Chapter 029 The Way to Survive


    "Why would the guy controlling that drone lure zombies into the neighborhood?"


    Zhong Xiaoshan watched as a sea of zombies poured over the collapsed perimeter wall, a chill running down her spine.


    Initially, there had only been a dozen or so zombies wandering within the visible range of the neighborhood. There were undoubtedly more hidden between the buildings, but they were scattered and not densely packed. Now, with hundreds—if not thousands—suddenly drawn in, the density skyrocketed.


    If there had been a slim chance of sneaking out earlier, now the only way to escape would be to grow wings like that drone. Even if a war god arrived, they’d end up gnawed to bones.


    Zhang Su’s face was dark as he said nothing. After a moment, he tilted his head slightly and said, "Listen, what’s that loudspeaker saying?"


    When the drone flew closer to Building 3, the three of them finally made out the words.


    "Attention survivors! Attention! We are establishing a safe zone along the route to Funing County. Repeat: we are establishing a safe zone along the route to Funing County. Survivors capable of leaving Qin City, join us! Let’s work together and overcome this crisis!"


    "Attention survivors! Attention! We are…"


    The message blared repeatedly through the loudspeaker, echoing over the Shengqin Garden neighborhood.


    The drone carrying the loudspeaker buzzed around the area, drawing most of the zombies from the streets into the neighborhood. As three cars sped past on the street, the loudspeaker abruptly fell silent, and the drone flew off in the direction of the vehicles, disappearing into a blind spot. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The zombies that had been clawing at the sky suddenly lost their target. They milled around aimlessly, the dense horde gradually dispersing as they wandered off in all directions, craning their necks and sniffing the air, clearly searching for new prey.


    What seemed like an encouraging announcement turned into a huge headache for the survivors in Shengqin Garden.


    Meanwhile, the three SUVs that had sped past stopped on the roadside after passing through the zombie-infested area. The passenger door of the lead Land Cruiser opened, and a man in a leather jacket stepped out, catching the returning drone.


    After the man got back into the vehicle, the convoy continued forward.


    "Now is a drone! Worth every bit of the 200,000 it cost!"


    Handing the drone to someone in the backseat, the leather-clad man turned to the driver and said, "Brother Kai, why bother broadcasting to other survivors when we can just hunker down at Boss Liu’s countryside retreat? Even if the world ends, we’ll be comfortable and safe."


    "Exactly. Those people are just a waste of food, completely useless."


    A scrawny man in the backseat chimed in, his sinister smile giving off a vibe that even elderly ladies would steer clear of.


    "Useless?" The driver chuckled hoarsely. "How do you think we made it out alive? Have you already forgotten? Without all those cannon fodder taking the hits, would we have survived? Or are you volunteering to be the next batch of cannon fodder?"


    In a life-or-death situation, you didn’t need to outrun the zombies—just the other survivors.


    The group in the car immediately grasped his point. Someone clapped their hands and said, "Right, right! Let’s welcome more survivors!"


    Laughter erupted in the SUV, filled with malicious intent.


    In the apocalypse, every individual and group had their own methods of survival.


    Back in Shengqin Garden, every able-bodied survivor peeked cautiously from their windows. The sudden announcement filled many with hope, and rare smiles appeared on their faces.


    Qin City oversaw four counties, with Funing County being the closest—just 30 kilometers away, practically a quick drive. However, these survivors didn’t yet realize how impossibly far 20-30 kilometers felt in the current state of the world.


    Considering Shengqin Garden’s situation, even escaping the neighborhood alone was an immense challenge.


    "They said… they’re building a safe zone on the way to Funing County?!"


    Zhong Xiaoshan’s expression lit up with excitement as she exclaimed, "I’m from Funing County! My parents are in Xiao Puzhuang!"


    Though she didn’t spell it out, her hopeful gaze made her thoughts obvious. Zhang Su had no qualms about throwing cold water on her enthusiasm. "They lured a massive horde of zombies into the neighborhood just to announce they’re building a safe zone. Do you think these people are acting out of kindness?"


    From how adeptly the drone was operated, Zhang Su suspected this wasn’t the first time they’d pulled such a stunt.


    While it seemed like a good-faith effort to inform survivors about a safe zone, in reality, it was likely a ploy to clear the roads of zombies so the convoy could pass safely.


    In a fight for survival, morality didn’t matter—only life and death did. Still, Zhang Su doubted that people who used such underhanded tactics could be considered "good guys." Not that he thought of himself as one, either.


    Zhong Xiaoshan paused at Zhang Su’s words, frowning in thought. After a moment, she glanced at the increased number of zombies below and, cooling off, reluctantly admitted he was right.


    Zheng Xinyu sighed at the dense horde below, some zombies bumping into each other as they shuffled about. "Brother Su, if ordinary people could organize a safe zone, don’t you think the government would have acted already?"


    "Exactly! With how quickly the authorities can respond, they’d definitely have set up a safe zone somewhere—probably in a hospital!" Zhong Xiaoshan quickly agreed.


    Zhang Su shook his head. "You two are optimistic—too optimistic. First, those people only said they to build a safe zone. It’s just an idea, like anyone can have. Second, they said it’ll be to Funing County. That’s a stretch of 20-30 kilometers with no specific location. It’s clear they don’t have a solid plan."


    "At best, it’s a preliminary idea. At worst, they’re using this announcement as an excuse to lure zombies away and clear a path for themselves. As for official safe zones, there might be some, but they’d likely be small and selective—not relevant to us."


    Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan, both no strangers to harsh truths, understood the implications.


    As this brief episode passed, the survivors of Shengqin Garden reacted differently—some shared Zhang Su’s skepticism, others were eager to act, and a few had already begun planning their next move.


    By 4 p.m., as the setting sun cast long shadows, Zhang Su and his group finished their exercise routine. They snacked to regain energy while discussing strategies and analyzing zombie behavior. Suddenly, loud music echoed outside.


    "Burning off my calories, bye-bye sweet donuts…"


    A pop song blared out, piercing the silence and grabbing everyone’s attention.


    The trio hurried to the window, scanning for the source of the noise. Unable to see from their current vantage point, they rushed to Apartment 802. From a south-facing window, they finally spotted it: someone was using a drone with a loudspeaker to lure zombies, just like before.


    However, this drone was of much lower quality, struggling to maintain altitude and stability. It wobbled precariously, as though it might crash at any moment.