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Wang Chao remained vigilant as Liu He opened his backpack and stuffed it with bottled water and biscuits. When someone asked why they weren't taking other items, Wang Chao thought about it too. However, biscuits and water were the most effective solutions for human needs and took up the least space. If they grabbed a few bags of chips, it would be one-third chips and two-thirds air, which was simply too costly. Wang Chao didn't want to end up eating air while cursing.
As Wang Chao felt the weight on his back increasing, he found himself growing happier. Four backpacks would be enough for their group to eat for a week.
Once Wang Chao's backpack was full, he turned around and repeated the process. Before long, Liu He's backpack was also filled. They nodded at each other and headed towards Zhang Ruyi and Ouyang En, who had also filled their backpacks with chocolate and bottled water. Chocolate, being high in calories and energy, could save lives in critical moments; plus, it tasted much better than the compressed biscuits in Liu He’s and Wang Chao’s bags.
The four of them safely regrouped. Liu He patted his backpack and made a retreat gesture, to which everyone nodded in agreement. They planned to jump from the railing to the shelves on the first floor and retrace their steps. As they walked past the sports equipment area, Zhang Ruyi spotted several baseball bats stacked on a shelf. These weapons were extremely powerful when swung and had a wide range; encountering zombies with one felt like smashing watermelons—one hit would do.
Thinking this weapon was quite good, Zhang Ruyi casually grabbed one and tucked it behind her back, securing it with her backpack strap.
Wang Chao looked down at the first floor and thought that anyone with a fear of crowded spaces wouldn’t survive here. As he leaned over to take a look, he saw zombies swaying back and forth like waves in a wheat field—layer upon layer of them. The exposed floor was stained crimson; upon closer inspection, he realized it was dried blood that had formed a grimy layer. Just looking at it sent chills down his spine.
Liu He gently shook Wang Chao to signal that he would go down first. Wang Chao nodded in response. Liu He moved gracefully, landing on the floor almost soundlessly. Leaning against a shelf, Liu He waved his hand upward to signal the others to come down. The second to descend was Ouyang En, followed smoothly by Zhang Ruyi.
Just as Zhang Ruyi began to climb down, an unexpected incident occurred. The baseball bat that she had wedged between her body and backpack slipped out due to friction as she moved. Wang Chao gasped softly, “Be careful!” but it was too late; the bat had already fallen, catching Liu He’s and Ouyang En’s attention.
With a loud thud amidst the zombies’ growls, the sound of the falling object was particularly jarring.
The zombie facing away from them turned almost instantly at the noise, just as Zhang Ruyi landed on the ground. The three of them stood frozen in shock at the sight of hundreds of zombies before them, seemingly paralyzed by fear. Even Wang Chao on the second floor found himself momentarily stunned by the scene unfolding below him. It was chilling; hundreds of zombies suddenly fell silent and turned their heads toward the four of them as if time itself had stopped.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Wang Chao could almost hear his own heartbeat.
“Get up here!” Finally, Wang Chao snapped back to reality first and shouted!
At that moment, time seemed to flow again, and a deafening roar erupted. The Zombie Horde surged toward them, with Zombies pushing against each other at an astonishing speed! Liu He was the first to react, turning and climbing up while shouting, "Stop dawdling! Get up here!" By the time Liu He had climbed halfway, Zhang Ruyi and Ouyang En finally came to their senses. They both cursed and turned to scramble up as well.
Wang Chao turned around and dealt with the two Zombies behind him, grabbing Liu He's hand as he climbed. With a strong pull, he yanked Liu He up. Just then, Wang Chao heard a scream; Ouyang En had been grabbed by a Zombie by the foot and couldn't break free. As he was about to be dragged down, Zhang Ruyi, who was climbing nearby, saw Ouyang En's predicament and kicked out.
The kick did not help Ouyang En; instead, it resulted in Zhang Ruyi being grabbed by a Zombie by his backpack. Now his situation was even more perilous than Ouyang En's. "Quick! Save him!" Wang Chao shouted.
With that, Wang Chao jumped onto the shelf and reached for Ouyang En. He pulled with all his might but nearly toppled himself in the process. "Damn it!" Wang Chao yelled as his knife flew from his hand, slicing through the Zombies in front of him. Then, with a powerful tug of his left hand, he pulled Ouyang En out of danger. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw several Zombies already grabbing Zhang Ruyi's backpack! Even more Zombies had latched onto Zhang Ruyi's pant leg!
"Throw away the backpack!" Wang Chao shouted.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ruyi immediately took off his backpack, which was instantly yanked downward by the Zombies. At that moment, the hand that had been gripping Zhang Ruyi loosened its hold. Seizing the opportunity, he pulled on the backpack; despite the Zombies' strength, they couldn't withstand this sudden shift. Wang Chao watched as the backpack landed safely in Liu He's hands. However, without Liu He's help, Zhang Ruyi struggled a couple of times before ultimately being dragged down by the Zombies.
"Run!" Liu He shouted. "Do you two want to become their next meal?"
At that moment, Liu He had just taken down two Zombies on the second floor and called out to Wang Chao and Ouyang En still on the shelf.
Wang Chao and Ouyang En climbed up. As they ran, Wang Chao yelled, "You could have saved him just now! Why did you go for that backpack?" Liu He retorted, "Did you see? Several Zombies had already grabbed him; I couldn't pull him alone! And didn't you notice the Zombies pouring up from the stairs? The longer we stay here, the more danger we face!"
Liu He's face flushed red; it was unclear whether it was from shouting or from anger.
"If you hadn't gone for that backpack, we could have saved him!" Wang Chao shouted back. He clearly saw that if they had ignored the backpack and relied on Zhang Ruyi and Liu He’s combined strength, even if they struggled for a bit longer, Zhang Ruyi would still have more than a fifty percent chance of survival!
"I couldn't save him!" Liu He said firmly.
Wang Chao fell silent. A fifty percent chance meant that life and death were left to fate. Perhaps Liu He was doing well. Wang Chao looked at the Zombies that seemed to surge up to the second floor in an instant and thought that if they delayed a little longer, perhaps all four of them would die here. However, Liu He was too resolute—resolute to the point of being cold, cruel even. How could he so easily let go of a life?
Wang Chao understood the greater principles, yet he could not overcome his conscience.
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