Chapter 4

The fat man was very tired; his body, loaded with too much fat, made every movement require more effort than others.

He was breathing heavily. However, the cry for help from Huang Yi forced him to continue consuming the little remaining strength in his body, jumping madly like a ball. He collided with a zombie rushing towards him like a cannonball. The dull sound of the collision even made the usually calm face of Su Hao slightly twist. Zheng Chao continued to roar, raising the mop handle high and stabbing it fiercely into the back of the zombie's head that was grabbing Huang Yi's ankle. With the clear sensation of piercing through a hard object and sinking into an empty space, Huang Yi saw the zombie's fierce expression freeze instantly, and the claws that were tightly gripping her right leg loosened helplessly.

She did not hesitate for a second, quickly freeing herself from the restraint. With the flexibility and agility of a professional dancer, she quickly got up and ran away.

Zheng Chao was somewhat stunned. The confidence that had swelled up from saving his lover made him somewhat understand Huang Yi's actions at this moment. He continued to pant, preparing to pull out the mop stuck in the zombie's head, but suddenly heard Su Hao's roar from behind.

"Run————"

"Bang————"

The roar and the gunshot were almost simultaneous. The bullet, which had just been fired, accurately drilled into the head of a zombie that was about to pounce on the fat man. The tremendous force shattered the entire head, and the rotten flesh and blood gushed out like a waterfall, splashing all over Zheng Chao.

Zheng Chao was horrified to discover that the zombies rushing at him from the darkness were not just one but a group.

Su Hao fired again, and the four remaining bullets in the revolver's cylinder exploded the heads of four more zombies in quick succession. The limitations of distance and strength meant he could only do so much. Then, he watched helplessly as the last three zombies opened their mouths and fiercely bit into the isolated and helpless fat man.

The overwhelming weight instantly crushed Zheng Chao. He felt the intense pain from his shoulders and back and heard the sound of his skin and muscles being torn from his body. In the moment he fell, he suddenly thought of the monkey in "Journey to the West" who was pressed under the Five Elements Mountain by the Buddha.

Suddenly, a strange flush spread across Zheng Chao's face, and a wild animal-like roar erupted from his throat. He swung his fists wildly at the zombies biting his body, tearing at their flesh like a mad dog. Within his field of vision, Li Libin was already chasing up, swinging a stick fiercely; Xin Yan was pale, stabbing with a dagger; and Su Hao was quickly reloading the revolver.

Zheng Chao felt his intestines being pulled out and his liver being torn by teeth. The infected, controlled by the virus, seemed like shipwreck survivors who hadn't eaten for weeks. Damn... they, they are eating my testicles.

His consciousness was becoming increasingly blurred. The fat man struggled to turn his head and looked up the sunlit slope, groaning with infinite longing and desperate hope.

"Huang... Yi... save... save me."

Until his eyelids completely closed and his consciousness was swallowed by darkness, Zheng Chao never saw the figure of the woman he loved.

She ran very fast and didn't hear the fat man's final voice.

......

The twilight slanted through the gaps between the buildings, making it impossible to look directly, forcing people to hide in the dark corners. It was now nearly dusk, and in at most half an hour, the entire city would be plunged into the deepest darkness.

This was a hardware and electrical shop adjacent to the road. It was not large but was enough to accommodate four people. Perhaps feeling that the few centimeters high gap under the roller shutter door was not secure, Li Libin used several cement nails to fix it firmly.

Three sides were walls, with no second exit. The only way to leave this place, which they had transformed into a temporary prison over the past two hours, was to use the oxygen cylinder and acetylene generator in the shop to cut open the roller shutter door.

The room was filled with a heavy smell of engine oil. To avoid attracting the zombie horde wandering in the darkness, the survivors did not use the diesel generator in the shop but only used a few candles to dispel the darkness.

On the table were plastic bags filled with various foods. There were steamed buns and bread, as well as large pieces of cooked meat and roast chicken. On the floor by the table were several boxes of mineral water. These were the spoils they had looted from food stores and supermarkets during their escape.

Su Hao ate slowly. The roast chicken and steamed buns were rare and extremely expensive delicacies in the future era. At that time, only people with real power, like generals, had the privilege to enjoy them.

Xin Yan sat in a chair against the wall, tearing the bread into small pieces and slowly putting them in her mouth. She silently watched the red candle burning on the table, her face showing no emotion.

Li Libin had already taken off his shirt, stained with dirty blood, and changed into a blue work uniform he found in the shop. He seemed very hungry and ate quickly, his cheeks bulging, and occasionally took a sip of beer.

Huang Yi sat on a wooden box a little distance from the dining table, looking at the char siu in the food bag with a critical eye. She poked through the meat pieces covered in sauce with her slender fingers, frowning and muttering, "It's too fatty, I can't eat it at all."

The other three people looked up at her in unison, focusing their gazes on her.

"Why are you all looking at me?"

Huang Yi angrily wiped her hands with a tissue, saying unhappily, "I'm a dancer, I have to maintain my figure. Xin Yan, you're the same, right?"

"You're right! You're right————"

Li Libin swallowed the food in his mouth forcefully, staring at her and laughing coldly, "That little fat man was very devoted to you, but you didn't even look at him when he was dying. Girl, I have to admit, your heart is really black, just like the stepmother of Snow White."

"I never liked him————"

Huang Yi's eyes immediately shot a venomous look, and she glared at Li Libin, raising her voice, "He can't provide me with the material foundation I need. He's so short, so fat, and always follows me around like a dog. Just seeing him makes me annoyed, and thinking about it makes me feel sick."

"Material foundation?"

Li Libin kept his eyes on her prominent chest, smiling evilly, "Do you know how much you're worth? The most popular hostess at the 'Dihao' nightclub, the price for a night is only 5,000 RMB. Someone like you, I'd find 500 RMB too expensive."

"You... "

Huang Yi's face changed abruptly, and she was about to shout when a black object flew at her, hitting her on the head. She touched it and found it was a chicken bone that had been gnawed clean.

"Shut up————"

Su Hao slowly chewed the chicken in his mouth and said coldly, "Do you want a microphone to attract all the zombies in the city? Do you believe I'll throw you out now and let those monsters have you for a midnight snack?"

......

Half an hour later, dinner was over.

The table had been cleared, and Su Hao used a wet sponge dipped in detergent to carefully wipe the oil and dirt left on the table. Only after ensuring the table was clean did he take out the white powder and a set of measuring equipment from the wooden box in the underground parking garage, laying them out one by one.

He tore open the plastic seal, scooped out the white powder with a measuring spoon, and placed it on the scale pan, which was stabilized with weights. After carefully measuring the amount, he divided the powder into two 500 ml polyester bottles, added homemade saline, and mixed it evenly. Soon, the liquid inside the transparent tube walls had turned a light milky white.

Li Libin came over, frowned, and looked at the two bottles of solution Su Hao had just made for a long time, asking in confusion, "What is this?"

Not only him, but Huang Yi and Xin Yan's eyes were also full of curiosity.

Su Hao glanced at him coldly, tidied up the scattered tools in an orderly manner, and answered calmly, "It's none of your business."

......

The night was deep and quiet.

There were two beds in the back room of the shop, occupied by Su Hao and Li Libin. Neither of the two men showed any intention of yielding, and no one said anything about "ladies first."

Su Hao did not think there was anything wrong with this——the special physical structure of men determined that they had more strength than women. In the survival battles against monsters in the future world, enhanced humans, especially men, were the absolute main force in the struggle and combat. They needed to get enough food and a comfortable resting environment. Only then could the weaker people they protected survive.

Lying on the bed, Su Hao's eyes were slightly closed, and his breathing gradually became slow and steady. A fully loaded M500 pistol was tucked into the belt on his right leg, within easy reach. His left hand lightly covered the dagger at his waist, ready to draw it at any time.

This was a completely unfamiliar environment, with no traces of the future world he knew. To avoid dying without understanding, he had to remain vigilant at all times.

He had only nine bullets left, and in addition to the sharpened fire axe, there were some sufficiently hard steel pipes in the hardware shop. These were the weapons currently available.

His waist and shoulders were slightly sore, indicating that the silver bone he had taken a few hours ago was taking effect. Although the current enhancement effect was at most 30%, the hardness of his bones had been comprehensively improved.

The concept of enhanced humans was reflected in two aspects——K value and P value.

K value was the index of bone hardness enhancement, while P value corresponded to muscle resilience, strength, resistance to impact, and fatigue time, among other factors. According to the commonly accepted standards of the future world, only humans with both K and P values reaching 20 could be called "enhanced humans."

The most significant sign of comprehensive physical improvement was a substantial increase in strength, speed, and mental reaction ability. Among these, the most noticeable was the increase in strength. Under normal circumstances, the force generated by a first-stage enhanced human's punch was approximately 500 kilograms.

Human enhancement was a long process of exploration. According to known history, it would take at least another year for this theory to gradually form a system recognized by the public.

Su Hao slowly opened his eyes.

The "Luther Coherence Layer" not only enhanced his bones but also his central nervous system. He could now sense the vague mental presence of the other three people in the room.

Li Libin's snoring was loud, but he turned over too frequently.

As for Huang Yi and Xin Yan, the two girls were leaning against the wall, not huddled together as they had in the parking garage but maintaining a distance of about three meters.

Xin Yan curled up, her hands tightly hugging her knees. The faint light seeping through the bottom of the roller shutter door illuminated her long, white legs and her trembling body.

It was summer, but the temperature difference between day and night in this city was still significant.

Su Hao got out of bed, picked up the blanket that still retained his body heat, walked to the slightly dazed girl, shook it out, and covered her.

Huang Yi had been watching every move of Su Hao. Her body trembled more violently, and her expression was pitiful, like a homeless, hungry, and cold cat.

However, Su Hao never once looked in her direction.

......

In the morning, the sun rose as usual.

Su Hao got up very early, ate two leftover steamed buns from the night before, and then decisively cut open the roller shutter door with acetylene and walked out.

The street was quiet, and there were no signs of zombies around. There were faint human figures moving at a distant street corner, but they were too far away to pose a threat.

On the side of the road, next to a tree, was a silver-gray "Chevrolet" sedan. Su Hao swung a steel pipe and smashed the driver's side window, pulled the door handle, and quickly cut the electronic alarm wire that was screeching. He threw his backpack into the passenger seat and crouched to get in.

He used the most brutal method to smash the wiring box under the steering wheel and picked out the part connected to the ignition. The metal wires, stripped of their rubber insulation, rubbed against each other, and the silent engine finally roared to life. A few minutes later, Su Hao had already driven the car around and stopped in front of the open door of the hardware shop.

He did not turn off the engine, got out of the car, and picked up a pile of tools and parts he had collected in advance from the corner of the shop, loading them into the trunk. After doing this, Su Hao walked to Xin Yan, who was eating a cold, hard steamed bun, looked at her for a few seconds, and said calmly, "Get in the car!"

Huang Yi moved quickly. As soon as Su Hao stopped the car, she ran over, opened the rear door, and got in, lying down on the soft seat in the most comfortable position.

The floor tiles were hard, and the wall was cold. She had been unable to sleep all night and felt her waist and legs were very sore in the morning.

Su Hao frowned, walked to the front of the car, opened the door, and said calmly, "Get out."

Huang Yi opened her eyes, looked around impatiently, and suddenly realized——she was the only one in the car.

She immediately sat up, tightly grabbed the handle by the window, and shook her head in confusion and fear.

Su Hao's eyes flashed with a cold light. He pulled out his gun from the holster and pointed it at Huang Yi's forehead. She looked at him in terror, clearly seeing the hatred and disgust in his eyes at such close range. There was no trace of tolerance or kindness in the depths of his pupils.

"Why... why?"

Huang Yi stammered, her voice tinged with sobs.

"There's no why. Get out————"

Su Hao's voice was even colder than before.

Huang Yi began to sob, unwillingly but helplessly moving out of the car. Under the cold, black gun barrel, she huddled, her eyes darting around, pleading with everyone.

She knew very well: she had been abandoned.

Xin Yan felt a bit sorry for her and was about to speak but was stopped by Su Hao's cold, stern gaze.

"Please, take me... take me with you!"

Huang Yi's face was covered in hot tears, and she kept begging, but she could not soften Su Hao's gaze, which was as hard as alloy.

Li Libin came over, gloating, spat at the helpless, crying Huang Yi, and reached out to open the car door. However, he was startled to find——Su Hao's gun, which he had been holding, had already turned to point at him.

"Hey! Hey! What... what are you doing?"

Li Libin's face turned pale, and he instinctively raised his hands, slowly stepping back.

"I only agreed to leave the underground parking garage with you. Now, our cooperation is over."

Su Hao's gaze was deep, and his voice was pleasant and magnetic but very cold.

"Don't do this... I mean, really don't do this. We are friends, a team. We should sit down and talk. Those damn monsters are everywhere, we need to help each other. You should trust me, I'm a good person..."

A flash of anger crossed Li Libin's eyes, and he felt a surge of anger in his mind, but he had to suppress it under the threat of the gun. He racked his brain for words that might move Su Hao, speaking in a jumbled and increasingly rapid manner.

"I don't owe you anything."

Su Hao's gun did not waver. He looked at the man opposite him, slowly sitting in the passenger seat, keeping the gun aimed through the open window. At the same time, he asked Xin Yan, who was already in the driver's seat, "Can you drive?"

The girl looked at him fearfully, bit her lip, and nodded.

"Then let's go!"

Su Hao gave her an encouraging look, "Leave here."

......

The intense ultraviolet rays of the sun mercilessly scorched the earth, and the sudden rise in temperature made the entire city seem enveloped in flames. The scenery at the horizon began to blur, and the refraction caused by light and heat made everything appear to be swaying.

A ragged zombie was lying in the middle of the street, gnawing on a rib bone that had fallen to the ground. Despite there being little meat on it, it was still chewing happily.

In the distance, the sound of an engine roared.

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