Chapter 67: The Escalator
Chapter 67: The Escalator
An Ran immediately understands where the zombie that has suddenly appeared on the fourth floor comes from.
She completely forgets that the hospital's nurse station is shaped like a "凹" (a Chinese character resembling a dent), concealing a door behind it. This door is typically closed and blocked by the nurse station, making it difficult for ordinary people to notice or use. Those who pass by might think it looks deserted and ignore it.
She recalls that two days ago, the door was firmly shut. Now, however, half of it is destroyed. An Ran wonders if Chen Jiao and Hu Zhen have the presence of mind to break down that door or if the zombies have evolved to the point where they can do it themselves.
With these unanswered questions swirling in her mind, An Ran holds her fruit knife tightly and steps into the nurse station. As she enters, she discovers that there aren’t many zombies inside. It seems most of them lack the intelligence to break through the door in search of food.
However, there is something unexpected here. Although blocked by the nurse station, after entering through this door, An Ran discovers that the hospital's designer has thought of something unusual. Inside is a spacious flat area, and at the end of it, there is actually an escalator!
Aside from the passenger elevator from the fourth to the third floor, An Ran hasn’t known that there is also a secluded escalator behind the nurse station. What is the point of designing an escalator here?
An Ran speculates that it has been designed to facilitate pregnant women in the obstetric examination department, allowing them to reach the delivery rooms quickly without waiting for an elevator or climbing stairs.
This escalator could be useful for her, too. Although the third floor is crowded, An Ran opts not to take the safety stairs but instead decides to sneak a peek downstairs via the escalator.
As she peers down, she is startled. The escalator is stepped, and before the power goes out, it has likely already stopped operating. Previously, zombies couldn't climb stairs, but now they have evolved to the point where they can. A few zombies, driven by their exploratory instincts, are nearly halfway up the escalator.
Quickly retracting her head, An Ran pats her chest in relief. It is a close call. If she hadn’t sensed something was amiss that morning and come to investigate, she could have fallen asleep in the middle of the night, unaware of the zombie army reaching the fourth floor!
When there is no sound from above, the zombies downstairs wander aimlessly around on the third floor. Only a few zombies are capable of climbing the escalator. An Ran quietly waits at the corner of the escalator, biding her time.
After what feels like an eternity, the zombies remain suspended in their aimless exploration of the escalator. Since it has been out of operation for some time, there is no noise. Eventually, they seem to lose interest in climbing. One zombie even takes a few steps back down.
Seizing the opportunity, An Ran raises her fruit knife and taps the handrail of the escalator with the handle. The wandering zombies resume their ascent. The first one is closest to her, and as it appears, she squats down and swiftly dispatches it with her knife.
The same happens with the second one!