Undead

Chapter 17

"Rong-ge," Si Nan called softly.

Four special forces soldiers formed a line, hunched over, and walked quietly along the railway tracks to the platform. Zhou Rong was at the front of the line and responded in a low voice, "What is it?"

"Why is Yan Hao..." Si Nan hesitated, and Zhou Rong tiptoed and peered ahead. A dozen or so severely decomposed zombies roamed the spacious platform. About forty meters away, there was an elevator leading to the upper-level exit, which was no longer in operation.

Zhou Rong quickly calculated the distance and time, adjusted his submachine gun to single-shot mode, aimed while whispering, "You saved everyone, and you also saved Yan Hao's life on the rooftop..."

With a few quiet suppressed shots from his silencer, all the zombies by the elevator were hit and fell to the ground with a dull thud.

"He should be grateful to you." Zhou Rong raised his submachine gun and signaled that it was safe, then leaped onto the platform first.

The group swiftly crossed the platform, stepping over the zombies that had suffered their second death, and ascended the elevator like a gust of wind.

The ticket inspector at the exit had turned into a zombie, facing away from the elevator, making low groaning sounds. The group passed by and took a look outside. Beyond the exit gate was the station hall, packed with over a hundred walking dead, aimlessly wandering in the dim and spacious area.

With low oxygen levels and poor airflow, the zombies hadn't noticed the addition of a few living humans. However, once they were discovered, this place would instantly turn into a hellish battleground with the onslaught of the undead.

"I feel that Yan Hao still has feelings for you, Rong-ge," Si Nan whispered, closely following Zhou Rong. While he talked, he almost bit Zhou Rong's ear, all the while observing their surroundings. "How did you meet each other?"

Zhou Rong was focused on the station hall and didn't notice the unusual tone of the previous sentence. "I was transferred to Unit 118 to replace their deceased captain. I got to know everyone, including Yan Hao. Damn, there are so many zombies here."

"Transferred?" Si Nan asked.

"Yes."

"Where were you originally?"

Zhou Rong felt a warm breath on his ear and his cheek muscles involuntarily tensed. He retorted, "When did you start speaking so much, Xiao Si? We're only twenty minutes away from our destination in the west B district. How are we going to get there?"

"Let's chat," Si Nan said.

"...What's there to talk about?"

"So why are we staying here?" Si Nan asked, "Can't we go from above?"

Everyone raised their heads simultaneously. Overhead, there was a complex network of thick electrical and ventilation ducts, running across the station hall and extending into the distance.

A few minutes later, they were crawling in a cramped space between the cables and ventilation ducts, arranged by body size. The team, from front to back, consisted of Chun Cao, Si Nan, Zhou Rong, and Zhang Yingjie. They inched forward, nestled in the narrow gaps between the pipes, their progress closely monitored by hundreds of unaware zombies beneath them.

"The four of you are incredible," Zhou Rong squeezed through a particularly tight gap, struggling with his words.

Zhang Yingjie gasped for breath and replied, "You've actually gained weight."

"You've lost weight," Zhou Rong said, wincing as he crawled through another tight spot. "Why are there so many zombies here?"

Zhang Yingjie, covered in dust, finally made it through the narrow gap between two cables almost pressed together. "I don't know, but... we need to keep going. Ahead, there is a firefighting passage. I'll jump down and blow open the security door. You guys provide cover fire."