Chapter 38: Formulating a Plan to Clear the Zombies

“What? Clearing out the zombies?” Thin Monkey was so shocked by the boss’s words that he nearly jumped to his feet. Thankfully, he remembered they were not far from the town and didn’t dare yell, but his face was a mask of genuine astonishment.

“Boss, there are so many zombies!” Thin Monkey was on the verge of tears, trembling as he pointed a finger toward the town. The boss was always strict with their training, often pushing them past their limits, but wasn’t this going a bit too far? Their supplies weren’t enough to escape the mountains, so going into town was necessary—but those were zombies, ruthless killers. Even if they didn’t fight back, there were so many that a handful of people couldn’t possibly finish them off. Worse yet, if anyone got careless, infection was almost certain.

“Do I seem like someone who jokes?” The boss shot Thin Monkey a cold glance, then turned away and started walking toward the mountainside.

Big Zhuang followed silently, Du Yun pulled Taotao along at the rear, and Thin Monkey was left alone, squatting in misery for a moment before sighing and trudging after them.

Du Yun walked quietly behind the boss, still shaken by his proposal. But after a moment’s thought, she realized the boss was no fool. If he truly meant to kill zombies, he wouldn’t send them charging into the horde—that would be suicide. But if not a direct battle, then what?

As she walked, Du Yun surveyed the surrounding mountains. Suddenly, her eyes lit up—a patch of white, steep mountainside appeared ahead. The white cliffs formed a natural enclosure, with only a ten-meter-wide opening for entry and exit. The sheer walls, resembling a mined quarry, rose straight up with only a few step-like platforms, forming a natural barrier.

Seeing this, Du Yun felt as if fortune itself had descended. An idea took shape in her mind: if they could carry out the plan, it might be possible to wipe out most of the town’s zombies.

“Boss, if we…” Du Yun hurried to the boss’s side, her eyes shining as she explained her strategy.

“Hmm.” The boss listened quietly, then added a few succinct points where Du Yun hadn’t thought things through. The group’s eyes sparkled. This was it!

Thunderous explosions erupted from the town’s edge, startling the zombies. Instantly, they accelerated to a terrifying speed, surging toward the source of the sound. Some zombies tripped and fell, only to be trampled by those behind. Others saw the fallen and swarmed to devour them, then scattered, racing on toward the blast.

When most of the zombies reached the site of the first explosion, a second blast sounded, further agitating them. They pushed forward, running until they neared the hollowed-out mountainside.

Some zombies died along the way, but the vast majority arrived, a dark wave numbering far more than a thousand or two. Their ferocious, crazed appearance chilled the soul.

Suddenly, an explosion echoed from within the mountain, followed by blazing flames. It was as if water had been poured onto boiling oil—the already frenzied zombies rushed en masse toward the fire.

Once they were all inside the encirclement, another fierce explosion sounded behind them. In an instant, countless rocks fell from above, sealing the narrow entrance completely. Thousands of zombies were trapped inside the mountain.

Those too slow to dodge were crushed beneath the stones; the injured or dead were quickly consumed by their own kind, the scene gruesome beyond description. Standing above, Du Yun couldn’t help but retch.

“Let’s go.” The boss pursed his lips, took Du Yun’s hand, and turned away. The mountain was filled with zombies, not people. Although they looked human, inside they were more savage than beasts.

“Mm.” Du Yun hurried along, her heart still pounding. If the timing had been off by even a fraction, the whole plan would have failed.

Thinking of the carnage among the zombies, the group had once wanted to eliminate them all. But their grenades and explosives were spent in trapping the zombies; even if they threw rocks until exhausted, they couldn’t kill so many. They had to abandon the idea.

“Hurry, find survivors,” the boss said sternly, striding ahead.

Du Yun understood his meaning and jogged to keep up. The plan had been rushed, their resources limited, and they didn’t know how long the mountain would hold the zombies. If any regained intelligence, they could escape quickly, making the town unsafe once again.

“Taotao, where does your father usually stay in town?” Once they left the mountain, Du Yun felt her limbs regain strength and finally had the presence of mind to ask Taotao about her father.

“In the warehouse,” Taotao replied, still pale with fear. Her little hand trembled as Du Yun held it, but she managed to pull herself together enough to answer.

Du Yun saw how terrified Taotao was and realized it was impossible to let such a small child lead the way. She wrapped her arms around Taotao to comfort her, instinctively glancing at the boss.

“To the warehouse!” The boss caught Du Yun’s look, pondered briefly, and issued the order.

Half their flatbread was gone; to escape the mountains, they needed more supplies. The town wasn’t large—it didn’t matter where they started searching, so the warehouse would do.

“Boss, this way!” Big Zhuang fiddled with his map, found a spot resembling a warehouse, and began leading the way, alert for danger.

Soon they reached the area marked on the map; the building did indeed look like a warehouse.

“Keep watch. Open the door.” The boss raised his hoe and pressed up against the warehouse’s main entrance. Big Zhuang and Thin Monkey stood at the door, eyed the smaller side door, and together kicked it open with a crash.

“Ah!” A furious roar burst from inside the warehouse, sending chills down their spines.