Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Danger 2 – The Gate of Rebirth in the Apocalypse

Danger 2

If the atmosphere wasn’t so tense, Third Brother would have burst out laughing.

But looking into Gu Ning’s eyes, Third Brother couldn’t bring himself to laugh. He glanced at her, and there wasn’t a hint of jest in her gaze. His eyes flickered with something inscrutable, then he turned to the guy with the crew cut and said, “Zhang Yang, give her your gun.”

“Huh?!” The crew-cut guy was stunned, looking at Third Brother in shock.

Third Brother impatiently repeated, “Give her your gun.”

Reluctantly, Zhang Yang handed the gun to Gu Ning, nervously saying, “Be careful, don’t accidentally fire it.”

Gu Ning took the gun, feeling its slight weight in her hand.

“That’s a semi-automatic pistol. Pull the trigger once, and it fires one bullet. Before shooting, pull the slide, aim, and then fire,” Third Brother explained succinctly, demonstrating the actions with his hands. Gu Ning focused intently on his hands, then tried holding the gun herself. Third Brother’s eyes lit up slightly as he saw her stance, which was almost as good as his own. He said with a mix of admiration and surprise, “You learn fast.”

But soon, he added, “You have three bullets. If you can’t blow off a zombie’s head with those three shots, give the gun back to Zhang Yang.”

As they spoke, countless zombies were slamming against the vehicle, shaking it violently. The number must have been significant, given how much the vehicle was rocking.

Just as he finished speaking, a loud bang came from above.

“Damn it! Where the hell are these zombies coming from?!” Third Brother cursed. Before he could finish, another loud bang echoed from inside the cabin!

Before anyone in the cabin could react, a shrill, dry screech came from the roof, followed by the sound of something heavy falling to the ground.

Third Brother’s mouth hung open as he stared at Gu Ning, who was aiming the gun at the roof. There was a clear hole in the roof, and Gu Ning’s hand was slightly numb from the recoil. Without even looking at him, she said, “This gun is mine now.” Third Brother looked at the hole in the roof, then at Gu Ning, speechless.

Zhang Yang’s mouth was agape as he stared at Gu Ning, who held the gun with an expressionless face, his eyes filled with shock.

The others in the cabin had similar reactions.

Cheng Ming looked at Gu Ning, a spark of admiration in his eyes, gripping his long knife tightly, feeling an inexplicable surge of emotion.

Huang Mengyao also gazed at Gu Ning, her eyes shining with an unusual light.

Jia Daozhang appeared the calmest of all. He looked at Gu Ning, his narrow eyes flickering with something unreadable, then finally made a decision.

Gu Ning, however, had no time to notice their reactions. She was entirely focused on the movements above the roof. It was as if she could see through the metal, spotting a zombie clawing desperately at the roof. Three seconds later, Gu Ning pulled the trigger again—

“Bang!”

Another hole appeared in the roof.

A zombie that had been lying on the roof didn’t even have time to scream before its head was flung back by the bullet’s impact, then it fell to the ground. The bullet had entered its forehead, creating a bloody hole, but no blood flowed out—only a grayish-black, foul-smelling ooze.

“Someone needs to drive the truck,” Gu Ning said after firing a few more shots, clearing the zombies from the roof. The initial awkwardness of holding the gun was slowly replaced by familiarity.

Third Brother frowned. “We don’t know how many zombies are out there. If we go out recklessly…”

Before he could finish, the vehicle shook violently, almost tipping over. Gu Ning reacted quickly, steadying herself by grabbing the railing on the wall. The others stumbled and fell, including Third Brother, who hit the ground.

Gu Ning coldly said to Third Brother, “This truck won’t hold much longer. If we don’t go out, we’re dead.”

Third Brother gritted his teeth and looked at Gu Ning. “What do you suggest?” As soon as he said this, everyone in the cabin turned to Gu Ning. Zhang Yang and the other search and rescue team members were especially shocked. Third Brother, who had always been fearless in dangerous situations, was now deferring to Gu Ning.

“I need two people who can drive and are brave, and at least three good marksmen to come with me to the roof.”

“Then it’s me and Zhou Li,” Third Brother said.

Gu Ning glanced at Zhou Li, the man who had pushed her earlier. He instinctively shrank back when she looked at him.

Gu Ning shook her head. “He’s not suitable. Third Brother, you can’t drive either. You need to come with me to the roof.”

Zhou Li visibly relaxed, but Third Brother frowned deeply.

“Third Brother… can I do it?” Zhang Yang suddenly spoke up.

Gu Ning looked at him in surprise.

Everyone knew how dangerous it would be to move from the cabin to the front of the truck. It was a life-or-death situation. Yet Zhang Yang, who had been nervous and afraid of her turning into a zombie since she boarded, unexpectedly volunteered.

Third Brother also looked at him in surprise, then turned to Gu Ning.

Zhang Yang nervously watched Gu Ning.

Gu Ning glanced at Zhang Yang and nodded. “We need one more.” Two people, just in case.

Third Brother scanned the cabin, and the search and rescue team members avoided his gaze.

“I’ll go with him,” Cheng Ming finally stepped forward, his eyes on Gu Ning.

Third Brother gave Cheng Ming an approving look.

Gu Ning nodded. “Good.”

She then turned to Third Brother. “Third Brother, we need two more good marksmen.”

This time, Third Brother didn’t give anyone else a choice. He directly named two people: Chen Chao and Luo Long.

Third Brother said, “These two aren’t the best shots, but they’re all we’ve got.”

Gu Ning nodded, scanning the cabin, then said, “Jia Daozhang, we’re going to open this door. Me, Third Brother, Chen Chao, and Luo Long will go out first. Wait for our signal. When the signal comes, Zhang Yang and Cheng Ming will go out. So, during this time, you must ensure no zombies climb up. Once they’re out, lock the door. Don’t let any zombies in.”

Jia Daozhang, entrusted with this critical task, nodded solemnly. “You can count on me.”

Gu Ning looked at Zhang Yang and Cheng Ming seriously. “We’ll cover you all the way to the front. Whether we make it out depends on you.”

Both Zhang Yang and Cheng Ming felt the weight of responsibility on their shoulders. They nodded, their faces showing a mix of determination and resignation.

Third Brother already understood Gu Ning’s plan. “I’ll go first, followed by Chen Chao and Luo Long. Once we’re on the roof, we’ll cover you.”

The first one out was undoubtedly the most dangerous, while the last one, with the others covering, would be the safest.

Before they set out, everyone loaded their magazines with bullets and carried two extra thirty-round magazines.

Third Brother took a deep breath, looking at the iron door, and said to Gu Ning, “Cover me when I go up.”

Gu Ning was slightly surprised but nodded solemnly.

Third Brother also nodded at her, a faint smile appearing on his face for the first time. “See you on the roof.”

Gu Ning smiled back. “See you on the roof.”

She then unlocked the latch and pushed the right door open with force. The door slammed into three zombies blocking the entrance, knocking them over.

“Go!” Gu Ning shouted at Third Brother.

Third Brother, already prepared, didn’t hesitate. He flipped out, grabbed onto the left door, and started climbing. Gu Ning didn’t even have time to look at the zombies swarming in from afar. She aimed her gun at the zombies reaching for Third Brother’s legs.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The gunshots rang out continuously, accompanied by the zombies’ roars and their bodies falling.

Third Brother moved swiftly, climbing to the roof in no time. He then shouted down, “Chen Chao, Luo Long, hurry up!”

“Luo… Luo Long, you go first!” Chen Chao suddenly turned and pushed Luo Long forward.

“Damn you!” Luo Long cursed but didn’t waste time. He slung his gun over his back and flipped out. His climbing skills were impressive, and with Third Brother’s help, he quickly reached the roof.

Chen Chao instinctively looked at Gu Ning.

Gu Ning didn’t look at him, her gun firing continuously at the zombies trying to approach the truck. She coldly said, “If you don’t go up now, I’ll throw you down.”

Chen Chao glanced at the dense swarm of zombies outside and felt a chill. Just as he was about to step out, a zombie broke through the gunfire and lunged at the door, its grayish hands clawing wildly inside the cabin! Chen Chao stumbled back in fear, falling to the ground!

Gu Ning quickly shot the zombie in the head, and it collapsed.

Jia Daozhang grabbed Chen Chao and shoved him toward the door, yelling, “If you don’t go up now, I’ll push you out to feed the zombies!”

Chen Chao, terrified, shouted, “I’ll go! I’ll go!”

He then hesitantly grabbed the iron door and started climbing out.

Compared to Third Brother and Luo Long, his climbing skills were far inferior. He struggled to find a grip.

Luo Long, anxious on the roof, shouted, “Damn it! Grab that protruding part!”

Gu Ning was also growing impatient. Every second wasted increased their danger, and their ammunition was limited.

The more scared Chen Chao became, the harder it was for him to see clearly. He couldn’t find the protruding part. Time ticked by, and suddenly—

“Bang!” A gunshot rang out.

Chen Chao fell from the door, landing on the ground below, a bloody hole in his head—

Gu Ning’s finger paused on the trigger, horrified as she watched Chen Chao’s body. His eyes were wide open, still filled with disbelief, before he was quickly overwhelmed by the swarming zombies.

Gu Ning felt a chill run through her. This was the first time she had seen a living person killed in front of her. Unlike being killed by zombies, this death sent a cold wave of fear through her.

But she had no time to dwell on it. She quickly holstered her gun, slung it over her back, and flipped out of the cabin.

Someone immediately took her place, firing at the zombies outside to cover her.

Gu Ning immediately spotted the protruding part Chen Chao had struggled to find. She grabbed it and started climbing with all her strength.

The excited, hungry roars of countless zombies echoed in her ears, sending shivers down her spine. She could imagine that if she fell, she would be instantly overwhelmed and torn apart by the zombie horde. But this fear only made her grip the protruding part tighter. She didn’t even feel the pain in her right hand. Then she grabbed Luo Long’s outstretched hand. Just as Luo Long was about to pull her up, a cold, slimy hand grabbed her ankle and yanked her down!

Author’s Note: This chapter is relatively early. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be on a three-day holiday. I’ll definitely keep updating, but the timing might be irregular. Wishing everyone a happy holiday~~~~

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