The air was permeated with a scent that spoke of a long absence of inhabitants, and dust lay everywhere.
The low growl of a zombie came from the bedroom.
Upon hearing the sound, everyone exchanged looks. They hadn’t closed the door, and logically, the sound of it breaking should have lured the zombie out, so why was it still inside?
"Be careful, I’ll take the front."
Old Zhou, holding a shield, walked toward the dim bedroom. Even though Zhu Cheng had said it was just an ordinary zombie, the fact it didn’t come out upon hearing the noise suggested there might be a problem.
For everyone’s safety, he had to be cautious.
As he cautiously entered the bedroom, he could vaguely see a figure lying on the bed, but the tightly drawn curtains blocked out the sunlight, obscuring whatever it was.
He drew back the curtains.
The scene became instantly awkward.
Dong Jia and Ye Qian gaped, their expressions stunned.
On the bed lay a male zombie, his hands cuffed to the iron bars of the headboard, and his feet similarly cuffed at the end of the bed, while his eyes were also covered.
He was completely bare, except for his underwear.
Zhu Cheng pondered, "I think I understand now. The woman in the nightgown we saw on the stairs must have been his partner. They were probably playing some kind of interesting game at home, and then the man turned into a zombie, scaring the woman into fleeing and accidentally falling to her death by the stairs."
Old Zhou nodded, "Yes, that analysis is right; this couple was playing quite the elaborate game."
Zhu Cheng said, "Old Zhou, have you had such an experience?"
"Hey, hey, could you mind your image? We are still here," Dong Jia glanced at them and then approached the bed, her straight dagger piercing directly into the zombie’s brain.
Thick blood stained the sheets red.
"He’s luckier than many; at least he got to die in his own home."
Ye Qian looked at the wedding photo hanging above the bed on the wall; the couple in the photo was smiling happily, probably imagining a beautiful future at the moment the photo was taken. Unfortunately, the future did not turn out as they had hoped.
Zhu Cheng said, "If Brother Lin saw this, I think, given his nature, he would definitely bring that woman back here to lie beside the man."
Dong Jia patted Zhu Cheng’s shoulder, "Yeah, that sounds about right, but since Brother Lin isn’t here, you’ll inherit Brother Lin’s will then."
He felt helpless; he had just been speaking casually, and now they were making him handle a corpse. But for Zhu Cheng, carrying it was no big deal, and he felt sympathy for these victims of the apocalypse, even though they had already died. If he could help even a little, he was willing to do it.
There was something to be gained from this encounter—and even if they hadn’t cleaned up, it wouldn’t have been a problem, given that the four handcuffs held the limbs securely; under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t come off.
Unless someone deliberately put themselves in its mouth to be bitten, but such people likely didn’t exist.
Zhou Yang and the others were also patrolling the streets.
Loud music played from the speakers mounted on their vehicle.
’The vast expanse of the world...’
It must be said, Zhou Yang and his team had good taste in selecting songs. They unanimously agreed that this lively and vibrant music could bring a thriving vitality to the present-day Huang City.
"Damn, still nothing. Brother Lin cleaned up too well, huh? It’s been two days, and we’ve found nothing," Zhou Yang looked around the environment, complaining as he saw not even a ghost’s shadow.
Tan Qing said, "It’s very normal. When Mr. Lin cleared the zombies nearby, he usually made a lot of noise. As long as the zombies weren’t obstructed, they would usually rush out. Also, with Screaming Zombies around, which seem like zombies but are already utilized by Mr. Lin, we normally shouldn’t miss any."
"That makes sense." Zhou Yang looked around; apart from the area around Sunshine Shelter, other places in Huang City were piled with zombie corpses. To utilize the whole of Huang City, those corpses needed to be cleared.
It was certainly a major project.
Of course, the situation was already good; as long as it was done safely, cleaning up these remnants was no problem at all.
In a place far from Huang City.
A sedan drove leisurely along the road.
Sun Neng drove, not as if fleeing for his life in an apocalypse, but rather, enjoying the scenery of his country leisurely.
There were many more zombies outside than in Huang City, even to the point of being a plague.
"It’s really unbelievable. He cleared the zombies from Huang City, creating a perfect sanctuary. Compared to there, it’s like heaven outside, and hell," Sun Neng mused aloud.
Thinking of He Mingxuan, who once stayed in prison, he couldn’t help but laugh, knowing the prison no longer existed.
Based on his understanding of He Mingxuan, after he left the prison, the survivors there would definitely go to Sunshine Shelter. If it were the He Mingxuan of the past, perhaps after handing over the prison to him, he would occupy the prison and become a local power there.
Lately, he could clearly sense the changes in He Mingxuan’s mindset, changes that had gradually come about after facing too many adversities.
"Mingxuan, do you think this apocalypse feels nonexistent to you, filled only with dangers everywhere?"