Chapter 023 Heroic Sacrifice


    More than half an hour later, Zhang Su asked Zheng Xinyu to stop and rest, while he kept going.


    It wasn’t because he felt sorry for her or because he was strict with himself but lenient with others. It was simply because, in situations where unexpected danger could arise at any time, overexertion wasn’t an option—you had to save some strength for a fight.


    “How do you feel?”


    As their training ended, Zhang Su wiped himself clean with a wet wipe while asking Zheng Xinyu about her experience.


    She had already tidied up and was sitting on the side in clean pajamas, holding a bottle of energy drink. Shrugging, she said, “I feel like we could push the intensity a bit more; it’s not that exhausting.” S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She wasn’t exactly unexhausted but felt a strange sense of tension seeing Zhang Su’s persistence.


    As a PUBG livestreamer who often played in four-person squads, Zheng Xinyu deeply understood the frustration of carrying teammates who couldn’t pull their weight. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to help; sometimes, it was just impossible to save someone…


    She didn’t want to be that one crawling helplessly in the grass.


    “Alright, we’ll gradually increase the intensity; otherwise, it’s easy to get injured.”


    As he spoke, Zhang Su walked over to the window and observed the outside world. He sighed, “It’s getting quieter out there. Oh, by the way, Xinyu, when I was killing zombies today, I thought of something…”


    The two of them discussed various zombie-related issues, summarized their experiences, and then returned to their respective rooms to rest.


    At around 10 p.m., Zhang Su lay awake in bed. Not long ago, Zheng Xinyu had woken him up from a dream, dragging him into a day of utter madness. And that madness showed no signs of stopping—it stretched endlessly into the unknown.


    “Luezi, Xiaoxue… I wonder how those two are doing.”


    There weren’t many people Zhang Su cared about, but his two employees were definitely high on that list. They were among the few people in this world he was familiar with and who also knew him well.


    Occasionally, he’d think about an ex-girlfriend or two…


    Turning over in bed, Zhang Su suddenly felt his hair stand on end. Sitting up straight, he glared toward the door. “What are you, a ghost? Walking without making a sound!”


    In the darkness, a figure stood in the doorway, holding a quilt. It was none other than Zheng Xinyu.


    Zhang Su, acting on a hunch, hadn’t shut the door tonight. It seemed he had already anticipated that Zheng Xinyu would end up here.


    “I heard noises. I’m scared…”


    Her voice was soft and low.


    Her bedroom was at the very end of the building, surrounded by open space. In the stillness of the night, she could hear everything she didn’t want to—the heart-wrenching cries, hoarse pleas for help, agonized groans, and the beast-like howls of zombies.


    She had tried putting on headphones to drown out the world, but losing her sense of hearing in the dark only heightened her fear.


    Zhang Su scooted over and patted the bed. “Come on, I take in lonely and helpless girls. But fair warning, I might get handsy.”


    Without hesitation, Zheng Xinyu darted onto his bed. She immediately felt a wave of relief and even joked, “As if I wouldn’t get handsy first. Ha!”


    “You’ve got some nerve!”


    Zhang Su raised his hand to smack her butt, but this time, she anticipated his move and blocked him with a box.


    The moment Zhang Su felt the plastic wrap on the box, he knew what it was. The mood was set, the night was still, and this really was the perfect time for a cigarette.


    Taking the pack from her, he pulled one out, struck a match, and lit it. The tension in the air melted with each inhale and exhale, giving his frayed nerves a moment of peace.


    The first night of the zombie outbreak should’ve been the hardest to sleep through. But after a cigarette, the two of them drifted off into a deep sleep. When they opened their eyes again, it was still pitch black outside.


    The string of gunfire shattered the silence, and the earth-shaking explosion seemed to pierce the heavens. A red glow illuminated the curtains.


    Zhang Su and Zheng Xinyu opened their eyes almost simultaneously.


    “What’s that noise?” Zheng Xinyu asked, panic in her voice.


    People in Tianchao weren’t particularly attuned to the sound of gunfire or explosions.


    “Gunfire. And artillery? Let’s check it out…”


    Zhang Su wasn’t a stranger to these sounds—he heard them every day in games. But Zheng Xinyu was different. She focused more on atmosphere and entertainment; game sound effects were never a priority for her.


    Without even bothering to get dressed, Zhang Su ran to the window. He saw explosions lighting up the streets far west of their residential area, with smoke and fire rising into the air.


    Amid the flames and streetlights, he could make out figures moving while firing indiscriminately. The light and shadows formed a surreal halo in the night as they fought to repel the evil that threatened to engulf them.


    Occasionally, explosions echoed, likely from grenades. It was like a battlefield, a truly shocking sight.


    “Over there—it’s probably the military! There’s a ton of heavy weaponry clearing out the zombies. Ha, we’re saved!”


    Zhang Su’s excitement was palpable. He was optimistic despite the dire situation, but deep down, he longed for order to be restored as soon as possible. After all, he had enjoyed a pretty good life before all this.


    “Really? Oh my god, is that… a tank? Did I just see a tank?”


    Zheng Xinyu clung to Zhang Su’s arm, her eyes wet with excitement.


    “That’s an armored vehicle. Looks like it’s not the military—probably the special police from the helicopter yesterday. Either way, we’re saved!”


    Zhang Su’s face relaxed into a rare smile. He was confident that against overwhelming firepower, the zombies didn’t stand a chance.


    But his smile quickly froze. As the gunfire moved out of view, what replaced it was a dark, endless mass filling the entire street…


    “That’s… a zombie horde!”


    Though the distance and lighting made it hard to see clearly, Zhang Su knew exactly what he was looking at—a horrifying swarm of zombies.


    The oppressive sight made his hair stand on end and sent shivers down his spine. Even two to three hundred meters away, the sheer scale of the horde struck terror deep into his heart.


    With people, you could negotiate. But with a massive, bloodthirsty swarm of zombies?


    These monsters were born to devour; they left no room for survival.


    “Sh*t, that’s way too many… This isn’t good.”


    Zhang Su and Zheng Xinyu desperately tried to see where the horde ended, but before they could, the gunfire began to wane.


    It was clear that the overwhelming firepower required an immense amount of ammunition to sustain. Once the ammo ran out, the guns became useless…


    A massive explosion sent flames soaring into the sky, shaking their window slightly. After the blast, the gunfire stopped entirely. Apart from the roaring fire, it was as if nothing had ever happened.


    Zhang Su slumped to the ground, not caring about the cold floor.


    “Zhang Su, those special police…” Zheng Xinyu asked, her voice trembling.


    “They sacrificed themselves.”


    His answer was heavy.


    Those warriors had turned their lives into a brilliant display of light, fighting valiantly to repel the darkness.