After breakfast, it was time to prepare for departure. They packed up the necessary supplies, carrying them in various bags and bundles. Except for Lin Tao, the other three wore expressions of reluctance. No matter how comfortable this supermarket was, they had to leave. Without a proper human society, it would be nearly impossible for just four people and a dog to survive here. The ck of supplies aside, the sheer monotony of life would drive anyone insane.

  "Hmm?"

  As they passed the central escator of the mall, Michael suddenly stopped, furrowing his brow and letting out a soft "Huh?" But the others walking ahead ignored him, treating him like air. Only Boss Hu, picking his nose nonchantly, turned back and said, "What is it now, Dog Lord? Found something new?"

  It wasn't that the others were being rude—it was just that Michael had been insufferable the entire journey. His mouth hadn't stopped yapping, spewing nonsense nonstop. He'd comment on how this or that zombie must have been a beauty in life, or how another might have been a foreigner. He'd even point at random corpses in corners, ciming they were virgins, despite not even being able to tell their gender. Lin Tao, who was used to it, didn't react much, but Boss Hu and the others were driven to the brink of madness by his endless chatter. By now, they had learned to tune him out.

  "There's someone here!" Michael stood still, sniffing the air intently.

  "Someone?" Boss Hu asked, confused.

  "Yeah, living people!" Michael replied, furrowing his brow as if deep in thought.

  "Of course there are living people. There are four right in front of you!" Boss Hu rolled his eyes, exasperated.

  "He means there are other living people," Lin Tao finally turned around and expined to Boss Hu.

  "No way! Then why haven't they shown themselves?" The mention of other survivors startled Boss Hu, and he immediately pulled out his meat cleaver from his belt. In these times, living people could be far more dangerous than zombies, especially those hiding in the shadows. A single sneaky move from them could spell doom for the group.

  "I think they might be trapped on the second floor. Right, Michael?" Lin Tao looked up at the escator leading to the second floor. The escator was covered in dust, and the transparent gss panels were stained with dried, bckened blood.

  "Yeah, I smell human scents coming from upstairs. At least ten people, I'd say," Michael nodded confidently. When it came to serious matters, he never joked around with Lin Tao.

  Lin Tao gnced at the escator beside him. The entrance to the second floor was completely sealed off by a fireproof shutter. Without specialized tools, it would be nearly impossible to open, even with a gun.

  "Let's take the fire escape," Lin Tao thought for a moment and decided. He remembered the fire door they had come through earlier, which should lead to the second floor.

  "Wait, brother, are you serious? You're pnning to go up there?" Boss Hu's eyes widened, and he hurriedly added, "There might be more zombies up there than down here, and we don't even know who those people are. If they're armed, we could be in big trouble!"

  Lin Tao gnced at him, his expression neutral. "You can stay down here if you want, but I need to check out who's up there."

  Without waiting for a response, Lin Tao turned and walked ahead. The two women followed without hesitation, leaving Boss Hu standing there, flustered and shouting, "Wait for me! I didn't say I wasn't coming!"

  The fire escape was pitch bck. The LED exit signs, which were supposed to be powered by batteries, had long since stopped working. A heavy musty smell filled the air, though it oddly helped sharpen their senses.

  Lin Tao turned on his high-powered fshlight, but the once-bright beam was now dim. He frowned, realizing the batteries were nearly dead. They could only recharge it back in the car, so he silently prayed the fshlight wouldn't give out now. Without it, navigating this darkness would be nearly impossible—he didn't have night vision, after all.

  "Huh? This door seems blocked!" Eager to prove his worth and not be left out, Boss Hu rushed ahead with his meat cleaver, trying to open the metal fire door. But no matter how hard he pulled, the door didn't budge. He nearly twisted the handle off, but it was no use.

  "It's not blocked. These doors have a safety mechanism—they can only be opened from the inside. You can't pull them open from the outside," Lin Tao expined, motioning for Boss Hu to step aside. He drew his pistol and fired three shots, blowing the lock apart. Even then, Lin Tao had Boss Hu find a steel rod to pry the door open.

  As soon as the door opened, a wave of foul stench hit them, nearly knocking Boss Hu off his feet. Before he could even compin, several dark figures lunged at them, cws outstretched.

  "Ah! Help!"

  One of the figures tackled Boss Hu to the ground. Feeling the dry, withered skin and the overwhelming stench, Boss Hu knew immediately it was a zombie. His cleaver had fallen out of reach, and the zombie was stronger than him. As its gaping maw inched closer to his throat, Boss Hu let out a blood-curdling scream, sounding like a helpless damsel in distress.

  The zombie's mouth was inches from Boss Hu's neck. He could already imagine his artery being torn open, his flesh being devoured. But at the st moment, someone saved him. The not-so-small zombie was kicked hard, its neck snapping as it was dragged off Boss Hu and sent rolling to the side.

  Boss Hu gasped for air, sweat pouring down his forehead like a waterfall. He looked up, ready to thank Lin Tao for saving him, only to find Cao Mei standing there instead. She looked down at him with disdain and sneered, "A grown man crying? I regret saving you."

  Boss Hu was stunned. He quickly wiped away the liquid at the corner of his eye, unsure if it was sweat or tears. The words of gratitude he had ready were swallowed back down. Instead, he stiffly said, "That was sweat! But don't worry, I'll pay you back for this!"

  "Like I care," Cao Mei scoffed, turning away and joining A Xue's fight. Seven or eight zombies had already been dealt with by Lin Tao and Michael, leaving only one that A Xue was struggling to handle alone. Lin Tao seemed to have made up his mind to stay out of it, simply watching from the sidelines.

  But as soon as Cao Mei joined the fray, the tide turned. The two women had become quite skilled at fighting zombies together. A Xue used a rge pot lid she had taken from a noodle shop as a shield to draw the zombie's attention, while Cao Mei crouched low, waiting for the right moment to strike with her axe. Even if she didn't decapitate the zombie in one blow, she could still cripple it.

  "Yay!"

  The zombie colpsed to the ground, twitching. The two women high-fived, their earlier tension easing. Fighting side by side had bridged some of the distance between them, leaving them with a newfound respect for each other.