This statement successfully instilled panic in everyone.
Doubts began to surface from within the crowd. "Little Wu is already dead, what if those people have backup!"
"What if we're surrounded?"
"Yeah, boss, what if we've been tricked!"
Liu Chen, already agitated by the loss of two men, grew even more irate at the sight of others spreading such demoralizing rumors. Didn't he feel fear himself? But with the intent to kill already ignited, what good was fear now? The other party was clearly prepared. Would they let him go if he backed down?
"Shut up! Anyone who utters another word, I'll kill you myself and feed you to the zombies!"
Liu Chen feigned composure, but in reality, he was already plotting his escape route.
However, it was clear that Xu An would not allow them any such leeway.
With a whistle, Xu An darted out from the crowd, instantly ending one man's life with a single strike. Zhou Haimei and Lin Zhuoran also emerged like phantoms from behind the group, engaging them in combat.
To Zhou Haimei's surprise, despite their gaunt and seemingly frail appearance, this group fought with considerable strength. Xu An's objective was the element of surprise. They now held a distinct advantage, having already eliminated three individuals.
During the fight, Xu An reminded the other two, "Leave one alive!"
Zhou Haimei and Lin Zhuoran responded with loud affirmations.
Liu Chen, caught off guard, dared not make any rash moves. Instead, he used the cover of the dense fog to constantly evade and hide, fearing that his subordinates' suspicions about additional helpers were true. As he watched his men fall one by one, with only the three women in sight, Liu Chen's taut heart gradually relaxed. Seizing the opportunity, he pulled out the walkie-talkie clipped to his belt, spoke a few words amidst the chaos, and then charged forward to engage Xu An and the others.
Lin Zhuoran's battle was equally fierce. Heeding Xu An's instruction to leave someone alive, Lin Zhuoran was restraining himself, not wanting to kill everyone.
However, Xu An sensed something amiss and shouted, "Capture the man in the checkered shirt in the middle!" Perhaps it was the dense fog, but brightly colored clothing seemed to stand out more readily. The men were all dressed in garish, eye-catching attire.
"Damn it!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Chen's evasion became even more desperate, his mind silently cursing. He vowed that once his reinforcements arrived, these bitches would pay dearly! Just as Xu An was closing in on Liu Chen, the familiar vibration underfoot returned. It wasn't just Xu An; this tremor was so pronounced that everyone present felt it.
Xu An's heart leaped, and almost instinctively, she shouted, "Run!"
In an instant, the crowd scattered. To avoid being separated, Xu An first found Lin Zhuoran and Zhou Haimei, and then led them in their escape. The trio immediately returned to their vehicle. Xu An floored the accelerator, heading towards the direction of the perimeter fence.
"What's wrong?" Lin Zhuoran and Zhou Haimei asked, their faces etched with shock and uncertainty.
"Zombies. A large horde of them. They were likely drawn here by those people," Xu An replied, her expression grim, clearly unwilling to elaborate.
"What the hell did those people do to control zombies?"
Xu An's initial suspicions had already solidified into strong conviction. "It's not the fact that they can control zombies that's frightening, but rather the possibility that they aren't controlling *real* zombies..."
Before the other two could inquire about the meaning of her words, they were interrupted by a violent impact. Countless zombies, their faces covered in rotting flesh, were slamming against their vehicle. Xu An remained silent, her furrowed brow revealing her tense state. She accelerated rapidly, creating a distance between them and the zombies. Yet, the pursuing horde seemed to have tracking devices, relentlessly following them.
"What's going on with these zombies? Why are they chasing us so persistently!" Zhou Haimei exclaimed, her voice filled with anxiety, as if she had never encountered such a situation.
"Yeah, why aren't these damned zombies biting those people behind us and just following us!"
"These zombies are likely being raised by those people. I don't know what method they used to make the zombies not attack them, but these zombies are clearly problematic," Xu An explained the current predicament to the other two as she sped away.
Hearing the word "raised," the other two changed their expressions, especially Lin Zhuoran, whose face instantly darkened. She seemed to have recalled something, falling into a silent contemplation.
Xu An, focused on driving, didn't notice the shift in the back seat. Zhou Haimei, however, did notice Lin Zhuoran's sudden change in demeanor.
"Zhuoran, did something happen? Or have you remembered something?"
But Lin Zhuoran kept shaking her head, mumbling softly, "This is impossible, this is impossible..."
Now, even Xu An noticed Lin Zhuoran's odd behavior. However, her focus was on evading the zombies, leaving her no time to ponder what Lin Zhuoran's "impossible" referred to. Zhou Haimei, with her usual fiery temper, felt Lin Zhuoran's evasiveness at this critical moment was unacceptable. She wasn't like Xu An; she had only met Lin Zhuoran recently. Her expression turned cold, and her tone held a hint of displeasure.
"If you know something, say it quickly! What time is it? You're still playing games with us. If you want to die, go ahead, but don't drag us down with you."
Xu An didn't stop Zhou Haimei's questioning. She was also extremely anxious. If she wasn't driving, she would have forced Lin Zhuoran to tell the truth herself. Regardless of her own safety, and considering her relationship with Lin Zhuoran, she felt obligated to bring Zhou Haimei, who had shown her great care at the lighthouse, back alive.
Seeing Lin Zhuoran still unwilling to speak, Xu An's voice also took on a cold edge.
"Lin Zhuoran!"
Xu An's sharp reprimand seemed to jolt Lin Zhuoran out of her reverie. She looked up blankly at Zhou Haimei, who sat beside her with an angry expression, and then glanced at Xu An's somewhat sharp eyes in the rearview mirror.
"Three months ago, our base started experiencing a series of disappearances. Most of them were people on missions who went out and never returned."
Lin Zhuoran seemed to be recalling events as she slowly recounted the strange occurrences of the past few months.