Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Police Method – The Door to Rebirth in the Apocalypse – Full Book Online

Police Method

A strong beam of light suddenly shone over, and Gu Ning’s figure was instantly exposed. She had no choice but to abandon her initial plan of hiding and quickly moved aside to avoid the intense light.

The off-road vehicle stopped about two meters away from Gu Ning. The door was flung open, and a rugged-looking man in his thirties shouted at her, “What are you waiting for? Get in the car!”

Gu Ning was stunned. This was the second time she had heard this line. After confirming that the man was indeed calling her, she glanced at the dozen or so zombies staggering not far behind the car. After a brief moment of hesitation, she ran towards the vehicle.

Almost as soon as Gu Ning got in, the car started moving again.

She looked back and saw at least twenty more zombies trailing behind, but they were too slow and were quickly left behind.

“Gu Ning, are you okay?!” a familiar voice called out.

Gu Ning was startled and realized that the driver was someone she knew: “Method?!”

There were only three people in the car. Besides Method, who was driving and still wearing his police uniform, there was a short man in the passenger seat and a tall, burly man with a stubbly beard sitting next to her.

The short man in the front said, “So that’s why you insisted on stopping to save her. You two know each other!”

“Gu Ning, let me introduce you. These two are friends I met on the road. The one next to me is Old Wu, and the one next to you is Old Liang,” Method introduced them before turning to Gu Ning. “This is Gu Ning. She’s brave and won’t scream at the sight of zombies, causing trouble for us.”

He had met Gu Ning over a month ago and traveled with her for about a week. Back then, Gu Ning hadn’t killed any zombies in front of him, but she was braver than most girls. Although she was scared of zombies, she never panicked or did anything foolish. Sometimes, she even came up with useful ideas, leaving a good impression on Method. Later, they went their separate ways due to different goals. He never expected to run into her again today, and the timing and location were surprising enough. “Gu Ning, why are you wandering around so late at night? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Where are your parents and the others from the car?”

Gu Ning replied succinctly, “We got separated.”

“Hey, Miss Gu, what’s that on your back? Do you have any food? Let’s share some,” the short man in the front said, his sharp eyes having been on Gu Ning’s backpack since she got in.

Gu Ning glanced at him and Old Liang sitting next to her, then took off her backpack. “Lucky me, I found some food.” She pulled out a few sausages and chocolates from the bag and handed them out. “Here, take these. Thanks for letting me in.”

Old Wu eagerly took the food and said with a smile, “Miss Gu, no need to be so polite. We’re all in the same boat now, so we’re family.” As he spoke, his eyes lingered greedily on Gu Ning’s bulging backpack. He was certain there were more goodies inside.

Method chuckled bitterly, “Gu Ning, you’re really lucky. We haven’t found anything edible in two days. All we have left are two packs of biscuits and three bottles of water. If we don’t find something soon, we’ll starve to death before the zombies get us.”

Old Wu quickly chimed in, “Method, what are you talking about? Now that Miss Gu is with us, we’re all family. We share everything! No one’s going to starve, right, Miss Gu?”

Gu Ning said expressionlessly, “Sorry, but I’ll get off once we lose the zombies behind us.”

“Get off?” Method was stunned. “What do you mean?”

Gu Ning replied, “I need to find my parents.”

Method said, “Alone? Gu Ning, have you forgotten it’s the apocalypse? Zombies are everywhere, eating people. Not even men dare to go out alone, let alone a girl. And it’s the middle of the night…”

Gu Ning countered, “Which way are you heading?”

Method said, “Lingzhi City. My parents are still back home, and I need to go get them.”

“Then we’re not going the same way. My parents are heading towards the Capital,” Gu Ning said. “If you hadn’t led the zombies over, I wouldn’t have gotten in the car. I dare to walk alone because I know how to protect myself. You don’t need to worry about me.”

Although she wished she had a car, time was not on her side. She had to return by dawn, or her parents would panic if they found her missing. Her way back couldn’t be seen by anyone. Traveling with others would make it easy to expose her, and their directions were different.

Old Wu sneered, “Little girl, you’re way too bold. You think holding a knife makes you safe? Can you even kill zombies?”

I’ve killed more than you ever will.

Gu Ning thought to herself but didn’t respond. She glanced back and saw that the zombies were no longer following. She turned to Method and said, “Please, stop the car up ahead.”

“Wait,” Old Wu suddenly spoke up. “Since you’re determined to leave, we won’t stop you. But we did save your life, so you should at least give us something in return.” His eyes were fixed on Gu Ning’s backpack, his meaning clear.

Before Gu Ning could respond, Method frowned and asked, “Old Wu, what are you implying?”

Old Wu smirked, “I mean, you can leave, but the stuff stays.”

Before Method could react, a knife was pressed against his neck. Old Liang, the burly man who had been silent, had somehow produced a knife and was now holding it to Method’s throat. He coldly barked at Gu Ning, “Stay still, or I’ll kill you!”

He didn’t seem to fear the knife in Gu Ning’s hand, probably thinking it was just for show.

Old Wu threatened Method, “Keep driving, don’t stop, or my buddy’s knife might slip.”

Method’s veins bulged in anger. “Have you forgotten who saved you?!”

Old Wu shrugged indifferently, “It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. Besides, you’re a cop. Saving people is your job. Don’t act like you did us a huge favor.”

Method was too furious to speak.

Old Wu turned to Gu Ning in the back seat. “Little girl, we won’t make it hard for you. Just hand over your stuff, and we’ll be nice enough to take you to meet my future in-laws.”

Gu Ning remained silent.

Method took a deep breath and said to Old Wu, “Old Wu, no matter what, I did save your lives. Take the stuff, but let us go.”

Old Wu chuckled darkly, “Method, we’ve seen your skills. If we let you go, and we meet again, we might not be able to handle you.”

Method said, “Fine, kill me if you must, but let her go. She’s no threat to you.”

Gu Ning, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke up, “Do you have guns?”

Old Wu laughed, “We don’t need guns to deal with you two.”

“Good,” Gu Ning said cryptically before turning to Method, who was being held at knifepoint. “Method, if I save you this time, can you come with me to find my parents first, and then we’ll drive to Lingzhi to get your parents?”

The three men in the car were stunned. Old Wu sneered, “Little girl, you can’t even save yourself, and you want to save someone else?”

Gu Ning didn’t respond. Suddenly, her hand shot out like lightning, grabbing Old Liang’s hair and yanking him towards her. With one hand gripping his hair and the other pressing his head, she slammed it hard against the car door. Old Liang, despite his size, was instantly dazed, and the knife fell from his hand onto the seat. He tried to resist, but the hand pressing his head felt like it had the strength of a giant bear, impossible to break free from. His head was slammed repeatedly against the door until blood started to flow. Gu Ning didn’t even blink, continuing to smash his head against the door.

The two men in the front were dumbfounded.

Method, being trained, reacted quickly. He slammed on the brakes, causing Old Wu to lose his balance, and then punched him square in the face. Old Wu tried to fight back, but Method’s pent-up anger finally found an outlet. He lunged from his seat, pinning Old Wu down and delivering punch after punch.

Old Wu howled in pain, begging for mercy, but Method was relentless, each punch heavier than the last. Only when Old Wu was on the verge of passing out did Method finally stop.

“What now?” Method asked, panting, instinctively turning to Gu Ning.

Gu Ning dragged the bloodied, unconscious Old Liang to the other side of the seat and looked at Method. “Have you ever killed anyone?”

Method was taken aback but quickly understood what Gu Ning meant. Seeing his reaction, Gu Ning said, “I haven’t. These two are yours to deal with.”

Method hesitated, “I’m a cop…”

Gu Ning looked at him deeply. “But this isn’t the peaceful world anymore. And shouldn’t cops uphold justice and fight evil? These two are murderers. Killing them will prevent more innocent people from dying. That’s what you, as a cop, should do now.”

Method was shaken, his expression complex as he looked at Gu Ning. “So you’ve been holding back all this time.” He then silently dragged the two unconscious men out of the car. Five minutes later, he returned and asked Gu Ning, who had taken the passenger seat, “Where to now?”

Gu Ning said, “As I said earlier, we’ll find my parents first, then head to Lingzhi to get yours. Any problems?”

Method chuckled bitterly, “You saved my life. I’ll do whatever you say.”

The car started moving again.

Gu Ning added, “Method, since you said that, I’ll be blunt.”

Method had a bad feeling but said, “Go ahead.”

Gu Ning said, “This car isn’t very spacious. With my parents and yours, that’s four elderly people. My dad’s leg is injured, so he’ll need more room. We don’t know about your parents’ condition; they might be injured too. That means we can’t take on any more people.” She continued, “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Method sighed, “I get it. You’re worried I’ll impulsively try to save others and bring them into the car.”

Gu Ning nodded frankly, “You might think I’m selfish, but I won’t help others until my own safety is secured. I hope you won’t sacrifice my safety to help others either.”

Method opened his mouth but couldn’t bring himself to make a promise.

Gu Ning sighed inwardly and added, “I know you’re a good cop, but this world isn’t the same anymore. No one can expect others to save them; you can only save yourself. Remember, your parents are waiting for you at home. They need you more.”

Method was silent for a long time, his mind in turmoil. Finally, he sighed heavily and said solemnly, “I promise.”

Gu Ning felt a wave of relief. She had noticed during their previous travels that Method had a strong sense of justice. He would risk his life to protect the weak, almost instinctively. Even under the threat of death, he had chosen to stay behind to give Gu Ning a chance to live. In the pre-apocalypse world, he would have been an excellent cop. But now, his sense of justice would only lead to his quick demise and possibly drag her down with him.

Even though Method had made a promise, Gu Ning wasn’t entirely at ease. However, she still needed companions. No matter how capable she was, she couldn’t take care of both her parents alone. Method’s character was something she could trust, and she had seen his combat skills—they were impressive. She decided to take it one step at a time. If things didn’t work out, they could always part ways later.

And so, Gu Ning temporarily secured her first traveling companion.

Insert Bookmark