Chapter 94: Going Home
Chapter 94: Going Home
Although these zombies begin to evolve and can make sounds to summon their companions, An Ran believes they still have a fatal flaw: they can't see and can only locate by sound. An Ran shifts her position slightly, waiting for a zombie to pass by before raising her hand to kill the second one.
Killing zombies requires both courage and caution—light footsteps and quick movements are essential. It’s best to take them out with one strike. If she can’t kill them in one blow, it’s wise to retreat quickly to avoid gathering more zombies around her, making escape difficult.
After taking down several zombies in this open area, An Ran returns to the car, eats something, and begins driving. After ensuring that no zombies are following her, she heads to her community.
An Ran plans to go home to find a knife. After facing danger and challenges outside, returning home is a natural instinct. If she doesn’t go home, she won’t know where to turn. Perhaps there will be familiar survivors in her community who can tell her what has transpired in the world these days.
The home that Zhan Lian bought is by the Ecological Lake in the Xiangcheng Star District. The Ecological Lake is a government welfare project established in recent years, where a large area is excavated to create a vast lake, integrating recreation, parks, and aquaculture.
Many developers are drawn to the land surrounding this lake. When the government starts construction, developers begin speculating on the land, offering first-line lake-view houses and second-line lake-view houses. The closer to the ecological lake, the better the view and the higher the price.
When An Ran purchases the house, she sits in Zhan Lian's passenger seat. They have just finished their blind date, and on their second meeting, they decide to go straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get their marriage certificate. An Ran feels a bit crazy due to Zhan Lian, her head spinning.
Zhan Lian sits next to her, having borrowed the car from a friend. Outside the civil affairs bureau, he starts making phone calls to buy a house and a car. One hand holds the phone while he speaks to someone on the other end about purchasing the best first-line lake-view property by the Ecological Lake, and with the other hand, he suddenly grasps An Ran’s hand.
It feels so natural that it startles An Ran, her heart racing. She turns to look at Zhan Lian, who has the phone to his ear and turns his head to smile at her.
He is a stranger, dressed in a green military uniform. From their blind date to rushing to the civil affairs bureau to get married, everything he says seems so persuasive.
But An Ran can’t remember a single word he said during their initial meeting. They have only seen each other a total of fewer than ten times, including the three meetings during their one-year marriage.
The car rolls over familiar streets. In the hospital, it is as if An Ran has gone through several life transformations. Her expression feels somewhat numb. She doesn’t seem to long for Zhan Lian to rescue her and her daughter as she once did. Even when she thinks of her ex-husband now, it is only a fleeting thought in her mind.
She just wants to know: is he still alive? Is he doing okay?
Looking at the scenery on the street, many buildings are still under construction. The occupancy rate of the new buildings is low, so there are not many zombies around. Moreover, during the apocalypse, the weather turns cold in the mornings and evenings. Late at night, there aren’t many people strolling around the ecological lake.