeng. I caught up and grabbed her arm, saying, “Qimeng, can’t you hold on until we reach the urban area? It’s really dangerous to be walking here!”

“I told you you’d regret it! You just never listen to me!”

“Just be careful!” As I was pleading with Ling Qimeng, a small truck came crashing toward us! I grabbed her and jumped out of the way, avoiding the truck’s impact, and we rolled to the side of the road. The truck continued barreling ahead and smashed into two nearby cars. “Boom!” Immediately, the vehicles caught fire, followed by more powerful explosions, “Boom! Boom!” The blazing flames formed a barrier between us and the bus.

“Tiankuang! Are you guys okay?”

As Ling Qimeng and I got to our feet, we heard Xueqi’s voice shouting through the flames. It looked like Ye Ling and the others had gotten off the bus too.

“We’re okay! Let’s meet at the police station in the Western District!”

“What time?”

“5 PM! If not, then same time tomorrow!”

The flames blazed higher and were spreading fast, threatening more vehicles nearby, signaling that a bigger explosion was about to happen!