Jianan and I quickly got out of the vehicle and went to meet them. Lao Wu jumped out of his car and said in a strange tone, "It's really spooky!"
"What?" We were stunned, not understanding.
"Such a big city, but there's not a single zombie! Of course, the city is huge, and we couldn't cover it all, but we explored the main streets from the entrance to the exit. Whether it was main roads or small alleys, we didn't come across a single zombie!" Lao Wu said. Hearing this, we all felt a chill—this was far from normal!
Needless to say, someone must have tampered with things again! We had no idea where the zombie horde had been taken, waiting to deal us a fatal blow!
Sixth Brother had stayed in his vehicle without leaving. We knew he was watching over Paolo, so for now, he had temporarily withdrawn from decision-making. Matters were to be decided by the rest of us.
Should we enter Anji City or not? None of us dared make a rash decision. It was clearly a trap—a big one!
But if we didn't enter the city, we would never reach our destination: Peach Spring Farm! With such a large convoy, there was no way to detour through the wilderness—there were simply no passable roads!
After thinking for a while, Jianan made the decision for everyone: "We enter the city! There's a road on the main street that turns right. Follow it straight, and you'll reach Anji Prison. That place is as solid as a fortress, heavily guarded. We'll spend the night there. No matter how many zombies come, they won't get in! If we can hold out until morning, we can withdraw from Anji."
The prison! I remembered The Walking Dead. At the start of the third season, didn't the survivors take refuge in a prison surrounded by wire fences? Whether domestic or international, prisons were truly the safest places—those inside couldn't get out, and those outside couldn't get in!
"Anji Prison is even safer than foreign prisons. It's not surrounded by wire fences but by thick concrete walls, three meters high. Zombies can knock down fences, but they can't budge concrete walls!" Jianan added.
"What are we waiting for? While the enemy is singing an empty city ruse, let's quickly seize the advantageous terrain!" Yan Quan volunteered to join the decision-making group. We didn't exclude any newcomers, as long as they were brave and resourceful!
So, the large convoy cautiously entered Anji City, led by the bulldozer.
Right after entering the city, we found a gas station. To our relief, it had diesel fuel! Xiao Chao filled the bulldozer to the brim.
There was also gasoline. Everyone quickly refueled their vehicles. Gas stations with remaining fuel were scarce nowadays. This one, located near Anji City, was relatively large and still had reserves, likely because few survivors had dared to stop and refuel.
Anji City—a small city with no signs of human activity, only lifeless buildings. Looking at the haphazardly parked vehicles and littered streets, this small city had become a dead place!
Xiao Chao operated the bulldozer, pushing abandoned cars aside to clear a barely passable road. While Lao Wu's off-road vehicle could weave through gaps or even drive on sidewalks, our convoy's buses and large trucks couldn't. Fortunately, we had the bulldozer to lead the way.
Compared to the wilderness, being in this city, which should have been bustling with people and traffic, felt even lonelier!
The emptier it was, the more tense we became. Who could guarantee that zombie hordes wouldn't suddenly pour out from every street?
We were in the open, while the enemy lurked in the shadows. We knew nothing about their motives, leaving us highly vulnerable.
My heart was in my throat. Along the way, constant casualties and losses had gradually weakened our strength, and our mental defenses were at their limit.
"Turn right ahead," Jianan announced over the walkie-talkie. Were we nearing Anji Prison?
The convoy entered a secondary street, drove for 20 minutes, and then turned onto an even narrower road.
A massive black iron gate appeared ahead, flanked by gray concrete walls—so high! Indeed, three meters tall, topped with half a meter of electrified wire mesh. However, with the city's power out, the wire mesh was merely decorative. Beside the large iron gate, a tall cylindrical watchtower rose from within the walls, its half-meter-tall glass windows offering a clear view of the outside.
"We're here," Jianan said.
"Anji Prison is so imposing!" I'd never seen a prison before—this was a first.
"Anji Prison only holds felons sentenced to over 15 years. It's maximum security, of course. Come on, let's get out." Jianan picked up his weapon and jumped out of the vehicle.
As I was about to follow, Hua Kai grabbed me. "Sis Duo, let me come with you."
"No, stay put in the vehicle! Wait for us to return," I firmly refused.
Hua Kai pouted but didn't argue. Still, I could tell this girl had self-defense skills—she was far from the delicate type.
The prison's large iron gate was slightly ajar, unlocked. We carefully pushed it open. The courtyard was enormous! For now, there were no signs of zombies.
But were the prison cells as clean as the courtyard?
After scouting the prison, we confirmed it was as empty as Anji City!
All the vehicles filed into the famous prison, and we securely locked the iron gate. Now, we were the masters of Anji Prison!
We inspected all the cells. Beds and bedding were fully equipped, though some were filthy and stained with black blood. We had to roll up the contaminated bedding and discard it outside against the wall. Then, we found cleaner bedding from other cells to make up the beds, grouping the elderly, women, and children together.
The prison had a large cafeteria, and the kitchen still had large gas canisters. Like other abandoned kitchens, these canisters still had unused natural gas. readymade large pots and woks were dirty but usable after our people carefully scrubbed them clean. We planned to cook a hot meal for everyone that evening.
Safety was still the top priority! The hidden enemy was like a lurking beast, ready to devour us at any moment, making it impossible to fully relax and enjoy this temporary peace.
Sixth Brother settled Paolo in a small cell in another cellblock. After locking the door, he refused to leave Paolo alone and stayed in the adjacent cell.
Shuai Shuai, Second Brother, and Xi Yan had become the best of friends, inseparable every day. I was glad to see Xi Yan and Second Brother growing close.
Xi Yan had even learned archery from Second Brother, who made her a simple bow. Whenever they had time, they practiced archery and fletched arrows. Xi Yan's aim was improving—a truly talented girl!
Dinner was ready! Everyone sat in the cafeteria. How rare it was to sit comfortably at a table for a meal! For a while, everyone forgot the horrors outside, fully savoring this moment of peace.
Children were the quickest to forget misfortune. After eating their fill, they played and ran around happily. The adults watched these little beacons of hope, genuine smiles gracing their lips.
If only time could stand still at this moment—how wonderful that would be!
After dinner, everyone voluntarily returned to their assigned cells to rest.
Yan Quan led a few brothers on another patrol around the prison's large courtyard.
Night fell, and silence enveloped the inside and outside of the walls.
The living conditions in the cells were somewhat different from what I'd seen in foreign films. Whether in Prison Breakor The Walking Dead, I remembered the cells being double-occupancy and very small. But Anji Prison's cells were much larger, housing six people each with bunk beds. There were simple toilets against the inner wall. Since no one had used them for at least half a year, there was no dreaded stench. Overall, the conditions in domestic prisons were quite decent.
My mom carefully laid the bed sheets we'd brought from home over the original bedding before letting Shuai Shuai sleep on them. Dad slept on the lower bunk below Mom and Shuai Shuai. Xi Yan rested on the upper bunk opposite. Second Brother, who hadn't slept well for days, was already sound asleep on the lower bunk below Xi Yan. The remaining upper and lower bunks were reserved for my husband Jianan and me.
Although I went to bed early, I couldn't sleep. The eerie emptiness of the city and the prison, while convenient for us, also filled me with extreme unease. I kept thinking, Let dawn come quickly so we can hit the road. I glanced at my soundly sleeping son. Mom will protect you and ensure you survive—no matter what!
At some point, I fell into a deep sleep—and surprisingly slept quite well!
The night passed peacefully…
Dawn gradually broke… I woke slowly from my dreams. That night's sleep was truly refreshing!
Second Brother woke even earlier than me and was now leaning against the bed, staring thoughtfully at the cell door.
I looked down at Jianan. His eyes were closed, but he was clearly awake. Hearing movement from the upper bunk, he quietly opened his eyes and looked at me.
Since we were all awake, even though day had just broken, we didn't want to laze in bed. Seeing that Dad, Mom, Shuai Shuai, and Xi Yan were still sleeping soundly, Jianan and I picked up our weapons and quietly left the room.
Second Brother didn't follow. He only knew to focus on guarding Shuai Shuai.
As soon as we reached the first floor, we sensed something wrong! There were sounds outside the prison walls! And it was the sound of zombies! Although they only occasionally let out meaningless growls, we heard them clearly!