At noon, when the sun was at its strongest, it was undoubtedly the time when Zombies were at their weakest. If there was one thing Zombies hated, it was the scorching, blazing sun. The sunlight sapped their strength, leaving them sluggish and unwilling to move.
So when noon arrived, the Zombies instinctively retreated into buildings, leaving the streets eerily empty, with only a few stragglers wandering slowly about.
An armored car rumbled forward, arriving at a crossroads. The hatch on top opened, and Wang Ou poked his head out. He first glanced up at the blazing sun overhead, cursed under his breath, then pulled out a pair of binoculars to scan the surroundings.
"How the hell did Wang Han manage to escape? And where could he be hiding now?" Wang Peng's voice crackled through the earpiece.
"How should I know? S City is huge—trying to find them again is like searching for a needle in a haystack! Damn Wang Han, why couldn't he just come back with us quietly? Had to go and run off! Now we're stuck out here in this heat!" Wang Ou grumbled before ducking back inside the vehicle. He grabbed a canteen and gulped down several mouthfuls of water.
"Quit complaining. Don't worry—as long as they're still in S City, we'll catch them sooner or later! Let's find a shady spot to rest for a bit, then keep searching!" Wang Peng ordered the driver to head toward the square, where trees provided some relief from the sun.
However, as they passed through a street, Wang Peng suddenly called for the car to stop. Pointing ahead, he exclaimed, "Look! Are those all Zombie corpses?"
Wang Ou immediately popped back out of the vehicle, raising his binoculars for a closer look. His face lit up with excitement. "You're right! They're all Zombie corpses! Damn, it must be Wang Han and his group! I can't believe our luck—we found them so fast! Let's go check it out!"
Seven or eight team members cautiously disembarked and approached the scene. Wang Ou, eager to take charge, jumped out with his assault rifle and jogged ahead.
"No doubt about it, boss. Judging by the footprints, there were three people. That guy must be the one who was hunting Zombies in the hotel! His aim is insane—every shot was a headshot." Wang Ou carefully examined the area before reporting to Wang Peng.
"Just as we suspected—our target is no pushover," Wang Peng remarked.
"But we're no pushovers either. With our numbers and firepower, why should we be afraid of just three of them? What's our next move?"
Wang Peng pondered for a moment before grinning. "Their Safe Spot must be nearby. Blindly searching isn't the way—it'll just alert them. Not a good idea. Let's pull back for now, then return in secret. We'll find a good vantage point and keep watch. I refuse to believe they can hide forever. The moment they show themselves, they're done for!"
"Now that's a damn good plan. Heh heh heh~~"
Meanwhile, in the underground Safe Spot, Bai Wen sat cross-legged on the floor of his room, watching as the SCV used Crystal energy to manufacture ammunition. This was far more efficient than gathering materials himself. Once he set the desired output, the Energy Crystal could directly convert it into the required items. In no time, the bullets he had expended earlier were fully replenished.
Fortunately, these bullets consumed almost no Crystals, otherwise he would have been heartbroken.
"Were those guns tampered with?" Bai Wen put away the bullets and suddenly asked.
"They've been modified as per your instructions. The firing pins have all been removed. Right now, those guns are just scrap metal—completely useless!"
Bai Wen nodded in satisfaction. How could he possibly hand over so many guns to Wang Han? That would be asking for trouble. So, the moment he left the room, he had sent out the SCV to remove all the firing pins from the firearms inside.
Now that a safe place had been found, with no shortage of food and water, he could focus on sniping Zombies to accumulate Crystals. As for Wang Han and his daughter, as long as they behaved, Bai Wen wouldn't kill them.
Early the next morning, when Wang Han sneaked out of the room hiding a pistol, Bai Wen had already eaten canned food and geared up.
Wang Han was taken aback. "You—you're going out?"
"Yeah. Do you plan to just sit here and wait for the supplies to run out?" Bai Wen retorted.
"Then—then aren't you afraid I'll lock you out? Leave you to fend for yourself?" Wang Han probed cautiously.
Bai Wen chuckled. "You can try!"
Faced with Bai Wen's bright, warm smile, Wang Han couldn't help but gulp. He truly couldn't gauge just how formidable Bai Wen's abilities were. What if he had some backup plan? Then they'd be courting death for no reason.
He quickly forced a foolish grin. "How could I? After all, you saved both our lives. No matter how bad I am, I wouldn't do anything to betray you!"
"Good!" Bai Wen smiled brightly. "I'll be back at 5 p.m. Remember to open the door for me—three long knocks followed by two short ones. Don't get it wrong. If you open the door for someone else, I won't be responsible."
"Don't worry, I won't mess it up!" Wang Han patted his chest in assurance.
Without further delay, Bai Wen winked at Wang Ya, who had just stepped out of her room, and strode toward the passageway. Wang Han motioned for Wang Ya to stay put and hurried after him.
At the Sewer entrance, Bai Wen cautiously lifted the manhole cover to check. The surroundings were eerily quiet—not a single Zombie in sight.
Without hesitation, he pushed the cover aside and jumped out. Wang Han quickly climbed up behind him and locked the manhole cover securely before letting out a long sigh of relief.
"That lunatic. I really should lock him out!" Wang Han cursed under his breath before heading back, securing several iron gates along the way.
When he returned to the circular hall, Wang Ya was standing there expectantly, her eyes filled with questions.
Wang Han said, "That madman went out. Said he'd be back by evening. Daughter, what do you think—should we not open the door for him? This place is so secure, he definitely won't be able to get in!"
Wang Ya shook her head firmly, her gaze carrying a warning not to provoke trouble.
Wang Han sighed in resignation. "Don't worry, I was just talking. After all, he did save our lives."
Wang Ya nodded and went to freshen up.
But Wang Han still couldn't let it go. Seeing his daughter leave, he quietly slipped into Bai Wen's room to see if the guy had left anything behind. If not, he'd just not open the door this time—heh!
However, the moment he entered Bai Wen's room, he was completely dumbfounded. There was a note on the table that read: "I knew you'd come. This is your final warning—if you dare pull any more tricks, I won't hesitate to plant a bomb at the door and send both you and your old man straight to hell!"
Wang Han's face instantly darkened. He slammed the table viciously with his palm. That bastard—how did he have him completely figured out? How did he know I'd come to inspect?