Chapter 1018 - 1003: Mountain Forest Operation (5)

Chapter 1018: Chapter 1003: Mountain Forest Operation (5)

The strange occurrence interrupted the survivors’ conversation, and everyone simultaneously turned to look around. In just a moment, a swaying figure faintly revealed its appearance, followed by the second and third figures stepping out.

"Zombies! Damn it!" Having suffered before, Luo Baochun blurted out a low curse, prompting Lei Tong to instinctively raise his hand to shoot.

But at this critical moment, Old Xu quickly pressed down Lei Tong’s already-aimed gun barrel, then commanded in a deep voice, "Put down the gun, there’s no need for this thing; solve it with the knife."

Just as Old Xu said, the total number of swaying zombies was merely five, and they were all the most basic "Pacers."

Using a gun on these guys would clearly be making a mountain out of a molehill.

It might even cause trouble due to the noise of gunfire attracting more of them.

Lei Tong naturally understood this reasoning, immediately put his gun away on his back and pulled out the cleaver.

The other survivors also wielded their weapons, taking fighting stances.

"Whoosh!" With the release of Hu Xiaodong’s right hand, an arrow tore through the air and shot out.

Swift speed, stable accuracy quickly knocked down the leading zombie.

And with the arrow killing the enemy, the battle between humans and corpses also commenced.

Undoubtedly, since the outbreak of the apocalypse, survivors have been fighting continuously with "Pacers," accumulating quite a lot of combat experience.

So dealing with "Pacers," especially when the numbers are few, the squad members appeared quite composed, without the panic and confusion they faced the first time they encountered monsters at the beginning of the apocalypse.

The battle proceeded remarkably smoothly; the remaining four zombies were almost effortlessly killed by the survivors.

While everyone was gathering their equipment, Old Xu inconspicuously moved next to Luo Baochun and whispered in his ear, "Do you recognize these people? Are they that group?"

Busy wiping his knife, Luo Baochun was obviously taken aback. He instinctively glanced at Old Xu, then looked again at what seemed to be familiar.

Undoubtedly, during the fight, he hadn’t noticed the appearance of the zombies.

Firstly, it was a matter of life and death; he couldn’t multitask.

Secondly, these guys, after being eroded by the zombie virus and wandering in the mountain forest for days on end, had long lost their humanity.

However, Luo Baochun had lived with these guys for months and was quite familiar with their features and attire.

So although he couldn’t precisely recognize their faces, by observing related details, he still discerned the identity of the dead bodies.

That’s right! These guys were indeed his "companions" for months.

Luo Baochun nodded, considering his special situation, he dared not say more, fearing the brothers next to him might notice something amiss.

Old Xu also understood Luo Baochun’s concerns, so he didn’t ask any further.

Instead, Tang Xiaoquan circled around the corpses a few times, and Hu Xiaodong, noticing this, asked, "What’s the matter, Quanzi? What are you looking at? Is something wrong?"

Furrowing his brows, Tang Xiaoquan shook his head, "Nothing, I was just wondering if these guys might be the prisoners Old Xu mentioned."

Listening to these words, Luo Baochun’s heart suddenly tightened.

Indeed, he was a bit nervous because the identities of these people were inseparable from his own.

Furthermore, he knew Tang Xiaoquan’s ability to consider things, as the latter’s meticulous thinking truly exceeded his age’s typical scope.

As the saying goes, when you’re guilty, Luo Baochun worried Tang Xiaoquan might really see something from the corpses.

"Most likely, other people probably wouldn’t squad up to come to this godforsaken place."

"Yeah, anyway, their death is beneficial for us. With five fewer of them, their strength is greatly weakened."

"Exactly, but you know, Old Xu, since the zombies could drive the robbers to this extent, I estimate the number isn’t small. To be safe, I think we should hurry and evacuate." Luo Baochun seized the opportunity to interject, at this moment not wanting to stay at this spot any longer.

Because staying one moment longer meant more risk of exposing identity.

How could Old Xu not see through Luo Baochun’s true intentions in his words? However, the latter’s argument wasn’t entirely an excuse, at least his deduction about the zombie count had some validity.

After all, these bandits were not ordinary people; they were wicked ones who had killed before. So killing, to them, wasn’t difficult. Though such a skill might not be respectable, in the apocalypse, it was definitely one of the survival prerequisites.

Besides that, these guys used weapons and ammo seized from police stations; surrounding them with just a few wandering zombies was obviously not achievable.

Therefore, Old Xu immediately gave the retreat order: "Let’s go! Let’s head back."

Having survived outside for so long, all team members understood Old Xu plainly.

No one proposed any objection, and they promptly packed gear and descended the mountain.

When meeting outside, Old Xu briefly inquired Hua Biao about the situation, then the team set off again.

Without troubling concerns, Luo Baochun was clearly much more relaxed than before.

The most direct change was his words along the way began to increase.

People who’ve driven for years mostly share a common trait—they are good at conversations because their experiences from traveling wide are vastly enriching.

But Old Xu, responsible for the entire team’s direction, had no interest in the shifting attitude of Luo Baochun’s idle talk.

Thus the atmosphere in the cabin turned particularly interesting: Luo Baochun was babbling on endlessly on one side; while Old Xu observed with furrowed brows.

With this relatively "joyous" atmosphere between the two, the car gradually moved closer to the urban area.

About half an hour after getting on the highway, sharp-eyed Old Xu first spotted the sign for the petrol station on the road sign.

One of their external tasks this time was to gather fuel.

"One kilometre ahead, detour to the petrol station, let’s check the situation."

"Got it!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Baochun finally restrained his words, and exerted force on the pedal, causing the Jianghuai vehicle to speed forward

.

"Petrol station spotted, everyone get ready." Through the hand-held radio, Old Xu informed the cars behind of the discovery ahead.

Three minutes later, Luo Baochun smoothly turned the car into the side road, heading towards the petrol station.

"Drive slowly!" Petrol stations are traditionally liked by survivors, knowing this Old Xu cautioned that visits here must be done carefully.

Following the directive, Luo Baochun immediately reduced the speed, and as they advanced leisurely, Old Xu quickly scanned the station interior.

"Very quiet! Why aren’t there zombies here? Haha, seems like we’re lucky this time." Having previously escaped a disaster, Luo Baochun was evidently in high spirits.

But Old Xu’s opinion was completely different from Luo Baochun’s; years of battlefield experience taught him never to be confused by environmental appearances.

Because often the seemingly safest places are actually the most dangerous. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com.)