CH 10

The level of chaos in the county center far exceeded Hao Jian’s expectations. There was an accident involving ten cars crashing against one another in a place where the gasoline smell was prominent. There was another car sandwiched by trucks in its front and behind. Lian Ru Ning was shocked.

A few traffic policemen on the provincial highway were still guiding traffic flow diligently, but they obviously know that other roads were also so chaotic and they can’t spare any more people to help. They are doing all they can in due diligence to channel the crowds and traffic, but it still wasn’t enough.

The road leading to the city has been blocked by a car accident. Many cars are blocked on the road. There weren’t any more small roads to walk on so people simply abandoned their cars and fled. There were still some who were reluctant to part from their own cars so they shouted to the traffic enforcers, “You guys should call the trailer soon!”

“Car accidents have occurred everywhere and it may take some time for them to finish. . .” The traffic enforcer explained, but even the emergency lane has been blocked and it was very difficult for a trailer to pass through.

“Let’s go.” Hao Jian called.

Lian Ru Ning recovered and followed Hao Jian.

The sun was shining brightly. Lian Ru Ning wore sunscreen, protective clothes, and a hat, while Hao Jian was exposed to the scorching sun and her lips became a little dry. Lian Ru Ning took out the water bottle in her backpack and gave it to Hao Jian, “Take a sip, I don’t know how long we’ll be on the road.”

Now, they needed to know the situation in Southern City first before looking for a car. The best way they can gather information about Southern City is for them to locate a government office. But the county’s government office is packed with panicked crowds.

Hao Jian and Lian Ru Ning went there and when they saw the situation, they promptly left. Just as they left, a scream of horror erupted inside, infected zombies appeared and bit the surrounding crows. When a group of people fled in panic, a stampede occurred, causing numerous deaths and injuries.

“If it’s like this in an 18th-line mountain village, the situation in Southern City might not be any better.” Hao Jian gave Lian Ru Ning her prediction.

“I know.” Lian Ru Ning responded stubbornly, “Even if my family became zombies, I still have to see them.”

Hao Jian didn’t say anything as she took a sip of water. Lian Ru Ning took out the bread they picked up earlier and ate. A piece of bread is naturally not enough to satisfy one’s hunger but it was better than nothing.

When they passed by a car parked on the side of the road, a figure suddenly popped up from the back seat inside, hitting the door and window of the car, banging against it. Lian Ru Ning looked through the car window and found that it was only a seven or eight-year-old child zombie. If it hadn’t been acting too cruel, Lian Ru Ning would have thought it was a normal child who was trapped.

Unknowingly, Lian Ru Ning grabbed Hao Jian’s clothes. Hao Jian looked back at her and asked, “Afraid?”

Lian Ru Ning shook her head and Hao Jian stretched out her hand, “Hold it so you don’t get lost.”

“I’m not a kid.” Lian Ru Ning mumbled.

Suddenly, the car window showed signs of it being rolled down and Lian Ru Ning subconsciously grabbed Hao Jian’s hand and stared at the car window.

Lian Ru Ning’s hands were not as soft as Hao Jian imagined. Because they often exercise and participate in mountain climbing and other ground activities, they had some calluses in their hands. Hao Jian tightened her hold and turned her head to find that the little zombie might have unknowingly pressed the button for the car window. It was lowered enough for the zombie to reach out.

“This car can still run.” Hao Jian commented as she raised her eyebrows.

Lian Ru Ning was became nervous and excited at the same time, “you’re not going to steal the zombie car, are you?”

“This is not called stealing, this is ‘picking up’!” Hao Jian was speechless.

“What are you going to do?” Lian Ru Ning was no longer conflicted between stealing or picking up. If they had a car, they wouldn’t have to hike.

“It might be a bit risky.” Hao Jian explained.

Lian Ru Ning was no longer afraid, “How?”

“You open the door from behind and then I will deal with it.”

The plan was indeed risky. If Hao Jian doesn’t react on time, it will be dangerous. Hao Jian saw Lian Ru Ning’s hesitation and clenched the crowbar tightly. “You only need to make a slight opening so that it can’t completely come out.”

This proposal was acceptable for Lian Ru Ning. She took a deep breath and pulled the car door from behind. Hao Jian was also ready, waiting for Lian Ru Ning to open the car door. . .

‘Creek’ The door moved slightly and the little zombie inside suddenly rammed against it, almost pushing the door wide open. Lian Ru Ning quickly pressed back hard and only half of the little zombie’s body came out, “Ah–“

With a muffled sound, Hao Jian’s crowbar hit its head against the door frame. One hit wasn’t enough to destroy its brain so Hao Jian strenuously struck it again until its brain burst.

When Lian Ru Ning was sure that the little zombie could no longer move, she then let go and let out another turbid breath. Seeing the dried dark blood and brain bits in the car, her stomach felt sick and helped herself against the car door to throw up.

Hao Jian pushed the little zombie out the car and checked the car again and found that there was nothing unusual. She found a spare tire in the trunk while everything else was taken away. She then got in the driver’s seat, “We can still drive to the gas station, let’s go!”

Lian Ru Ning was able to recover and climbed up to the passenger’s seat in front and closed the car door. She clutched the door handle, fearing that there would be more zombies outside that would want to open the door.

Hao Jian started the car while Lian Ru Ning looked at the remnants of the trees on the side of the road and asked, “Aren’t you afraid?”

“. . . I am” Hao Jian replied.

Lian Ru Ning turned her head to look at her, “But you’re too calm.”

Hao Jian smiled, “Because I don’t have anyone who’ll worry about me.”

Lian Ru Ning felt a little sour by Hao Jian’s smile. She seemed to say something that shouldn’t have been said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way.”

When Hao Jian wanted to reply, the system’s voice went off, “A zombie has been killed, experience gained: +5; points gained: +10. Host Hao Jian currently has 23 experience, 39 points. The host has reached the opening level conditions of [20 experience], please choose if host wishes to upgrade.”

“You’re late.”

“The host is currently at level 0, and the conditions for opening level 1 are met, please choose if host wishes to upgrade.”

Hao Jian knew that if she didn’t make a choice, the system’s voice would be ringing endlessly so she chose, “Yes.”

The host agreed to the upgrade. Obtaining information for opening level 1. . .

Successfully obtained!

Update successful!

The host is currently at level 1, the host has gained access to open the mall and is limited to buying 3 foods per day.

Hao Jian felt that the existence of this system is a bit subtle, acting like the “Doomsday Survival System” it proclaims to be, which undoubtedly provides the host with things to help with their survival. The form of the system was like someone placed a VR glasses on her and she’s upgrading in the game world.

She couldn’t know what the system was all about, and though it was a non-essential method, all she can do is observe the system carefully to see if she could figure out its secrets in the future.

Lian Ru Ning took out her mobile phone and looked at it. There was still no signal. Hao Jian’s thoughts pulled away from thinking about the system and turned on the car radio. After searching for a while, she finally heard a faint voice mixed in the static.

“There’s a signal?!” Lian Ru Ning was very happy and waited for Hao Jian to adjust the frequency and make the audio play clearer.

“Citizens, please go back home and close your doors and windows, and don’t go out easily. . .” There was only a vague sentence in the broadcast and it was repeated.

Lian Ru Ning tried to adjust the frequency again, “There was a serious accident on Shanghang Avenue and the road is currently blocked. Please take a detour. . .”

“A riot broke our in Shanghang County Hospital-| unrest, please don’t go to public places. . .”

“Shishixi Road is currently closed, please take a detour. . .”

As Hao Jian listened to the broadcast, the car turned to the left and drove into a small road. The wheels turned, billowing smoke and dust.

Lian Ru Ning gave up, “They’re all local radio stations.”

“The coverage of FM radio transmitter station is only 50 kilometers.”

“Why can’t cellphones receive the signal?”

“I remember the others said that mobile phones gather digital signals, which is not the same as the the signal for FM radios. Generally, when something particularly serious occurs, phone signals ban be cut off and shielded, and the only way for communication is by using radios.”

After hearing this, Lian Ru Ning pulled out a radio walkie-talkie from her backpack. She looked at the confused Hao Jian and explained, “This is a public radio walkie-talkie distributed by out professor to prevent us from losing contact because of the loss of signal in the field. There was two of them, and because I was in charge of taking care of them, they have always been in my backpack.” As she explained, she pulled out another one.

“Just in case, I’ll give one to you and set it to channel 1.” Lian Ru Ning places one by the steering wheel.

“Are you preparing for when we separate?” Hao Jian asked with a smile.

“We can’t always be together.” Lian Ru Ning said rationally.

Hao Jian smiled and didn’t speak. The car quickly drove from the small road to another provincial road. There were very small cars on this provincial road, and most of them were motorcycles or three-wheeled modified cars. On one side of the road were dilapidated, low-rise houses, while there were fields on the other side.

After a while, a gas station appeared in their field of view. There were no staff at the gas station but a few cars were refueling on their own. Hao Jian slowed down and paid attention to their surroundings, planning to wait for the cars to leave before taking their turn to refuel.

“The situation doesn’t seem right.” Lian Ru Ning noticed someone rushing towards the gas station at a weird speed.

Hao Jian parked the car on the side of the road, using a few trees and bushes to hide the car, “Pay attention to situation behind you.”

The two worked together to monitor the surroundings for any movement. Lian Ru Ning was convinced that it was a zombie who rushed to the gas station because it attached a person riding a motorcycle while it was waiting for a refuel.

When the rest of the people in the gas station noticed this, they drove away. Their swarming actions caused another big accident. A car crashed with the one in front of it, causing the car ahead to crash against a pillar.

“Ah–” Screams and panic voices was heard one after another, and the gas station fell into chaos.

Seeing that there weren’t that many cars left at the gas station, Hao Jian suddenly said, “Grab tight.”

Lian Ru Ning subconsciously grabbed the handrail on the door as Hao Jian drove the car and slammed it into the zombie who had attacked someone.

With a ‘bang’, the zombie rolled directly from the front of the car to the back. It just got up again without feeling the pain, Hao Jian reversed and trapped the zombie between the car and the tanker. She then grabbed a crowbar, got out of the car and attacked the zombie on its head again and again.

Lian Ru Ning was still stabilizing her body from the impact since she didn’t wear any seat belt. The impact caused by Hao Jian’s driving almost had her hit her head while inside. She looked back to check and saw the zombie on the back of the car, and another zombie with its neck half missing and a blood-stained body.

“Behind!” Lian Ru Ning exclaimed.

When the zombie rushed towards Hao Jian, she heard Lian Ru Ning’s reminder. Locating the zombie through the car window, she turned around with a wave.

The crowbar fell on the zombie, but it only knocked the zombie back a little bit. When it recovered, it grabbed the crowbar more fiercely. Hao Jian backed up abruptly, her back hitting the back of the car. She kicked the zombie away in a hurry, but it took the opportunity to grab hold of Hao Jian’s trousers.