Yan Quan and his crew were silently crouching inside the building entrance. Seeing us come downstairs, they immediately gestured for us to be quiet.
"What's the situation?" We held our breath and whispered as we approached Yan Quan.
"Sis Duo, we're trapped," Yan Quan said frustratedly, his face dark and eyes bloodshot—clearly he hadn't slept all night.
"When did they arrive? How many?" Jianan asked calmly.
"After 3 a.m. We were patrolling the courtyard when we heard noises outside. But the zombies don't seem to know we're inside—they're just wandering around out there without attacking. So we can't let them detect living people inside these walls. At dawn, I checked from the watchtower—there are too many to count. We're definitely not going anywhere," Yan Quan said grimly. The usually boastful uncle wasn't smiling now.
Jianan and I felt our hearts sink.
Zombie siege! We'd walked into another trap! Who was doing this? What kind of grudge could justify such cruelty?
I tugged at Jianan, and we crept toward the watchtower beside the main iron gate.
Up in the tower, Lao Wu and Meng Yidong were monitoring the situation outside. They signaled us to stay low. The tower had a circular space with lower walls and upper glass windows.
We carefully peeked over the windowsill—dawn had broken, revealing the world beyond the walls!
"Is this... the entire city's zombie population?" I murmured.
There were too many! Dense hordes filled every corner of the streets, completely surrounding Anji Prison.
My legs went weak—what could we do? Even if we all grew eight arms each, we couldn't kill them all!
"Our advantage is that the zombies outside don't know there are living people inside these walls. We're safe for now," Jianan reassured me, seeing my despair.
"But we can't hide forever! Once everyone wakes up, even if the adults stay quiet, the children might not! If any child cries, we'll be completely exposed!" I was burning with anxiety.
"Even if they attack, these thick walls can't be toppled by numbers alone. The only weak point is the main iron gate—it's locked, but might not withstand hundreds of zombies pushing against it. We need to reinforce it!" Jianan immediately analyzed the situation.
"The best move is to drive the large truck against the gate from inside. But starting the engine would alert the zombies. How can we block the gate without drawing attention?" I thought it better not to provoke them—ideally they'd get bored and leave.
The thought of tens of thousands of zombies chanting and trying to break in to eat us for lunch made my skin crawl.
A single zombie posed no threat—like a lone ant you could crush underfoot. But a billion-strong ant colony? Even the fiercest lion would be devoured alive. No matter how strong our team was, facing streets packed with zombies made our knees tremble and our courage fade.
"Sis Duo, you haven't seen the prison's backyard. There are bricks and cement there—probably for new construction. Why don't we build a thick wall inside the main gate?" Lao Wu suggested.
Having just arrived yesterday, Jianan and I hadn't fully explored the prison with Yan Quan's group, so we didn't know about these materials. The idea sounded brilliant.
Action now! Once everyone woke up, the noise would risk exposure!
Lao Wu and Meng Yidong continued monitoring from the watchtower while Jianan and I hurried back inside.
We gathered all the men, explained the situation, and divided into teams—some moving bricks, some hauling cement—all in complete silence.
The backyard had plenty of bricks and cement, seemingly for construction. We only needed a small portion. The men first dug a foundation pit inside the gate—Jianan explained this was for stability, as walls built directly on ground wouldn't hold.
For now, we couldn't worry about trapping ourselves inside—sealing the threat came first.
Though bricklaying wasn't silent, the external zombies' own noise—their chaotic movements and dragging footsteps—covered the sound. Miraculously, we built the wall undetected!
"Fresh walls need time to dry completely. We'll have to hold out at least today!" Xiao Chao wiped sweat from his forehead.
I was impressed again—young but skilled with bulldozers, foundations, and bricklaying. "Xiao Chao, did you work construction before?"
Yan Quan chuckled nearby, "Don't underestimate him—he was an army signal corps soldier, specialized in radio tech. Not a laborer."
Even more surprised, I asked, "How does a technical soldier know masonry?"
Xiao Chao scratched his head shyly, "After discharge, I was assigned to the city's Second Construction Company. Did whatever they assigned—operating bulldozers was just one part."
So that was it! Every skill had its purpose—you never knew when it might save your life.
By the time we finished, the elders and children upstairs had woken. But following instructions, everyone stayed quiet—even the children understood not to make noise.
I had the women prepare breakfast: special meals for the kids, instant noodles for adults. The noodles were tasty, long-lasting, and we had plenty.
With temporary security, we ate while discussing solutions.
"We'll maintain status quo for now, observe whether the zombies disperse in two days. If they're still here after a week, we break out," A-Ze suggested.
"Food supplies can last a month, but we need escape and defense plans. If they discover us, they'll attack furiously," Jianan said.
"Right, breaking out is key. Waiting for them to leave is hopeless—their disappearance and reappearance are clearly orchestrated. If the enemy wants us dead, they won't call off the siege," I agreed we should take initiative.
But how to break out? No one had a clue.
This horde dwarfed any we'd faced before—unity and courage alone wouldn't suffice.
Trapped, we could only suppress anxiety, control noise, and avoid detection.
After fruitless discussion—and with Yan Quan's sleep-deprived group suffering headaches—I sent them to rest in the cells.
Well-rested and energetic, I couldn't sit still. Pulling Jianan along, I explored the prison's backyard.
To my surprise, Anji Prison was enormous! The front courtyard only showed a few buildings, separated from the backyard by concrete walls with two iron-gated passages. Beyond them, the backyard was far larger!
Seven or eight low buildings stood there—hidden from the front courtyard and invisible from outside the high walls. The three-meter walls encased the prison tightly.
"So many cells! How many prisoners were held here?" I marveled.
"Not all are cells. I heard prisoners did daily labor—handicrafts etc. These might be workshops," Jianan said. Though he'd never been inside, he couldn't verify the rumors.
The backyard walls were equally sturdy—no worry about zombies breaking through!
We checked several buildings—all were production workshops, cluttered with half-finished umbrellas, buttons, and thermal underwear.
"Prisoners made many daily goods. Even disposable chopsticks, I heard," Jianan told me.
Disposable chopsticks? No sterilizers here—finished products went straight to restaurants? How hygienic? Home-cooked meals were truly safest!
"This bright building might be the guards' office. Let's check," Jianan pointed.
The unlocked door opened to silence. The rooms inside were clearly offices.
We searched room to room. The last one had a reinforced防盗门 (anti-theft door)—locked!
A finance office? Who cared—we'd already broken into a prison! Jianan pulled out his master key and picked the lock easily—nothing special about it!
The door opened to a downward staircase leading into darkness!
The building had a basement! A chilling wind swept up from below, making my heart cold!
Listening carefully—no dangerous sounds from downstairs. Jianan took out a small flashlight, ready to explore, but I stopped him.
"Bring more people with us! No solo adventures!" I cautioned.
Apocalypse rule #1: Stay united with your companions—that's how survival works!
We gathered A-Ze and others before venturing into the mysterious basement.
Following Jianan, I expected supplies or strange setups—but it was empty.
What was this for? Solitary confinement? Why put it under the office building with plenty of cells available?
A-Ze patted a corner: "This wall is hollow behind here."
The men found a mechanism—a creak echoed as a small door emitting cold air appeared!
A chilling presence rushed out, making everyone jump back, fearing a zombie attack.
（The suspense is building—what secrets does the underground chamber hold? To be continued!）