Under the scorching sun, Ah Cheng slowly got up. A sharp pain caused his cracked lips to quiver involuntarily, probably due to the fall that injured his muscles and bones.

But now was clearly not the time to thoroughly examine his body, as the zombies were closing in instantly.

Ah Cheng, supporting his aching knee, struggled to stand. He tried hard to suppress the urge to look back.

Because he was afraid; afraid that if he turned his head to look, he might no longer have the courage to take another step forward.

However, it seemed as if fate was deliberately testing this child, who had just turned 18, because just as Ah Cheng took a step forward, a long "black shadow" wobbled and blocked the ground beneath his feet.

His heart suddenly tightened, all the blood in his body seemed to freeze instantly. Ah Cheng turned sideways in horror, and when his eyes met the owner of that "black shadow," his brain completely went blank. The rapid contraction of his pupils reflected his most genuine feeling at that moment:

Fear! Bone-chilling fear!

The fear, accompanied by a loss of senses, made Ah Cheng unable to hear the calls from his companions behind him. Even though Wang Qiang was running desperately forward, the short 5 meters became an insurmountable chasm of life and death between him and Ah Cheng.

Run? Of course, Ah Cheng wanted to! But his chaotic brain and overwhelming fear severely hampered his body's neurons.

So he stood there dumbfounded, as if waiting for a long-separated friend, except that his uncontrollably twitching face fully revealed his inner horror and helplessness.

"Damn it!" Wang Qiang gripped the long spear tightly, the skin between his knuckles turning red due to the excessive force.

He was also afraid, also terrified, but more than anything, he felt helpless and furious at his inability to fulfill his promise to Du Jian.

"Ah Cheng! You fucking run! Run! What the hell are you standing there posing for?!"

He yelled loudly with bloodshot eyes, but Ah Cheng remained standing, as though he hadn't heard a thing.

It's over! Wang Qiang closed his eyes unwillingly. The slaughter about to occur within a hair's breadth, he was powerless to stop it! Powerless to change it! The only thing he could do was close his eyes in frustration and pretend not to see, to escape the harsh reality.

He had no choice; he simply had no courage left to watch a brother die horribly before his eyes.

The shadow in his eyes grew larger. Ah Cheng could clearly feel the heat waves raised by the swings of the opponent's arms.

The heat waves, accompanied by a cyclone, further raised the surrounding temperature, but this rising warmth did nothing to warm Ah Cheng's heart, which felt like it was trapped in an ice cellar.

"Uncle! I'm sorry!"

"Dad! I'll be joining you soon!"

"Sorry! Brothers!"

"I still can't overcome my inner fear!"

Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, not out of fear or tension, but because of his own cowardice and inaction.

The zombie's claw was less than a meter away. Ah Cheng tried hard to stand up straight to die with some dignity, but then...

"Whoosh~" A blinding light shot out from the distance, crossing the entire 20 meters in just a moment.

Ah Cheng didn't notice the arrow that brushed past his ear; he simply felt something flash at the corner of his eye. When he regained his sight and looked at the zombie before him, he saw its figure suddenly convulse, as if struck by lightning, and before he could react further, it collapsed to the ground.

"Crack!" A crisp snapping sound. Fixing his gaze, Ah Cheng finally noticed a broken arrow feather stuck in the zombie's skull.

He turned his head reflexively, and just as he raised his eyes to look into the distance, he saw a figure rushing towards him, accompanied by the howling wind.

"Slap!" A hand slapped heavily on his cheek, and Ah Cheng instantly felt a burning sensation on his skin. He inexplicably wanted to speak, but...

"What the hell are you doing?! If you want to die, say so! Don't act like a little girl, making everyone worry about you!" The head-on barrage of scolding shocked Ah Cheng as Wang Qiang, with anger flaring, berated him.

Ah Cheng felt very wronged. Having just narrowly escaped death, his emotions hadn't yet stabilized, and now Wang Qiang's unexpected reprimand made him even more tearful.

But what he didn't know was that just seconds before, the man standing in front of him felt immense pain and regret over his imminent demise!

As it's said, the deeper the love, the harsher the rebuke! Wang Qiang was such a person; he was straightforward, with clear distinctions between love and hate. Although he often spoke harshly, often misunderstood because of his straightforward nature.

But with brothers, friends, and family, he was absolutely dependable, willing to risk everything for them. This is why, despite all of Wang Qiang's criticisms and jibes, Tang Xiaoquan always remained calm, never wavering in considering him a brother.

"Qiang! Let's go!" Seeing Wang Qiang clench his fist, Wu Chao worried about further trouble and quickly urged him to leave. After all, the zombies were still approaching, and standing here chatting was clearly courting death.

"Damn it! Let's go! Watch where you're stepping! Don't screw up on me again!" With a forceful yank, Ah Cheng's thin figure was immediately pulled in front of Wang Qiang. Without waiting for a response, the latter forcefully dragged him, running ahead.

Zombies were relentlessly chasing from behind, the howls like a death knell urging the survivors to keep increasing their speed.

Tang Xiaoquan opened the door of the last car beside him. He let out a breath as everything happening ahead was in his sight. For a moment, he truly worried that his brothers might do something foolish, but now... he still managed to maintain enough reason! Otherwise... Tang Xiaoquan dared not imagine.

Behind him, a row of car doors were wide open, looking like birds spreading their wings, ready to soar into the sky.

And the reason Tang Xiaoquan did everything was entirely to buy enough buffer time for the group's escape.

His gaze moved once more to the distance; the five figures of the group were gradually nearing him. Yet the zombies behind them were still relentless, and Tang Xiaoquan even noticed that one or two among the zombie horde seemed to be...

His eyes blinked twice involuntarily; Tang Xiaoquan was somewhat unsure. When he looked again, a startled expression instantly surfaced on his face...

The zombies... were actually... running!

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