The Young Mistress Turned Into a Zombie - Chapter 5

“Are you really taking this zombie with you?” He Sheng tried to persuade her. “Even if you manage to get it out, Da Qingshan Base won’t let you in. Their security is strict. They kill any zombie on sight. Besides, you have a wound. You’d need to be quarantined for at least three days.”

Shen Que tied off the stitches, leaned her head against the wall, and closed her eyes. Suddenly, she asked, “What kind of weapons does Da Qingshan Base have? How much do you know about their stockpile?”

Before Shen Que had obtained the medicine, He Sheng had already shared a lot of information about the base to earn her trust. He had told her about the organizational structure, the leadership, and even the base’s general location. He just hadn’t expected her to suddenly ask about their weapons.

Weapon intelligence was the top secret of every Survivor Base. After the apocalypse, firearms rarely fell into the hands of ordinary survivors; most remained with the military. In non-governmental bases, the size of their arsenal often determined how long they could survive. After all, humans were more dangerous than zombies.

“I really don’t know exactly how many they have,” He Sheng said, thinking hard. “But I did see a heavy weapon once. It looked like a howitzer, similar to a mortar, but a single person could operate it. They were moving it out during the mission to the Feed Mill.”

Shen Que glanced at him. “How many did you see?”

“Just that once, only one,” He Sheng replied. “Da Qingshan Base has an elite squad for important missions. Only they are allowed to touch guns. Ordinary people like us aren’t even supposed to ask about them.”

After discussing their route out of City A for a few more minutes, Shen Que fell asleep.

*****

Night fell over the city.

Inside the semi-basement warehouse, it was pitch-black.

Meng Lin, who had been playing dead for hours, quietly opened her eyes. A dark and windy night, the perfect time for a zombie to make her escape!

She delicately pinched two severed cable ties with her fingers. Humans are so cunning, she thought. These ties are nearly impossible to break with brute force. They’d be perfect for tying up ordinary little zombies. Good thing I’m a smart zombie who knows how to use tools!

Meng Lin tucked the scrap of metal she’d used to cut the ties into her pocket. She decided she would frame this “great hero” in a picture frame when she got home to commemorate its contribution.

After an afternoon of planning, she was ready.

Shen Que had sealed the door so tight that sneaking out the front was impossible. The window was barred with iron grates. Her only option was to wait until they were fast asleep, take them out one by one, and tie them all up. Then she would close the door behind her and take the zombies outside with her. After all, Shen Que had teammates, so they would definitely come to save her.

Sigh… I’m so jealous of you, Shen Que. To have such a beautiful, kind-hearted, and forgiving ex-girlfriend.

The zombie curved her lips into a smug smile and tilted her chin up at the oblivious, sleeping woman.

But just as she prepared to strike, someone else moved first.

A dark figure emerged from behind the middle shelf in the dead silence.

He Sheng moved with barely a sound. His deep gaze pierced through the gaps in the iron rack, fixed on the sleeping figure by the iron door.

He knew this wasn’t the perfect moment, but he couldn’t wait any longer. He was well aware of Shen Que’s strength. In a one-on-one fight, he stood no chance. Of course, he had never planned to use force. He was a civilized man, and a civilized man knew exactly what the night meant for a patient who hadn’t slept for twenty-four hours.

A white pill dissolved silently on his tongue, and a bitter fire began to drum through his veins.

The veins on his forehead throbbed. Suddenly, a “meow” echoed. That chilling gaze swept toward the window. Outside the dusty glass, a black tail flickered past. The dim moonlight washed over the shelves, revealing a pair of crazed eyes and a pathologically flushed face.

Meng Lin never expected this old bastard to be holding a gun.

She never imagined his kinks would be this twisted. The stench was so foul it could knock a zombie unconscious.

Night was when zombies were most active, and Meng Lin cursed herself for having such sharp senses.

What has human civilization outside City A become? she wondered in horror. Why would he smear shit on his face? Why did he have that fervent, lecherous expression while doing it? Why? Why in the world?

She was furious. She wished she could stop breathing, but she couldn’t. I can’t breathe, but I can’t hold my breath either!

I’m already dead, so why can I still smell this? She hated that her brain was actually trying to solve a scientific puzzle at this moment. What organ are zombies using to smell? Is it their pores?!

The zombie, her mind a chaotic mess from the relentless, foul-smelling assault, slumped weakly in the corner. She watched blankly as He Sheng approached.

He held a miniature pistol in his left hand and tossed a dagger in his right, his gaze shifting sinisterly between her and Shen Que.

The stench forced Meng Lin to turn her head away. Her eyes swept across the warehouse corner and landed on the girl. She was curled up in the deep shadows, a cardboard box overturned beside her. Filth was splattered across half her body. She had her eyes shut tight and her hands covering her ears, her thin arms and legs shaking like a sieve.

A sudden surge of anger cleared Meng Lin’s mind.

She had felt something was wrong with the father and daughter’s relationship earlier that day. He wasn’t just a piece of trash; he probably wasn’t even her real father!

Watching He Sheng’s movements, she finally understood—he wanted to kill Shen Que.

The area was crawling with zombies. A gun would be too loud, so he was trying to use the zombies to do his dirty work. The filth covering his body was his insurance policy. But he was too cowardly to take the risk himself. Shen Que had been right to block the warehouse door. In this enclosed space, the old man was terrified of an accident.

The silent zombie lowered its eyes. The blade of the knife glinted in the moonlight, passing just inches from her bare ankle.

He Sheng turned around. He had made his decision. He would take advantage of her illness to kill her. He would have to do it himself.

Just as he took a step forward, a sudden swish sounded from behind!

The ferocious zombie lunged, tackling him from behind before he could even react.

Meng Lin was about the same height as He Sheng. Though she wasn’t much of a fighter, her strength was several times his. She slammed his wrist with a heavy blow, instantly kicking the gun aside.

He Sheng was terrified. In his desperate struggle to survive, he tangled with the zombie on the floor. In the chaos, a cardboard box by the door overturned and fell on them. He Sheng instinctively dodged, and Meng Lin seized the opportunity to strike, landing a punch square on his face that knocked him unconscious.

After confirming he was still alive, Meng Lin crouched on the floor and disgustedly wiped her hands on the cardboard box.

Halfway through, she froze. She turned her head and met the girl’s stunned gaze.

Meng Lin: …

The good news was that the box had fallen but the zombies outside hadn’t started banging on the door. The bad news was that she had scared the kid.

Fine, she thought. I’m a zombie, so hitting people is perfectly reasonable. She was more concerned about why Shen Que hadn’t woken up after all that commotion.

His chest was clearly still moving, so he couldn’t be dead.

Meng Lin crept over and tilted her head to look at her. Her expression was surprisingly peaceful.

The zombie huffed inwardly. She looked at her hand again, then gently pressed the back of it against Shen Que’s forehead.

Hiss. So hot. Is she running a fever?

The zombie frowned, her head beginning to ache. She could beat Old Deng, but she stood no chance against Shen Que. Now that Shen Que was sick, it was the perfect time to escape. Besides, Old Deng was only unconscious, not dead. Leaving him here would definitely be a liability.

Shen Que and she were both living humans. With Shen Que’s soft-hearted nature, she would surely be fooled by a few words.

Meng Lin sighed in her mind. She didn’t want anything bad to happen to Shen Que, but she also didn’t want to face her again. The living and the dead walked different paths. Even if she were still alive, Shen Que wouldn’t necessarily believe her. She was tired of those arguments and confrontations, the resentment that always ended with her single-handedly bullying and forcing Shen Que to submit.

She stuffed the confiscated knife and handgun into Shen Que’s backpack. Then, she found some anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing medication inside, using a mineral water bottle cap to feed the pills into Shen Que’s mouth. She didn’t give her any water, fearing she might choke her. More importantly, she was terrified of waking the great killer.

She couldn’t afford to delay any longer. She had to get out of here.

Meng Lin used a can of soda to lure away the few zombies lingering outside the door, then dragged He Sheng, who was dead weight, out of the warehouse.

Before leaving, she placed her backpack by Shen Que’s side and locked the door from the outside.

Looking at the lead-gray iron door, the zombie thought to herself:

With this, we’re even. Even though you gave me the cold shoulder and ghosted me, which really hurt my pride, I bullied you plenty in the past. I’ll consider taking out this bastard and the zombies outside as payment. Let’s not meet again.

I hope you live a long time… well, maybe a little longer. After all, a real menace can live for a thousand years, hmph!

The path out of the warehouse led uphill, and turning out of the alley should bring her to the main street.

This place was indeed very hidden, tucked behind a commercial building. Meng Lin now had a rough idea of where she was. It wasn’t too far from her original destination.

This trip had been a total loss. She hadn’t bought the cake and had almost been killed by Shen Que.

But a brave zombie never backs down from a challenge. She was determined to get that cake!

Before that, however, she had to deal with the dead weight in her hands.

Meng Lin scanned her surroundings. The soda can hadn’t gone far because of her poor angle, and a small group of zombies was still gathered by the stairs to her left. She decided to lure them over and finish off the man first, then lead the rest of the horde away in one go.

She needed a tool, but it couldn’t be too loud.

“Meow!”

A cat’s cry caught her attention. Meng Lin looked up to see a sleek black cat sitting on the wall above the slope, its tail swishing.

Hulu! At least you have a conscience!

Zombie Hart was soft.

She noticed the broken bricks below the wall and guessed that Hulu had been the one to distract the zombies at the entrance earlier.

Alright, I’ll forgive you for sneaking around and helping the elderly and young behind my back this time. Come here and let Mommy hug you.

Meng Lin waved enthusiastically. The little cat, with its beautiful emerald green eyes, stood up, paced to a spot directly above her, and began to scratch the air.

“…”

Never mind. It really is very smelly.

She bent down to pick up the iron bar next to the broken bricks when she suddenly felt her backhand go empty.

Meng Lin spun around in shock. He Sheng had woken up without a sound and seized the opportunity to break free. He scrambled toward the warehouse, but the steep slope and darkness caused him to lose his footing. He crashed against the railing with a dull thud.

The zombies gathered at the top of the stairs turned in unison, then charged down one after another.

He Sheng’s pupils shrank to pinpricks. In his desperation, he let out a wild, frantic scream: “Aaaah—!!!”

He ran straight for the warehouse, screaming the whole way. Meng Lin froze for a moment, then realized with a jolt: This bastard is trying to drag Shen Que down with him!

It was too late. He Sheng was running too fast. The path behind him was already blocked by the pursuing horde. His screams had acted like a beacon in the dead of night, and Meng Lin stood there with her iron pipe, paralyzed by indecision. A phantom heartbeat surged through her like a tide.

Her bloodshot eyes trembled, reflecting He Sheng’s hand as it clawed at the door lock.

I should have bolted the door. I should have bolted it shut!

In a sudden frenzy, Meng Lin swung her iron pipe, smashing it into the zombies blocking her way.

At the top of the ramp, a red flare ignited with a hiss, its blinding light instantly illuminating the darkness.

The sound of running feet, the whoosh of projectiles, the flare—Meng Lin ignored it all.

In front of the warehouse, a zombie grabbed He Sheng, but his hand was already hooked around the door lock. Meng Lin watched in horror as the lock bent and tore out of its socket.

The iron gate creaked open. He Sheng was tackled to the ground, his face twisted into a sickeningly cold grin as he looked up.

But the horde of zombies was met with a storm of gunfire, identical to the chaos behind them.

Shen Que emerged slowly from the pitch-black warehouse.

White smoke curled from her scorching gun barrel as row after row of zombies collapsed. More zombies, drawn by the screams, tumbled down the stairs. Shen Que held her rifle steady in her left hand, firing from the hip. With her right, she drew another pistol from behind her waist, racked the slide with a sharp jolt, and began picking them off one by one.

The zombies in mid-air burst open like torn dumplings.

Meng Lin, who had just been drowning in despair, was now sweating coldly. She turned to run.

The last zombie fell. The black suppressor of the pistol pressed against the skull beneath Shen Que’s boot. He Sheng, not yet fully turned, had his features contorted in agony as a muffled shot pierced his temple.

Shen Que lowered her head slightly and stepped off the body.

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