"Captain, we've cleared out the aluminum alloy building materials store. Let's head to the convenience store!"
In front of the barricade line made of traffic barriers and heavy objects, not many zombies had fallen. Lin Yuan and Wu Tian had managed to hold both the front and back defense lines.
"Let's not go to the convenience store. We'll return to the residential complex directly and get the vehicles modified. We can go to the convenience store later if we have time," Lin Yuan thought it over and decided against trying for the supplies at the convenience store.
Wang Zhihai nodded and quickly signaled to the combat team to withdraw.
Upon receiving the order, everyone immediately removed the traffic barriers and heavy objects blocking the road and headed back to the residential complex.
This time, they didn't need to clear everything. They only needed to leave enough space for vehicles to pass through.
At the entrance to the underground parking garage, the collected aluminum alloy materials and steel were piled there, along with two welding machines, two cutting machines, and their accompanying equipment.
Due to the lack of electricity, the underground parking garage was pitch black even during the day, with only the entrance area faintly visible.
Fortunately, the tool room and the electrical distribution room were located in the security office at the entrance, and the generator was inside.
"Meng Nan, you and An Jing go help move the supplies to the underground parking garage. They should have just brought the items downstairs. We'll guard here," Lin Yuan said to Zhao Meng Nan.
"Understood, Captain. We'll go right away. You guys be careful," Zhao Meng Nan replied without any unnecessary words, then pulled Zhao Jing to move supplies.
Looking at the underground parking garage, which grew darker the further in you went, like a giant abyss demon with its mouth wide open, waiting to claim lives, Lin Yuan wasn't particularly scared. Instead, he took out a fully charged old-fashioned mobile phone, which he had charged using a socket connected to the battery.
He walked to the side of the security room, switched to the music option, selected the song "Good Luck Comes," turned up the volume, and pressed play.
"Fold a thousand paper cranes, tie a red ribbon, may kind people have good luck every day~
You are diligent and your life is beautiful, you are healthy and spring is always with you..."
As the familiar music began to play, Lin Yuan and the others swayed along with the music, humming the tune.
"Your lifelong efforts are all for, a smile blooming brightly!"
"Good luck comes and wishes you good luck~" Just as I was humming this part, the commotion in the underground parking garage grew louder, mixed with the sound of breaking glass. Zombies were emerging from the cars, breaking through the windows.
"Prepare to fire." The bullets weren't loaded just for the zombies on the street.
"Roar!!" The first zombie poked its head out and let out a furious roar, as if trying to compete with "Good Luck Comes" playing from the phone.
But before it could finish its roar, it was shot in the head.
What are you barking about here?!
The night demon's head was still hanging on the rooftop.
Zombies continuously emerged from the underground parking garage. Most of them were fully developed mushroom creatures. There were no night demons, perhaps due to the failed evolutionary mutation that was eliminated in the underground parking garage a few days ago.
However, Lin Yuan and his group weren't concerned about such things. Even if there were night demons, the bullets from five rifles would be the main course, with high-explosive grenades and incendiary bombs as dessert, ensuring it would be well-fed.
There were indeed quite a few hidden zombies in the underground parking garage, and nearly 50 zombies had fallen to their guns.
After playing music for a while longer, Lin Yuan and his group had only dealt with two zombies that were slowly shuffling out. It seemed like they had dealt with most of them, and they only needed to be cautious when entering later.
Picking up the phone and turning off the ringing, Lin Yuan turned and said, "Brother Wang, go start the generator in the security room and turn on the garage lights.
Meng Yue, you, and Brother Xiao Zhu will help me find suitable vehicles. Try to find SUVs with low noise and large capacity, such as Buick Envision, Volkswagen Teramont, Lexus LX, BMW X5, Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer, Volvo XC90, and Ford Everest.
Sister Qingtian and Zhu Mingjun, stay here and collect car keys from them. Also, ask Meng Nan and the others to bring over the keys we've collected. The supplies upstairs should have been moved down.
Brother Wang, after starting the generator in the security room and turning on the garage lights, you'll join them in collecting keys and moving bodies.
Be sure to be safe and don't cut your hands on bone fragments or anything like that."
They were about to withdraw, and it wouldn't be a peaceful end if they were to capsize in the gutter now.
"Understood!"
"Meng Yue, Brother Xiao Zhu, wait until the lights are on, and then we'll go in. We'll stick to the old formation, three-man team. I'll take the shield and axe and lead the way, you two cover me."
"Okay, we just need to be careful if there are any ambushing zombies behind the cars."
Although zombies' intelligence was frighteningly low, it wasn't impossible for one or two to be a prodigious genius.
It's better to be vigilant.
After waiting for only a minute or two, the generator in the security room roared to life. The sound was surprisingly not very loud. Was it a new model of generator, one that had undergone special noise reduction treatment?
Wang Zhihai came out after turning on all the lights in the garage and quickly closed the door, still holding a bunch of keys.
"Captain, everything is ready. There isn't much diesel left in this generator, I added a little, and there's about half a barrel of diesel remaining, which should last for a while."
"Alright, then we'll head in. Keep a lookout for us at all times."
Then, the three of them walked towards the underground parking garage in a defensive formation.
The underground parking garage was very cool. Coupled with the pale light and the dark corners where the light couldn't reach, as well as the remaining puddles on the ground, it indeed had a bit of a horror game feel to it.
"There are two zombies inside the car on the left, be careful."
"Understood." No one made a move. They hadn't broken free earlier, which proved the car windows were of exceptionally good quality. Now, without any stimulating sounds, they weren't coming out.
The three of them meticulously searched the entire garage within half an hour. They also checked the six entrances leading to the residential buildings and found no more zombies.
The charred body of the failed evolutionary mutant was still lying there.
They returned to the entrance of the underground parking garage along the same path. They had found more than a dozen target vehicles along the way. Now, it depended on how many of the collected car keys would be usable.
If not, they would have to pry open the locks and hotwire the cars as in the movies.
This method was actually not very practical in modern times, as many modern vehicles adopted electronic anti-theft systems and engine electronic locks.
The initial key merely served as a physical switch, which was one of the very basic anti-theft measures.
Someone familiar with car circuits could quickly find the wires connected to the ignition switch, pull them out, and start the car by touching them together.
Even if not very familiar with circuits, one could directly remove the cover of the ignition switch and find these two wires.
Now, near the metal part of the key's plastic handle, there would be a chip storing password information, similar to an ID card.
And near the car's ignition keyhole, a coil would be arranged. When the key was inserted into the keyhole, the coil would use electromagnetic principles to power the chip, and if the information was correct, the anti-theft system would be disarmed. Otherwise, it would prevent the engine from starting.
However, as long as the anti-theft device was found, dismantled, or its power disconnected, the electronic anti-theft could be bypassed.
But the car's engine control unit (ECU) was the reliable hardware for anti-theft. To start such a car without a key, one needed advanced hacking skills.
It was extremely troublesome.
This is why we must do things steadily and not have greedy thoughts.
However, in the apocalypse, it's still an act of emergency self-preservation (｢･w･)｢ Hey!
Fortunately, not all cars have such anti-theft measures. If the key doesn't match, they could find lower-tier vehicles with larger capacities.
At this point, as long as it can be driven, isn't that enough?
"Captain, here are all the car keys. A total of 49, and more than half of these were contributed by the zombies in the garage," Wang Zhihai said at the entrance, pointing to the bag he was holding.