A small number of zombies were no longer afraid of daylight now. On the streets, you could see them wandering everywhere.
The three of them walked carefully, doing their best to avoid the zombies on the road and conserve their energy. Scattered all along the way were broken corpses, severed limbs, wrecked cars, and all sorts of scattered clothing and belongings.
“This way,” Tang Ke said, stretching out his hand. He cast two Ice Spike spells, quietly taking out two zombies shambling by the roadside. He pointed at the car next to the bodies. “Let’s take this one.”
The car door was wide open, and a corpse slumped over the driver’s seat. Tang Ke pulled the body out, it was a taxi. Judging from the scene, the driver must have been bitten and killed by a suddenly mutated passenger while driving, and the car had crashed into a tree on the roadside. The corpse was badly decomposed, maggots crawling over its body. Tang Ke pulled a shirt from his backpack to wipe his hands, then went to wipe down the seat.
Sun Ling crouched by the road, vomiting. The body Tang Ke had pulled out had fallen right beside him.
Pathetic, Qi Yue thought, curling his lip. When I was alive before, I’ve seen far worse.
He pointed to another car parked across the road in the greenery belt, looking disdainful. “Let’s take that one. Who’d sit in this filthy thing when there’s a clean car over there? You think I’m stupid?”
“That one’s locked,” Tang Ke frowned, glancing at it.
“No problem. Leave it to me.” Qi Yue’s tone carried a cocky confidence.
He strode over to the car, a silver Volkswagen Bora. The door was dented, likely from someone who had tried and failed to break in before, leaving a few frustrated kicks behind.
Qi Yue took off his large black canvas backpack, it looked stuffed full. Tang Ke rested his chin in his hand, guessing what might be inside.
Then Qi Yue unzipped it, pulling out a smaller pouch that looked like a mini version of the same model. Opening it up, Tang Ke suddenly felt a sharp headache coming on.
Inside were: hammers, wrenches, screwdrivers of every size, scissors, knives, so many knives, iron wire, tweezers… even a giant ring of keys. To be blunt, even a professional locksmith might not have tools as complete as his. And was that, a voltage tester?
Tang Ke rubbed his forehead harder. This “Little Yue Yue” really is something. How’s he even carrying all that without breaking his back?
By now Sun Ling had stopped throwing up and came over curiously, muttering, “Qi Yue, were you a mechanic before? I thought you worked at a magazine? Why would a magazine need a mechanic?”
Qi Yue ignored him, focusing on sliding a thin piece of wire into the lock. He twisted it carefully and click, the lock popped open.
“Hop in.”
He climbed in, unlocked the other doors from inside, then ducked under the steering wheel, fiddling with the wiring.
Tang Ke sat in the passenger seat while Sun Ling leaned forward from the back, craning his neck, eyes glued to Qi Yue’s hands.
“Wow, Qi Yue, that was amazing! You’re my idol!” Sun Ling gushed.
“Of course. I’ve got even cooler tricks you haven’t seen yet.”
The engine roared to life. The noise drew zombies from the distance. Qi Yue threw it in reverse, crushed a zombie under the tires, then stomped the gas and sped away.
They drove down the highway, farther and farther from Yicheng, until even the city silhouette disappeared. There were no buildings now, just endless fields.
They pulled over by the roadside. After working all morning without breakfast, their stomachs were growling. Tang Ke and Sun Ling both looked at Qi Yue. They’d left too quickly to pack food, only a change of clothes each. But Qi Yue’s giant pack had to have some supplies.
Qi Yue reached into the bag and pulled out a packet of meat pancakes, thin hand-rolled flatbreads wrapped around thick slices of braised meat. In truth, he had taken them from his personal storage space. The pocket dimension preserved food exactly as it was when stored, same temperature and freshness. He’d intentionally cooled these before putting them in, since he preferred cold pastries over hot ones. Besides, at a crucial moment, these meals might save his life. No way was he planning to reveal that secret.
The others dug in eagerly.
“It’s so good! Qi Yue, who made these?” Sun Ling asked with his mouth full. Tang Ke looked at Qi Yue too, silently nodding in approval.
Of course he eats gracefully, even during the apocalypse. Typical celebrity, Qi Yue thought smugly, chin raised, eyes glinting as if to say, Go on, praise me.
“I made them. Tasty, right?”
He flicked his finger against his forehead and his head tilted back from the poke. Qi Yue’s face flushed instantly. D*mn it, why am I blushing? We’re both guys!
Sun Ling coughed hard, he’d choked from eating too fast. Qi Yue rummaged through his pack again and handed him a thermos.
Sun Ling took a sip—“Huh? This isn’t water, it’s seaweed soup!” The broth was savory and hot.
“You’re like a perfect housewife,” Tang Ke teased.
“Pfft! Screw you, I’m a man.”
Sun Ling laughed. “Really? You don’t look it!”
“If you can’t tell, your eyes must be full of cr*p!” Qi Yue shot back, and the two started bickering.
After resting, Tang Ke and Qi Yue swapped seats, and they hit the road again. Qi Yue lit a cigarette, passing one to each of the others. Smoke filled the car, blurring their faces in lazy, weary calm.
They passed a small gas station halfway through, but it was empty, just a few zombies wandering around. The pumps were bone-dry, and the storage shed had already been looted. They kept driving, passing a few villages but not stopping, no time to waste. What they needed most now was fuel; the tank was half-empty.
Fortunately, just as the sun was about to set, they found another gas station. After filling up, they decided to stay there for the night. Traveling in the dark was too risky, if a horde appeared, they’d have nowhere to hide.
Before getting out, Qi Yue pulled a steering-wheel lock from his backpack and secured the car.
The other two stared, dumbfounded again.
Is Qi Yue Doraemon?!
He hadn’t planned to reveal so much. But in past lifetimes, dying early often came from poor preparation, lacking some tool or small supply that turned fatal in crisis. This time, he’d learned. In the first few days of the apocalypse, he stocked up on every little thing he could think of.
The gas station was part of a rest stop with a small diner and convenience store. Qi Yue led them there, familiar with the layout, he’d been here before, though earlier in his past timeline.
The rest stop had two buildings. The supermarket was a small two-story one, store below, dorms for workers above. From outside, it looked messy but intact. Through the glass, they could see a zombie wandering the aisle. A metal rod was jammed across the doors, probably by some passerby trying to trap it inside.
Qi Yue pulled out the rod, pushed the door open, and swiftly took down the zombie inside. Then they went upstairs.
“Be careful,” he warned. “There should be four more up there.”
Sure enough, there were four. No change. He relaxed. After clearing them out, they went back downstairs.
They locked the door from the inside. The store was a mess, some shelves had fallen, but plenty of goods remained, probably too much for the previous scavengers to take. They picked out some food and drinks, filled their stomachs, then each found a comfortable spot to rest before night fell completely.
Once darkness came, it would be their turn to take shifts for the watch.
Night settled in. The sky was full of stars, and the silence around them was unsettling.
Suddenly, an engine roared in the distance.
Through the dim moonlight, they could see two cars driving toward them, drawing closer and closer.
