Chapter 32: Arrival, Hostile Crowd

(from ""Restarting the Farm at the End of the World"")

Gu Xu didn’t waste words. He picked up Bian Changxi’s bag from the ground and slung it over his shoulder. With a flick of his hand, he passed her four green cores. “Attribute cores are rare. Our team only managed to get four green ones.”

Bian Changxi’s eyes lit up at the faint green glow. “Four is already a lot.” That meant in just one day, their team had cracked open the skulls of about two hundred zombies.

She accepted them without fuss, pocketing three and holding one in her hand. After fighting a Tier-2 zombie—even though she’d only used her vines twice—her powers were nearly drained. She needed to start recovering on the way to the supermarket, which was why she’d asked Gu Xu to bring the cores.

Gu Xu watched as a soft green light glowed from her fist, and her complexion visibly improved in seconds. He couldn’t help but feel a ripple of emotion.

She was clearly very skilled at this.

“Let’s go,” Gu Xu said, taking the lead. Qiu Yun brought up the rear. Both men held submachine guns, radiating a deadly aura. The two women walked side by side in the middle. Qiu Yun had wanted to carry Lin Rongrong’s bag, but she politely refused—she wasn’t injured and didn’t need special treatment.

“Are there a lot of zombies on the way?” Bian Changxi asked.

“It’s not too bad until we get closer to the supermarket. That’s where they really gather,” Gu Xu replied, scanning the surroundings. “Don’t worry, these things can’t survive a bullet. As long as there aren’t too many, we’ll be fine.”

Having guns really made a difference.

Bian Changxi fell silent, focusing on absorbing the energy from the core and guiding it to heal her body. The pain in her side gradually lessened.

As soon as they left the pedestrian street, zombies came into view—at first just one or two, but their numbers grew as they walked. By the time they turned a few corners and saw the supermarket, there were dozens, maybe hundreds, swarming like flies drawn to blood. The sight was enough to make anyone’s skin crawl; Lin Rongrong turned pale with fear.

Gu Xu and Qiu Yun fired continuously, each shot taking down a zombie. Their guns were fitted with silencers, so there was barely any sound—wherever they aimed, a zombie fell.

“Move, quick!”

The four of them picked up the pace. As they passed a certain spot, Bian Changxi glanced back on purpose. The Sagitar car that Zhang Hu had taken was gone, but the big truck behind it was still there, with two mangled corpses slumped in the seats—presumably Zhang Hu’s henchmen.

Did Zhang Hu manage to escape?

Suddenly, she spotted a zombie in the horde dressed just like Zhang Hu, still clutching a pistol in its hand. Its yellow fangs jutted out, and its rotting mouth gaped as it lunged at them.

Bang. Gu Xu shot it in the head.

Bian Changxi watched coldly. That zombie was definitely Zhang Hu. The second-in-command of the Fierce Tiger Hunting Group, dead on just the fourth day of the apocalypse—it felt almost unreal. But she felt no guilt. If Zhang Hu hadn’t tried to mess with her, she wouldn’t have retaliated. If he ended up as a zombie even with a gun in hand, it just meant he was useless—who else could he blame?

The driver must have managed to escape.

The four of them practically sprinted to the supermarket. A group of zombies was pounding on the doors, but as soon as they caught the scent of the newcomers, they turned and charged, howling. There were so many it made their scalps tingle. Gu Xu and Qiu Yun couldn’t shoot fast enough, so they freed up a hand to unleash their powers.

Gu Xu hurled fireballs, while Qiu Yun sent out wind blades. They’d saved their powers for this moment.

Seeing things were getting out of hand, Bian Changxi shouted to Gu Xu, “Give me a gun!”

Without hesitation, Gu Xu drew a pistol from his holster and tossed it to her. Bian Changxi flicked off the safety, extended her arm, and fired several shots in quick succession, blowing apart the heads of the nearest zombies—each shot was a kill, blood and gore splattering everywhere.

Qiu Yun whooped, “Didn’t know you were such a sharpshooter!”

A rope was thrown down from a second-floor window of the supermarket. A young man shouted, “Climb up, quick!”

“The front door’s blocked. We go in and out through the second floor!” Gu Xu called as the four of them moved over. “You two go first!”

The second floor of a big supermarket was at least seven or eight meters up, with smooth glass walls—no way to get up without help from above. Bian Changxi turned and shot a few more zombies, emptying her pistol. She ran to grab the rope and called to Lin Rongrong, “You go first!”

“But—”

“Now, hurry!”

Lin Rongrong grabbed the rope. “Hold on tight!” the man above called. With two strong arms, he hauled her up in seconds, pulling her through the window before tossing the rope back down.

Gu Xu and Qiu Yun covered Bian Changxi from behind as she quickly wrapped the rope around her hands and shouted up, “Ready!”

The next moment, she felt herself lifted. She braced her feet against the wall, and in just two seconds she was at the window. The young man grabbed her arm and easily pulled her inside.

Qiu Yun scrambled up the rope himself, as agile as a monkey. Gu Xu was almost surrounded below. The young man shouted and sent a massive clump of earth crashing down, flattening several zombies. Qiu Yun jumped through the window, spun around, and sent several wind blades down, cutting down more zombies. “Boss, hurry!”

Gu Xu’s face was grim. He swept his arm, sending a line of fire that forced the zombies back a step. Then he turned, crouched, and leapt—like a tiger climbing a mountain. He grabbed the rope midair, pushed off the wall, and landed on the window ledge. The people inside quickly stepped back to let him in.

Bian Changxi and Lin Rongrong exchanged a glance—these guys were all amazing.

Seeing everyone was safe, the young man grinned. “You guys got back fast. You must be Miss Bian, right? Hi, I’m Wu Dalang.”

Bian Changxi shook his hand. “Hello.” The name Wu Dalang sounded silly, and the guy looked simple, but he was actually shrewd—a staunch supporter of Gu Xu, and the one Gu Xu would mourn for a lifetime after he died in Qiu Yun’s rebellion a year into the apocalypse. Bian Changxi knew who he was.

She introduced Lin Rongrong as well. As they talked, they hurried down a corridor toward the entrance to the second floor. Gu Xu asked, “How’s Shadow?”

“Same as before,” Wu Dalang said in a low voice. “Maybe worse. When he goes berserk, he’s even stronger. I tied him up tight, but I don’t know if Qiu Feng and A Pei can hold him.”

Gu Xu and Qiu Yun’s faces darkened. Qiu Yun said anxiously, “I’ll go check.” Wu Dalang quickly added, “Boss, I’ll go too.” The two of them dashed off like a gust of wind, leaving the air swirling in their wake—astonishing speed.

“Qiu Feng and my brother don’t have powers, so they’re worried,” Gu Xu explained. “They’re on the third floor. Come with me.”

If he didn’t have to look after the two girls, he’d be flying up there himself.

The entire second floor of the supermarket was a food section, now a complete mess. Scattered around were dozens of survivors—some chatting, some wolfing down food. At least forty or fifty people looked up as they entered, their expressions varied, a few with a dangerous glint in their eyes.

Bian Changxi had wondered why Gu Xu’s group insisted on staying on the third floor, where there was no food. Now she understood. Either they’d been forced up there, or they were worried someone would take advantage of Shadow’s condition—or maybe both.

[End of chapter]"

"**Rebooting the Apocalypse Farm**