Chapter 77: Zhan Lian and Lao Mao
Chapter 77: Zhan Lian and Lao Mao
Only two people remain in the Land Rover: Zhan Lian and Lao Mao. The other two soldiers have separated from them at a fork in the road, each heading off to search for their families. Lao Mao’s only family is his elderly mother, who is still in Fuzhou, farther south than Xiangcheng. He decides to follow Zhan Lian to Xiangcheng to search for An Ran, planning to continue south afterward to find his mother, whether they locate An Ran or not.
Originally, the four of them fought their way out of a siege and met several surviving comrades along the way. The group planned to reach the military district’s gunpowder depot to acquire heavy firepower—tanks, fighter jets, and similar equipment. But the depot has been sealed shut. In such cases, when the military district faces a total breakdown, automated alerts and lockdowns trigger. Though Zhan Lian and his companions are special forces soldiers, they still lack the means to access the depot.
Even ordinary soldiers can’t break in—only a miracle can open that door.
The simplest solution would be to locate the zombies of the military personnel who have clearance to open the arsenal, but taking their fingerprints isn’t an easy task. It makes more sense to just find a car and drive to their destination instead. At least that way, they can reunite with their families more quickly.
They hope to get a plane, but it seems they aren’t the only survivors in the military district. By the time they reach the airstrip, others have already taken the planes, along with whatever guns and ammunition have been left behind.
As the group continues their journey, people keep leaving to search for their families. Now, only Zhan Lian and Lao Mao remain.
"Let's go," Zhan Lian says, his voice decisive and without hesitation. He opens the car door and steps out. He wears a military-green jungle training uniform, his trouser legs tucked into his boots. Standing by the door, he runs a hand through his flat hair, unsure of where his hat has gone. He pulls a headscarf from the car instead—a red one printed with a black skull, giving his face a fierce look. He cracks his knuckles, twists his neck, and glances at the gathering zombies, preparing to stretch his muscles.
Lao Mao, in the passenger seat, also gets out of the car. As soon as the door opens, Zhan Lian swings his fist and smashes a zombie's head as if it were a watermelon. His fist gleams under the moonlight, reflecting a metallic shine as he moves on to the next zombie without pausing.
"Wow!" Lao Mao exclaims theatrically. He unsheathes his saber and moves his feet with a quick, light step, almost as if using the mystical Lingbo Weibu footwork from a martial arts movie. His figure blurs, weaving rapidly between the zombies, his shadow flickering under the moonlight, making it impossible to tell where he is exactly.
This ability has come to Lao Mao mysteriously, but he wields it skillfully.
Suddenly, the shadow stops in front of Zhan Lian, just as Zhan Lian punches another zombie’s head clean off. Lao Mao glances at him and remarks, “I swear, your violent tendencies are getting worse. You could have handled that more civilly. Why do you always have to use your fists? No wonder your wife left you—she couldn’t stand that temper of yours.”
By “civilly,” he means using a knife instead of his fists!