Chapter 012 Why do you hide these under your bed?


    "Brother Su, what opportunity are you talking about?"


    Zheng Xinyu followed Zhang Su into the bedroom, her tone laced with confusion.


    "The chance to take down a zombie!"


    Zhang Su''s voice rose slightly, his expression filled with tension, urgency, and excitement.


    Initially, the zombie was roaming the hallway, and the sound of a door opening would undoubtedly attract its attention, leading to an unavoidable head-on confrontation—not an easy feat. But now, someone else had drawn the zombie’s attention. This was the perfect opportunity to strike it from behind. Sneaking up and ambushing it was clearly much easier than fighting it head-on. Anyone with common sense would know that!


    It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance!


    As he answered Zheng Xinyu''s question, Zhang Su bent over and struggled to pull out a large box from under the bed. It was over a meter long and around thirty to forty centimeters wide and thick.


    Before Zheng Xinyu could voice her curiosity, Zhang Su deftly unclasped the box, lifted the lid with a swish, and let out a faint industrial oil scent. Inside lay an array of weapons: machetes, hand axes, a large iron wrench, and a baseball bat.


    "These... wait, Brother Su, why do you have these things hidden under your bed?"


    Zheng Xinyu could somewhat understand the presence of a baseball bat—it could be considered sports equipment. But the strange machetes and the sharp axes? What were those for?


    She looked at Zhang Su with a peculiar expression, as if questioning whether he might secretly be a murderer.


    Zhang Su ignored her skepticism. He took out a short-handled axe hammer from the box and weighed it in his hand. One side gleamed with a sharp axe blade, while the other side was a sturdy hammer—its solid construction immediately imparted a sense of security. Then he pulled out the longest baseball bat and handed it to Zheng Xinyu.


    "Here, you use this!"


    "O-okay."


    Nervously, Zheng Xinyu accepted the baseball bat. She knew what they were about to face, and her scalp tingled as her heart raced.


    From apartment 802 came occasional, piercing cries for help. The zombie, like a ravenous predator, pounded on the door harder and harder, its actions revealing a maddening hunger for fresh blood.


    "When did a woman move in across the hall... Let''s hurry. If she keeps screaming like this, she’ll attract even more zombies!"


    Zhang Su was deeply annoyed. He couldn''t understand why women always seemed to scream when faced with problems. Happy? They screamed. Not happy? They still screamed. Was this trait ingrained in their genes?


    Zheng Xinyu didn’t voice her thoughts. Internally, she admitted that if she didn’t have Zhang Su leading, she wouldn’t be any better than the woman across the hall. Her quick adaptation to the situation was, to a large extent, thanks to Zhang Su.


    "Get ready. In a moment, we’ll sneak up close to the zombie and attack its head simultaneously. You’ve watched zombie movies, right? Aim for the head. Got it?"


    Suppressing his irritation, Zhang Su pointed to his head as he explained.


    "Got it, I understand..."


    Zheng Xinyu replied, still a bit dazed.


    Zhang Su wasn’t reassured. He stepped aside and said, "Come here, show me how you''d swing it!"


    "Brother Su, this baseball bat is a bit heavy. I... I’m afraid I’ll miss. What should I do?"


    Unlike the ordinary bats usually sold to wannabe street youths, this bat was custom-made by a professional craftsman at Zhang Su’s request. It was constructed from special materials, reinforced, and even borrowed ergonomic design patents from top international weapon manufacturers.


    A typical baseball bat weighed around 900 grams, but the one in Zheng Xinyu''s hands weighed a hefty 2 kilograms. While Zhang Su could wield it with ease due to his size and strength, it was a bit much for Zheng Xinyu.


    "It’s heavy because it needs to pack a punch. If it’s too light, you’ll just be giving the zombie a massage! Picture the zombie’s head as a wooden log—swing the bat like you’re chopping firewood. Now, come on, take a swing and show me!" Zhang Su encouraged her.


    "Alright. Yah!"


    Zheng Xinyu wasn’t one to back down. She summoned her strength, raised the bat, and swung it downward. The whistle of wind followed her movement—it carried considerable force.


    Zhang Su blinked in surprise, his brows furrowing. "You’re stronger than I thought. Where did that come from?"


    "I... I’ve been working out a little," Zheng Xinyu mumbled, avoiding his gaze. She wouldn’t admit that after watching Zhang Su work out every day, she’d secretly started following along in her room. Though her training wasn’t intense, it was paying off now.


    "Good. If you’ve got strength, that’s half the battle. Raw power works wonders. But your form was off. Watch me—when you swing, pay attention to how your waist and back work together. That way, you’ll deliver more force. After the strike, make sure to follow through and dodge, so you don’t waste your momentum..."


    Zhang Su demonstrated the techniques, his movements refined and efficient—products of training under an unrestricted fighting master.


    Biting her lip, Zheng Xinyu paid close attention. She couldn’t perfect it in such a short time, but she made an effort to memorize the basic principles.


    "Good, just like that. Now, let’s..."


    "What are you looking for?"


    Zheng Xinyu watched as Zhang Su rummaged through the wardrobe.


    "Something for protection! The woman across the hall has stopped screaming. Based on previous observations, the zombie will give up after four or five minutes of silence! Quick, grab those magazines over there. We’ll make some improvised arm guards!"


    Zhang Su tossed two black wrist guards at Zheng Xinyu, who looked at them in confusion.


    "A-arm guards?"


    She knew what pads were, but how was she supposed to make arm guards? She held the wrist guards, utterly clueless. sea??h thё n??el Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I’ll do it for you first. Watch closely, then you can help me!"


    Zhang Su swiftly grabbed a promotional magazine from the computer desk, wrapped it around Zheng Xinyu’s forearm, and slid the wrist guard over it to secure it in place. "Move your arm. How does it feel?"


    Zheng Xinyu quickly swung her arm. The wrist guard held the magazine tightly in place. She exclaimed, "It’s solid! It doesn’t hinder my movements at all!"


    "Great. Now you know how to do it. Let’s get the other one on."


    Once Zheng Xinyu''s other arm was protected, she deftly helped Zhang Su with his. She was quick and skillful after seeing it once.


    "If a zombie lunges at you, use your arm to block like this, then push or kick it away. Got it?"


    Zhang Su raised his arm to demonstrate.


    "Do... do we really have to do this? It’s so dangerous!" Zheng Xinyu mimicked his movements, her face pale with dread. She knew she might not survive a zombie’s bite.


    "We’re strong and uninjured now. If we don’t practice killing zombies now, what happens when supplies run low, and we’re weak from hunger? How will we kill zombies then—with our heads?" Zhang Su retorted sternly.


    It was a stark reality check. Zheng Xinyu could imagine the scenario vividly. Like a frog in slowly boiling water, she realized how dire things could get. Without Zhang Su, she knew she’d be the type to sit and wait for death.


    "Alright, I’ll follow your lead!"


    Zheng Xinyu’s gaze firmed, and her blocking movements started to look more polished.