"Why haven't you come out yet?" Huang Canmin frizzily took out the cigarette case, lit another cigarette and said impatiently, "I'm going to spend it here today." ”

"No," I stared intently at the door of the unit, "she has no reason to hurt Huang Weizheng." ”

"It's hard to say, this world is no longer normal, so abnormal people are everywhere." Huang Canmin puffed out the smoke ring and laughed, "The leader of those bandits is a crazy doctor. ”

"You've seen it?"

"I've heard of it, but I haven't really seen it."

"That person's name is Qin Rong, I heard that he is a doctor, but I don't know if it's true." Xie Tao introduced to me the villains he was about to face, and from time to time he looked at the situation in the unit building, "He also kept many zombies in captivity, and it is said that he has always claimed that he can cure everyone, so many people have brought their relatives who have become zombies to him......"

"Then he really ......"

"Do you think it's possible?" Huang Canmin said in a mocking tone, "A doctor wants to cure a disease that cannot be solved by medical scientists all over the world? It's just a madman. ”

I won't comment on whether this person is capable or not, but his atrocities will never be forgiven by me! Thinking of this, my hands holding on to the rifle couldn't help but clench tighter, the truth should have taught this bastard a lesson earlier.

"It's out!" Xie Tao pointed to Huang Weizheng, who had just walked out of the unit door, and said with a smile.

I trotted forward, put my arm around Huang Weizheng's shoulder, and quickened my pace to leave the door, but my eyes did not focus on him, but on the movement in the unit building. "You're alone?"

"What? How many more people do you want? "Huang Weizheng seemed a little dissatisfied with my previous words and deeds.

"Huh? Oh, I thought that woman was going to come out with you. ”

"It's good for her to let me out, you still have so much extravagance."

"No, I'm not expecting an extra teammate." I shrugged my shoulders without smiling, "She mentioned the bandits just now, and if she guessed correctly, she should be looking for the same gang as us." ”

"She asked me about this in the room, and asked me if we were really going to the robbers to save our friends. She said that the leader of those robbers was called Qin Rong, and he was a brutal bastard. ”

"That's it!" I smirked and patted Huang Weizheng on the shoulder, and when I just turned around, I realized the scene I was looking forward to seeing.

The girl stood at the top of the stairs in her dark green casual jacket and a hiking backpack stuffed with arrows on her back, looking at us a little shy but still cold. She held the recurve bow in her left hand, which looked even more powerful than herself, and she also had a mountain firewood knife at her waist that she didn't know where to get it.

"Let's go, I'll take you to the brutes." The girl said disapprovingly with a strand of her long hair in her right hand with a finger guard.

With a secret joy in my heart, I knowingly asked, "You mean to come with us?" ”

"Nonsense."

"Miss, I don't have time to be your babysitter."

Huang Canmin, who was as open-mouthed as ever, just wanted to flick the cigarette butt, but at this time, the girl pulled the bow and drew the string, and the arrow slingshot swept away, just passing by his face, so frightened that he hurriedly raised his gun and warned: "What do you want to do!" Look for death! ”

"If you want to die, you will die first." The girl didn't pay any attention to Hwang Chanmin, she shook her head and walked towards the street entrance to our destination in a dashing manner.

"Look for death." Huang Canmin had no choice but to curse indignantly and obediently follow her.

Maybe it was the appearance of the girl that played a great deterrent role in Huang Canmin, and in the next part of the road, the lawless army scoundrels suddenly became much more honest, and a person was behind the last head of the team, and I don't know how many times he secretly counted the girl, in short, he no longer took the lead as at the beginning.

Huang Weizheng and I accompanied the girl, and because of our peers, we quickly got closer. The girl let down her guard and started joking with the two of us. From her mouth, we learned that her name is Zhang Xiaoying, in fact, she is also a native of Nanning, and when the crisis broke out, she returned to her hometown in Tianyang with her parents to visit relatives, and soon after arriving home, the epidemic was out of control. We didn't ask her parents and family how they turned out, not only because of respect for her, but also because of the escapism of Huang Weizheng and me; What is our home like today? No one dared to ask, let alone think.

Zhang Xiaoying is an amazing girl, she has been alone in that unit building until now, witnessing people tearing out of control on the streets, the defense line of the military and police being broken down in an instant, and the survivors becoming the ghosts of mutants. After night after night of howling ghosts and wolves, and battling death and fear for almost a month, we met us. According to her, the reason why the scene was staged was because she had seen robbers loot the surviving family opposite, steal all the supplies, and then kill all five members of the family.

Ms. Zhang said it was the hardest day she had since the crisis, and from that day on she was determined to arm herself to protect herself. Her father was a competitive bow enthusiast, so she took his bow, sharpened the steel of the arrows, and became a hunter in a deserted city.

Our sympathetic conversation continued, and Xie Tao, who had been acting as a loyal listener behind us, reminded us that the chatting time was over. I followed Xie Tao's gaze, and it turned out that several decomposing corpses had appeared at the intersection ahead. One of them collapsed by the broken window of a restaurant, a sharp shard of glass cutting it off, pools of blood drying on the floor, and a strong stench of rotting torso. The row of low houses where the restaurant was located was covered with a thick layer of ferns, and it was unknown how these plants could suddenly have such a strong ability to grow, growing like they were devouring the marks left by humans. Dense vines cover the walls of the restaurant, and the lush foliage seals the restaurant from the light.

At the entrance to the restaurant lay a dead body, apparently shot from the restaurant. His head had been blown to minced flesh, and flies were hovering in the sky with a disturbing buzz. The Last ...... It should be called a mutant, a dying mutant. It must have stepped on someone's trap, and a cable wrapped around its left leg and hung it upside down in front of the restaurant's street like bacon. When he saw us, he became restless, flaring at us, and seemed to want to treat us as his lunch. It didn't wait for the mutant to toss helplessly in the air for a few minutes before its rotten, thin left leg was torn off alive. It spilled a streak of blood in the air and fell to the ground, but the hungry monster remained unyielding, dragging the remnants of his body and crawling towards us. Huang Canmin and Xie Tao didn't have time to shoot, in contrast, Zhang Xiaoying, who reacted quickly, was not moved at all, and skillfully finished off the pathetic mutant with a single arrow with a slingshot.

Zhang Xiaoying casually walked up to the corpse of the mutant and pulled out the arrow stuck in its skull, wiping the steel head with a coarse cloth while reminding without emotion: "This kind of reaction speed will kill you." ”

Instead of being unconvinced like Huang Canmin and showing this stinky face to Zhang Xiaoying, I am more concerned about this trap. "You put it?" I gestured to the cable that still dangled in the air with half a leg dangling.

"No, there should be other survivors, and it could be that the bandits set it up for fun." Zhang Xiaoying didn't even look at me, and she seemed to be attracted by something in the restaurant, "There's something in there." ”

This sentence was equivalent to a late alarm, and several of us men all raised their guns and pointed their guns at the sparsely furnished restaurant, only Zhang Xiaoying was indifferent. In the messy dining room, there was also a corpse leaning against the corner. We can't say for sure if it's a human corpse or what it is.

It can be seen that it has a pair of legs, including a green wound on the right leg, but its upper body is more like some kind of plant, not only is the surface covered with moss, but its hands look more like the rhizomes of a tree stuck in the tiled floor. But the most terrifying thing is the head that looks like a giant man-eating flower in the rainforest, we can't see its face or even make out its original shape, the flesh that opens in all directions looks like four blood-red sticky petals, and the yellow-green fluorescent neck is scattered with many tiny spores that resemble dust.

"What the hell is this?"

Huang Canmin brushed aside the branches and leaves, and carefully lowered his body to approach the unknown creature. Zhang Xiaoying, who was standing on the side and treated her coldly, reminded with some uneasiness: "Hey, it's best not to get close to that thing, there seems to be something floating around it." ”

"It's your business!" Huang Canmin turned his head and glanced at Zhang Xiaoying, although his voice was very low, he could hear that this was the last warning, "When Lao Tzu was crawling in the pile of dead, you were still hiding under the bed and crying." ”

Although Huang Canmin's words were vicious, he still had some concerns after all. In order to avoid inhaling any unknown spores, he had to put his left elbow in front of his mouth and nose, and his right hand held the gun in one hand to continue to approach the strange and motionless creature. I always had a bad feeling because it was the first time we had seen the mutant and this mysterious corpse in broad daylight, although we could see the deserted streets and the remnants of the chaos everywhere in the Tianyang City. This does not bode well or will it be of any help to us in rescuing Liang Minxuan and others, on the contrary, it may cause trouble.

"Huang Canmin, let's go, there's no need to waste time here." I said to Hwang Chanmin.

"Shh Huang Canmin is like a mad scientist discovering a new creature in an unknown forest, moving his steps little by little like walking on thin ice.

Finally one step away from this disgusting thing, Huang Canmin tentatively touched the sticky "petals" with the tip of the gun, and with a bang, the whole corpse instantly began to convulse like an electric shock! It was like some monster was about to explode from the corpse, and I could even hear the muffled creaking sound of its flesh and bones. Hwang Chanmin also realized the danger, and he took a few steps back, steadied his rifle, ready to fire at any monster that might come at him.

"Don't stay there!"

As soon as Huang Weizheng's words fell, the "human flesh flower" in the restaurant spewed out yellow-green smoke, which scared Huang Canmin and ran away. All of us ran away from the weird restaurant without looking back, like children in a big disaster, panting across the street at the "jungle restaurant" that was still smoking green.

"What the hell is that?"

No one can give Hwang Chanmin a definite answer, and I am more worried about his physical condition in comparison. "Are you alright?"

"It's fine." Hwang Chanmin pretended to be calm and patted the dust on his body, and we all instinctively covered our mouths and noses while inhaling the spores attached to him.

Zhang Xiaoying did not sneer at Huang Canmin's actions that seemed extremely stupid to her, but just swept over the earthy soldier with contempt, as if to say, "I have warned you a long time ago, who told you to insist on going your own way like a fool." ”

After this restaurant horror, I guess I'll be a little sensitive to places overgrown with plants in the short term, and at least today I won't want to see those mysterious green monsters again. So we made a rule that we couldn't trespass into the leafy buildings and alleys.

As we go deeper, the destruction of the city deepens, accompanied by the dense vegetation attached to the buildings, and the green belt becomes a paradise for trees and ferns. There are also some corpses lining the streets, most of them rotting and stinking from the sun, and some of them have become dying mutants, but none of them are a big threat to us. After walking for a long time, we decided to rest in front of a relatively safe green belt. The tall street trees finally showed some advantages at this time, and the autumn breeze also brought a long-lost freshness, but the taste was a little strange. The temperature is not high in autumn, but today's sun makes people feel tired.

"Strange, how did it come to this?" Huang Weizheng picked up a fern qi root across the road with the barrel of his gun and asked, "This growth rate is terrifying, not to mention that it's autumn now." ”

"I also think it would normally take a few years to grow like this." Zhang Xiaoying, who was next to Huang Weizheng, said, "This is the most seriously forested area in Tianyang, and it is estimated that it will become a real forest in a few years." ”

"Could it be that these plants are overnourished?" Huang Canmin took out another cigarette and smoked it, but his seemingly nonsensical question attracted our attention somewhat, everyone looked at him at the same time, but I didn't expect this usually arrogant ruffian soldier to be a little shy at this time, and hurriedly continued with a dry smile, "That's ...... Isn't that? People will become fat when they are overnourished, and these plants can only grow if they don't get fat. ”

"That's going to have to be overnourished." I laughed.

"Who knows? Fertilizer is excessive. ”

"Who fertilized it? Could it be those mutants who come out in the middle of the night to green the city? ”

"It's hard to say, isn't there a mobile zombie game that is planted by plants?"

"That's a plant fighting zombie ......"

Hwang Chanmin and I stood in front of our companions sitting on the floor and sang and harmonized, as if we were performing street crosstalk. Rare rest time, everyone is also willing to listen to jokes, Huang Canmin also changed into a big brother who took us on an outing at this time, except for Xie Tao, who kept looking down to check his equipment, he was dull and silent, and all of us were immersed in a short leisure.

Zhang Xiaoying looked around and said, "Actually, what Huang Canmin said just now also makes sense, the corpses of the entire city are enough to provide sufficient fertilizer for these plants. ”

"Are you saying that the mutants pile up their leftover corpses and plant trees?"

Zhang Xiaoying ignored my old sarcasm and continued: "Remember the guy we met in the restaurant just now? It's like a mutant in a science fiction movie, feeding some kind of alien creature. ”

"The more you talk about it, the more mysterious it becomes......"

I'm kind of a sci-fi movie fan, but I'm still a firm believer that something bizarre can't happen, and that alien creatures are just a fantasy. I glanced at Huang Canmin beside me, I thought that he would taunt Zhang Xiaoying like me when he was arguing with Zhang Xiaoying along the way, but I didn't expect him to become serious at this time.

"Possibly, though it won't be some alien invasion, but I did see that monster's hands on the ground, just like the roots of a plant."

"And it's becoming like a plant, isn't it?" Zhang Xiaoying, who was supported by Huang Canmin, shook her head and stared at me arrogantly, which reminded me of the unforgiving and sometimes chivalrous Liang Minxuan.

Isolated, I had to look pitifully at Huang Weizheng, who had not yet expressed his position, hoping that he would say something surprising and find a strong argument for me. Maybe it was to take revenge for my betrayal just now, Huang Weizheng patted his ass with a smile and stood up and said, "Okay, let's continue walking." ”

"What! Won't you say something for me? ”

"Oh? Oh! I do not know. ”

"Don't know?" Looking at the two Zhang Xiaoying and Huang Canmin who were standing on the united front at some point, and then looking at the good brothers who died at this time, I could only admit it and follow them to set off again.

Most of the streets in Tianyang City are impassable, and these roads are either blocked by endless traffic or strangely overgrown with strange plants, and for various reasons, the journey that would have taken us about half an hour has been dragged to nearly two hours. Luckily, we managed to reach the bandits' lair just in time for evening, a department store that was clearly armed as a fortress.

In order not to startle the snake, we hid in a bungalow not far from the main entrance of the department store and secretly observed the enemy's every move. Xie Tao took out a pair of high-magnification binoculars and squatted by the window to carefully examine the situation of the department store; Huang Weizheng brought a pair of binoculars, although he did not have Xie Tao's expertise, but this was enough for him to use. Hwang Chanmin and I didn't carry any observation equipment, so we had to act as guards. Zhang Xiaoying wandered in front of a few windows, carefully surveying the terrain around the department store. She also doesn't have a telescope, but as an experienced city hunter, a pair of discerning eyes and a clever brain are enough to deal with any unexpected situation.

"How?" After about five minutes, I hope that our two observers will be able to make some constructive comments.

"There are almost no dead ends, all three exits of the department store are blocked with toppled cars and iron plates, and the windows from the first to the third floor are all sealed, making it difficult for us to sneak in." Xie Tao shook his head and said, "I think we should go back to the base first, except for knocking on the door with them, it is estimated that there is no way to enter inside." "I don't know why, today I feel that Xie Tao has been retreating intentionally or unintentionally, and he has lost his former vitality, and he has begun to look forward and backward since he took the path proposed by Huang Canmin.

"Not necessarily." Huang Weizheng's tone seemed to bring some good news, "I found that there is a fire ladder on the wall near the alley of this department store, from which we can climb to the third floor and go in. ”

"It's too risky, and we can't be sure what's going on inside the department store, we don't even know the terrain, and it's a problem to fall into their trap."

"We can have one group on standby outside while another group goes in and explores. If there is really any trouble, the group on standby outside will immediately make some big noise, and then the group inside will take the opportunity to retreat. Huang Weizheng looked at me as he spoke, and I could see from his eyes that he wanted my support.

"It's still too risky." Maybe it's out of our protection, Xie Tao's caution at this time is no longer the shyness of the past, but more like nervousness, "You have no professional training, even if Huang Canmin and I go in, you will inevitably encounter some accidents outside." ”

"Then I'll go with you." My opening directly made Xie Tao lose the advantage of continuing to argue, after all, his task is to support our operation, and Huang Weizheng and I are the leaders of the operation, "I use the gun better than Huang Weizheng, and I was born to block bullets on the front line, he is responsible for dragging me back at most." ”

My joke didn't make Xie Tao relax, but he had nothing to say so he nodded in acquiescence. Xie Tao and I infiltrated the department store, and Huang Canmin took the rest of the people to cover us in this building. When I was at the shooting range, I saw Hwang Chanmin's marksmanship, which was inversely proportional to his character. I sometimes have to wonder if the two shots he gave me that night were intentional, or maybe he didn't want my life at all.

In any case, this time Huang Canmin can show his strength, he is now our last guarantee, Huang Weizheng and Zhang Xiaoying also continue to stay in this bungalow with him, waiting for me and Xie Tao's signal to improvise. After testing the intercom communication again and checking the time on the watch, we were ready to split up. According to the agreement, if Xie Tao and I didn't come out and lost contact with me after half an hour, then Huang Canmin would take Huang Weizheng and Zhang Xiaoying back to the Tianyang base.

"Be careful." I was still sorting out the complicated pockets of my combat vest, when Huang Weizheng suddenly patted me on the shoulder and said, "Remember not to be impulsive, listen to Xie Tao's arrangement." ”

"Got it!" I shook my shoulders, pulled the bolt of my gun, and smiled, "I'll see you later." ”

"Well, I'll see you later."