Lin Qinghe blinked, her mind momentarily stunned. Her first instinct was to tell Jiang Chuhe to shut up, but it was too late. Zhang Yuewen and the others had already arrived.
Jiang Chuhe, sprawled on the ground, clutched Zhang Yuewen's pant leg and cried out in terror, "It's a zombie! Her boyfriend is a zombie! He must be infected with the virus! Quickly! Take care of him!"
Zhang Yuewen's gaze fell upon You Rong's blood-red eyes and pale face, his expression stiff and emotionless. A jolt of fear shot through him, and he instinctively raised the knife in his hand, preparing to strike at You Rong.
Lin Qinghe reacted swiftly, darting in front of You Rong and pointing her gun at Zhang Yuewen. "Stop!"
"You..." Bai Xixi shrieked, stumbling back a few more steps. "You have a gun!"
Zhang Yuewen and Zhang Yuehua were equally shocked, never having imagined that Lin Qinghe, who had been following them all along, possessed a firearm.
Zhang Yuewen's eyes turned cold. "Who are you? What do you want by following us?"
Lin Qinghe's brow furrowed. "My boyfriend is not a zombie. He was injected with some kind of agent, causing his body to change and make him look like one. As for following you... I have no ulterior motives. I just wanted to reach G City and join the organization. I'm unfamiliar with the route, and I asked you to guide me."
Lin Qinghe omitted the fact that she was being pursued by members of the R organization, and that Zhang Yuewen's familiarity with the roads had allowed her to evade them.
Jiang Chuhe, still on the ground, gritted his teeth, enduring the pain in his body. He spat curses, "Who believes you! You've been hiding a gun from us all this time, and you're traveling with a zombie-like boyfriend. You must have ill intentions! Hurry... Brother Wen, don't hesitate, take care of that zombie. This is definitely not a low-level zombie. By the time he reacts, we'll be finished!"
Hearing this, Zhang Yuehua quickly raised his hunting rifle and aimed it at You Rong.
Lin Qinghe's heart pounded with anxiety. She shouted sternly, "Stop! I will not allow you to harm him!"
Lin Qinghe's gun remained trained on Zhang Yuewen. "If you think I have ill intentions, I'll take him and leave now. But if you dare to hurt him... I won't let you go!"
Jiang Chuhe, emboldened by their numbers, his eyes glinting with malice and greed, sneered, "You only have one gun. You shoot, and we can shoot back. At worst, it's one life for another. We have three people, so it's a sure bet. If you want to leave safely... hand over your gun, and the food and car outside, and we'll let you both go!"
From the moment he saw Lin Qinghe, Jiang Chuhe had harbored this plan.
In the apocalypse, food was the most precious commodity. Lin Qinghe's car seemed to be carrying quite a lot.
Lin Qinghe's gaze suddenly turned icy. She scanned Zhang Yuewen and Zhang Yuehua. Their expressions were complex, but they didn't refute Jiang Chuhe's words, indicating their agreement. This was understandable. In the apocalypse, everyone was looking out for themselves; morality took a backseat to survival.
Lin Qinghe let out a cold laugh. "Oh, really? One life for another, and you think you'll profit? Do you want me to take you all down with me?"
"Hmph! You only have one pistol, you..."
Before Jiang Chuhe could finish speaking, Lin Qinghe pulled a grenade from her pocket and made a motion as if to pull the pin.
Jiang Chuhe and the others paled. Zhang Yuehua urgently cried out, "Don't! Please don't move!"
Lin Qinghe paused, looking at them with disdain. "Well? With this grenade, is it enough for me to take you all down? If you don't want a mutual destruction, then get out of the way! Let us leave!"
"You..." Jiang Chuhe was still unwilling. "Do you really dare to pull the pin? If you do, you won't escape either. We'll all die!"
Lin Qinghe said dismissively, "You probably don't know how much I love my boyfriend. For him, I can go mad. If you kill him, I'll have no will to live. Wouldn't it be best if we all die together?"
"You... you wouldn't dare!"
Lin Qinghe's smile widened. "Want to bet on it?"
Seeing Lin Qinghe about to pull the grenade's pin, Zhang Yuewen's eyes darkened. He finally spoke, "Stop! We'll let you go!"
Lin Qinghe's eyes narrowed in satisfaction. She said to them, "You, step back! Go outside!"
Zhang Yuewen exchanged a glance with Zhang Yuehua. Zhang Yuehua pulled Jiang Chuhe up from the ground and dragged him backward.
Lin Qinghe, holding the grenade and You Rong's arm, led him out. As they reached the corridor outside, she kept a wary eye on Zhang Yuewen and his group, slowly backing away with You Rong.
Upon reaching the doorway, Lin Qinghe suddenly made a move as if to throw the grenade, shouting, "I'm going to throw it!"
Zhang Yuehua and the others reacted instantly, diving into the room and covering their heads.
One second, two seconds, three seconds passed... A full minute went by, and the expected sound of the grenade exploding never came. Zhang Yuewen finally sat up.
You Rong and Lin Qinghe were nowhere to be seen in the hallway. While they had been scrambling to take cover, Lin Qinghe had pulled You Rong and fled without looking back.
Jiang Chuhe's face was ashen. He gritted his teeth and cursed venomously, "Damn it! We've been tricked by that woman! She managed to escape with that zombie. She had grenades and a gun, and there must be more good stuff in her car..."
Zhang Yuewen frowned, unwilling to dwell on the topic. He said sternly, "Pack up. We're moving to a safer place. This area is no longer suitable for us."
Jiang Chuhe, still resentful, said, "Brother Wen! What if we chase after them and take that bitch's belongings?"
Zhang Yuehua interjected impatiently, "Enough! Do you think we can just chase them whenever we want? Didn't you see she even had a grenade? Be careful, you might not get the stuff and end up losing your life. Not to mention that zombie doesn't look easy to handle, and Lin Qing is like a lunatic. I don't want anything to do with her anymore..."
"But..."
Zhang Yuewen cut them off. "Enough talk. Grab your things, and let's move out immediately!"
Jiang Chuhe reluctantly shut his mouth, enduring his pain as he forced himself to gather his belongings.
Lin Qinghe, with You Rong in tow, got into the car and drove for about an hour, arriving at a residential complex.
It was dark outside, and Lin Qinghe had no idea what the situation was like inside. She grabbed a flashlight and led You Rong inside, planning to find a place to settle down if they could manage.
As they approached a building, two zombies with mangled limbs dragged themselves along. Lin Qinghe, wanting to avoid them, took a detour with You Rong and entered the building through a safety exit.
On the second floor, a door was ajar, likely left unlocked by the hurried departure of its occupants.
Lin Qinghe led You Rong inside, only to discover a desiccated half-body in the living room, with dried bloodstains scattered on the floor. A brief thought was enough to infer what had happened here.
Lin Qinghe frowned and pulled You Rong into a bedroom, closing the door with a bang.
Lin Qinghe turned on the light, breathing heavily. She stared at You Rong, whose face was still stiff and expressionless, and asked uncertainly, "You Rong... do you recognize me? Have you regained consciousness?"