Chapter 180: Plans Never Keep Up with Changes
Chapter 180: Plans Never Keep Up with Changes
Amid the crackling of breaking wine bottles, the pickup truck is pushed into the wall by the zombies outside. Anran, who is in front of the truck, quickly turns and leads Liu Yuan, Heng Heng, and the little girl in the opposite direction. The truck collides with a shelf, and a surge of zombies rushes in from behind.
"Go, go, go!"
Anran urges, driving the two children forward. She quickly turns around, lights the lighter, and tosses it toward the front of the pickup truck. Flames immediately ignite, engulfing the two shopping carts by the truck’s bed, which are filled with cooking oil. A "bang" rings out—a small explosion.
The blast is not particularly large, but it overturns several nearby shelves. By then, Anran and the others have already run far enough to avoid major damage. The explosion’s full impact is absorbed by the zombies, many of whom have already been caught in the fire. The explosion comes from large oil drums in the truck bed, which have been jostled and broken during Yun Tao’s drive. The spreading flames consume the zombies in the truck’s path, and then, the entire truck explodes.
This second explosion is far more violent. The shockwave blasts the zombies into pieces, and the flames spread. The fire burns the zombies to a crisp, but it also causes the already-unstable wall to shake violently. Moments later, the zombies outside push the wall down completely, swarming into the supermarket.
Anran quickly grabs a shopping cart and begins filling it with supplies alongside the little girl.
With the wall collapsing, Anran dashes toward the escalator, carefully shielding the baby on her chest. On her way, she grabs a cart filled with mineral water and, frustrated by Heng Heng’s slow pace, scoops him up and places him on the cart.
With a baby on her chest and a shopping cart in tow, Anran pushes forward toward the escalator like a force of nature. Liu Yuan catches up from behind, demonstrating her own strength. She carries Heng Heng in one hand and a shopping cart in the other, moving quickly to the escalator.
As Anran looks back, she sees the zombies wandering around on the other side of the wall, their bodies aflame and no way to extinguish the fire. A sense of relief washes over her—perhaps the fire can take care of them!
Hurrying with the little girl, Anran grabs another cart near the escalator. Together, they carry it up, and the three adults, along with the three children, move quietly toward the car showroom on the first floor.
But, as always, plans never keep up with changes. The explosion has caused a massive fire, and while it has blown the wall apart, the flames do not fully consume the zombies. Instead, they are slowly being pushed out by the growing horde.
Anran, now at the top of the escalator, looks back at the zombies that haven’t burned. A sense of disappointment lingers. She had hoped the fire would take care of the horde, but it is clear the flames are being overwhelmed. Just as she is about to reach the top, the baby in her arms spits out the pacifier and begins crying loudly. She is hungry, and the pacifier isn’t providing milk, so she rejects it entirely.
This is a disaster. As soon as the baby cries, the zombies in the supermarket, who have been searching for prey, immediately zero in on the noise. They let out guttural, hoarse sounds, the sound of their mouths working like a tide. The zombies begin closing in on the escalator, heading straight toward them.