Just as Tang Xiaoquan was hesitating over how to evade the zombies' notice, Hu Xiaodong and the others on the opposite side of the village also found themselves trapped in a predicament.
"Hu Ge? What should we do!"
Hu Xiaodong's tense expression didn't respond to Wu Chao's anxious voice that echoed in his ear.
They were currently only a room away from their target location, but the layers of zombies surrounding it were like a thick wall blocking them mercilessly.
Forcing a way through was definitely not an option; that would be akin to suicide, so...
His gaze shifted to the man beside him: "Dazhuang, apart from the main entrance, is there any other way to enter the epidemic prevention station?"
"No!" Dazhuang shook his head with an emotionless look, his eyes burning with raging "fires."
Hu Xiaodong understood all too well what the man was feeling at the moment. Having experienced the same, he deeply understood the grief and fury after losing loved ones and brothers.
But now was not the time to vent that anger, so...
He placed his hand lightly on the man's shoulder and spoke sincerely: "Dazhuang, you must stay calm. Anger solves nothing. Don't forget why we're here; the women and children at the factory are waiting for us to bring medicine back to save their lives!"
Like being struck by lightning, Dazhuang trembled slightly and turned his head back.
No doubt, as Hu Xiaodong had suspected, the man was indeed prepared for a desperate fight.
He hated these zombies, even though he knew those "unlucky ones" were victims too, yet the tragic death of his wife and loss of his child were nightmares he couldn't let go of.
As the saying goes, enemies meeting only intensifies hatred, especially for the unpardonable vendetta of killing his wife and child; it was understandable that Dazhuang wanted to risk a desperate battle.
However, after listening to Hu Xiaodong's persuading words, he restrained the impulse to charge out.
His look gradually returned to normal, and Dazhuang took a few deep breaths before calmly saying: "There's an entrance on the roof of the epidemic prevention station. If it's not locked below, we can enter from there."
Hu Xiaodong lowered his head and thought for a while, then quickly agreed: "Okay, let's try our luck there!"
The sun took half an hour to slowly rise, finally reaching its position of duty.
The air, once refreshing, began to turned gradually hotter as it took its post.
Tang Xiaoquan leaned against a corner of the wall, brows furrowed in thought, searching for a way to safely lead his team across the dirt road.
He glanced around, hoping to find something useful, and suddenly, the scattered stones on the ground caught his attention.
Got it! In that instant, an unlikely, but notion appeared in Tang Xiaoquan's mind.
He gestured Wang Qiang and Wang Daguo over and whispered his idea to them.
After hearing what Tang Xiaoquan had to say, both Wang Qiang and Wang Daguo instinctively nodded, clearly agreeing with his suggestion.
Each picked up a stone from the ground, Wang Qiang and Wang Daguo stood on either side of the path entrance, cautiously peeking out to pin down their final target location before quickly pulling back and signaling "OK" to Tang Xiaoquan inside the wall.
"Alright everyone, listen to me!" Upon receiving the signal from Wang Qiang, Tang Xiaoquan reminded them: "When you throw, try to toss it as far as possible. We need to lure the zombies out of our sight. After that, wait for my command, then we'll rush together. Remember, don't act till I give the sign!"
A reluctant murmur escaped Wang Qiang's lips as he turned around, waiting for the signal.
The sunlight intensified the glare on the dirt-yellow ground, progressively drawing out a thin black shadow.
Tang Xiaoquan raised his arm, three fingers counting down alongside his low chanting numbers.
At the instant the third finger fell, Wang Qiang and Wang Daguo suddenly dashed from the entrance, using all their strength to hurl the stones outward.
As the stones whistled through the air, they came crashing down after a fair flight, stirring up a puff of dust as they tumbled and eventually "reluctantly" coming to a stop.
Admittedly, the stones themselves didn't make much noise, but the trail of dust they kicked up greatly attracted the zombies' attention.
You see, these mindless creatures cannot distinguish what's caused the noise; to their dull brains, unusual sounds signify food.
Without surprise, the zombies that were aimlessly wandering found the source of activity, moving towards the stones, giving Tang Xiaoquan the moment he was waiting for.
No hesitation needed. As the saying goes: an opportunity not seized is lost forever. The stones' ability to distract zombies is, after all, temporary, so there's no room for delays.
With a decisive wave, Tang Xiaoquan expelled a word through clenched teeth: "Charge!"
Three people, three shadows, dust flying instantaneously, reaching the shadow of the opposite wall, Tang Xiaoquan hurriedly signaled Wang Qiang and Wang Daguo to repeat the stone throwing tactic.
Another flight, another fall, another tumble!
During this valuable zombie-luring time, Tang Xiaoquan and company moved swiftly over the railings, and upon entering the courtyard smoothly, he realized the shirt on his back was soaked through with sweat.
Meanwhile, Hu Xiaodong and the others silently arrived at the target destination mentioned by Dazhuang earlier.
It was a self-built bungalow, situated right next to the village epidemic prevention station, from where Hu Xiaodong estimated the two buildings were no more than 2 meters apart in a straight line. This meant his team shouldn't have much difficulty jumping over.
So...
Gently touching the door panel, the half-open door creaked slightly before slowly revealing a slim gap.
Peeping through the gap inside, Hu Xiaodong confirmed no unusual movement before raising his foot to fully open the door.
Swiftly entering one after another, Hu Wuzhuang entered, positioning their weapons in a circular formation in an instant.
Raising his brows, he nodded towards Wu Chao, who comprehended and walked a few steps forward, quickly scanning through three compartments. Fortunately, this room was empty, perfectly safe.
No doubt, he had to take the Scythe, but considering the weight and other factors, Hu Xiaodong reluctantly gave up other supplies, as their main task was gathering medicine.
Moving the ladder from the corner, Hu Xiaodong climbed it to the top, lifted the cover to look outside, his large eyes suddenly narrowing sharply...
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