Chapter 21: Signs of Life
Su Hao glanced at Su Mo, lost in thought. “What are you thinking about?”
She shook her head, then said, “We can’t keep going like this. We need to rest.”
“I’ve thought about that,” Su Hao said, frowning. “But we don’t know the terrain. Setting up camp rashly is risky.” Constant vigilance takes a toll on the body.
Su Mo understood. She sighed, putting down the map. “We’ll just have to play it by ear.”
Dawn broke in the east, but even the sunlight couldn’t dispel the cold, hopeless feeling of the apocalypse.
After leaving the highway, they drove towards the city center, occasionally encountering and easily dispatching a few zombies.
After circling the city twice, they stopped at a concealed spot near a large shopping mall.
The sun blazed overhead, creating intense heat. Peng Yu finished the last of his water, tossed the bottle aside, and kicked several others lying around. He tugged at his collar, grumbling, “What hellish weather.”
Su Mo glanced at him in the rearview mirror, her cheeks flushed. She looked out the window, her gaze fixed on the mall. “It should be cooler inside that building.”
Given its size and design, the building should be spacious. Su Mo asked Peng Yu, “Can you sense how many zombies are inside with your psychic abilities?”
Looking at the five-story mall, Peng Yu closed his eyes, extending his psychic senses. He saw images of the first and second floors—some supplies, a few wandering zombies, and more zombies climbing the stairs. The third floor seemed to have more, and beyond…
He frowned, shook his head, and opened his eyes. “I can only clearly see the first two floors. The third is blurry, and further up, it’s too far to see clearly. But…”
“But what?” Su Mo asked.
Peng Yu hesitated, unsure. “I think I sense…people.”
Su Mo was taken aback. “Living people?”
Peng Yu wasn’t certain. “I’m not sure, but I had a fleeting image of people on the upper floors. Getting closer would confirm it.”
“Risk assessment,” Su Mo said, her eyes fixed on the building.
This was their routine: assessing the risk before acting.
“With our abilities, the first three floors would be easy. But there seem to be many on the fourth, and if there are people on the fifth, rescuing them would be difficult,” Peng Yu said, his face showing his eagerness to check the fourth floor, craving human contact in this desolate world.
“Escape probability?” Su Hao asked. Retreating was crucial.
“Escape is possible,” Peng Yu confidently asserted. They had abilities, weapons, and a vehicle.
“Then it’s not a problem,” Su Mo stated decisively. Noticing their hesitation, she continued, “Your abilities are still developing; you need more practice and combat experience.”
They nodded in agreement.
They gathered their gear, Su Mo distributing weapons. After confirming the surrounding area was safe, they got out of the car and swiftly entered the mall.
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Chapter 22: Clean-Up
On the fifth floor of the shopping mall, a dozen people huddled by a window, watching the three newcomers enter the building below.
“Chen Ge, are they the army sent to rescue us?” a timid girl asked hopefully, addressing a young man.
“They don’t seem like soldiers. And just three people? With so many zombies down there…” a more refined-looking boy replied, leaving the unspoken implication that three people had virtually no chance of rescuing them.
Despair settled over the group.
“Damn the army for being so stingy!” a girl at the edge muttered angrily, stamping her foot.
Others echoed her sentiment, venting their frustrations and hardships.
The room became noisy, even provoking the zombies outside to bang more furiously against the door.
“Shut up!” a harsh voice roared.
Silence fell. Everyone nervously glanced at the speaker, a young man named Lu Chen. Though weary-looking, he possessed striking features and was their most powerful ability user, the one who had led them to safety. He commanded respect.
Aware of the growing commotion from the door, Lu Chen turned, took a few steps forward, noting the door’s instability, a ruthless glint in his eye.
He looked at the group, his face cold, his suppressed anger simmering. He’d hoped they’d be useful, but they were proving to be a liability. “With your noise, you’ll be torn apart by the zombies before the army arrives.”
His words, or his intimidating expression, silenced them.
After a moment, the gentle girl stepped forward. “Chen Ge, they didn’t mean to. Let’s see what those three are doing.”
Her name was Qian Li. Not stunningly beautiful, but her sweet voice and petite frame made her seem endearing and vulnerable.
Lu Chen’s expression softened slightly at her words. The others looked at her with gratitude.
Lu Chen, his eyes filled with admiration, his voice gentle, felt his heart stir. “Alright. Let’s do as you say.”
The first floor was a mess. The building had been ravaged over the past two months. The floor was cracked, equipment was missing, walls had collapsed, and doors were askew. The smell of decay and blood was pervasive.
The trio moved quickly to the second floor, wasting no time.
Su Mo scanned the floor, noting a few slow-moving, disoriented zombies, but very little in the way of supplies. Two months into the apocalypse, any supplies would have been long gone.
As they were surveying the area, zombies, drawn by the scent, began moving toward them. Su Mo gestured. “Separate and move silently. Don’t use your guns unless necessary. Meet back here in ten minutes.”
“Got it,” Su Hao nodded, kicking a zombie before observing his surroundings. “I’ll take the center.”
“I’ll take the left,” Peng Yu immediately added.
Su Mo sighed inwardly. The center connected the floors, the most dangerous area. Peng Yu, with his psychic abilities, had sensed the most zombies were on the left.
Understanding their concerns, Su Mo, confident in their capabilities, nodded, setting a timeframe. “Meet back here in ten minutes.”
With that, they separated, moving towards three different sections of the floor.