Chapter 23: Misfortune and Fortune
Hope Elementary School, the art classroom on the top floor.
From below came endless roars, and a rotting, stinking odor seeped in through the cracks in the windows.
But the people in the classroom no longer had the strength to pay it any mind.
Behind the door, wedged shut with desks, drawing boards, and metal cabinets, was a small world of despair.
, a sixth grader, lay on the cold floor. Her white dress, usually her favorite, had long since been left unrecognizable by dust and grime.
But right now she didn't care about that at all. She was just so hungry—as if a ball of fire were burning in her stomach, scorching her until she grew dizzy in waves.
She wanted to ask the teacher for food, but she knew the last fruit candy had already been fed to Lele.
Lele was only in second grade, the youngest of them all, and hunger had already driven him into a high fever.
His small body curled up. Even in his drowsy sleep, he kept twitching from pain, yet he was sensible enough not to cry out loud.
The teacher was holding him, her lips chapped and peeling, her face as pale as paper.
She gently patted Lele's back, humming a tuneless lullaby, though it didn't do much good.
The teacher was exhausted, too.
Ever since everyone had become frightening, the teacher had brought the few of them here to hide.
She had given nearly all the snacks in her backpack to the children; she herself had only taken a few sips of water.
Later, at the risk of her own life, she had sneaked down to the offices below to look for food.
But this was a school, and the food she managed to find was still pitifully limited.
The little shop by the school gate lay across a playground and a host of wandering monsters—an impassable road of death.
"Sister Xingxing... I'm hungry..."
It was Xiaoxi, a third grader, who had spoken. Her voice was weak and lifeless, her small face deathly pale, and she leaned against the corner of the wall without even the strength to lift her head.
In another corner, , a fourth-grade boy, was holding his third-grade sister, Li Yue. The siblings huddled together, silent like two small statues.
I'm a sixth grader. I'm the older sister.
thought this as she struggled to her feet.
The moment her knees straightened, her vision went black and the world spun around her.
She swayed, nearly fell, and hurriedly grabbed the easel beside her.
When her vision finally refocused, she instinctively looked out the window.
And it was that very look that froze her completely.
On the street outside the school gate, clogged with abandoned vehicles, there was actually a large vehicle, moving slowly—and it seemed to be heading for the school!
At that moment, seemed to forget hunger and exhaustion. An indescribable strength surged through her body.
She widened her eyes and shouted with all her might toward the teacher, but her voice came out hoarse and faint from weakness:
"T-Teacher Zhang! Outside... there's a vehicle outside!"
The young woman called Teacher Zhang stiffened and slowly raised her head.
It was a delicate yet haggard face. Her once bright eyes were now bloodshot, her beautiful eyes full of gray despair.
She instinctively followed 's gaze, and when she saw the truck, her breath stopped as well.
Living people?
Were they here to rescue them?
also struggled over to the window. In his dim eyes, a faint light flickered back to life.
But then, something even more shocking happened.
A large flying machine, pitch-black all over, hovered outside the classroom window, as if it were staring at them.
"This... what is this?" stammered.
No one could answer him.
***
The truck left the national highway and turned onto a side road leading into 's urban area. The colors of the world seemed to darken another shade in an instant.
The stench of rot in the air grew even heavier. Abandoned vehicles piled up on the streets into a twisted steel jungle, and dried, blackened bloodstains were everywhere—a ghastly, heart-stopping sight.
" , something's not right! There are way too many zombies!"
The knuckles of 's hand tightened slightly on the steering wheel, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's.
From 's speaker, 's voice was as calm as ever:
[We are now approaching the urban area. density is rising at a terrifying speed. Two "Giant Strength Zombies" have appeared at the intersection ahead. Please be prepared.]
Before the words faded, at the intersection ahead, two zombies with extraordinarily massive frames and knotted muscles smashed through a city bus and were dragging out the corpses inside to gnaw on them.
" , stop the truck!" barked.
The truck came to a halt fifty meters away.
"Everyone, stay alert in the truck!" tightened his grip on his gun, pushed the door open, and got out.
didn't hesitate for a moment. Carrying a fire axe, he followed.
"I'll help you!" said.
glanced at him but said nothing, just nodded.
"Okay, you coordinate with me."
's tracks turned, and it silently slid down from the truck, its muzzle glowing red, advancing to meet the enemy alongside the two men.
The two Giant Strength Zombies clearly noticed them too. Dropping the food at their mouths, they let out inhuman roars and charged over with heavy steps.
fired without hesitation at the on the left, but the bullet was blocked by the left 's arm.