Slightly furrowing his brows, Dazhuang was clearly not someone who could multitask. Only after Hu Xiaodong repeated the question did he slowly lift his head and gradually turn it towards the window.

The corridor was eerily silent, like a ghostly realm of the underworld. Just looking at it was enough to send shivers down one's spine, let alone being amidst it.

"No! I didn't hear anything!" With these simple words, Dazhuang went back to attending to his work at hand.

How could this be? Could it be that he was truly mistaken? Hu Xiaodong couldn't help but shake his head in doubt, and without thinking much, he too turned back around.

Yet just as he was about to reach into his bag for the medicine, the unnerving sound appeared again!

"Brother Hu! Brother Hu!"

Suddenly raising his head, this time it wasn't just Hu Xiaodong; even Dazhuang, who usually wore a sullen face as if someone owed him money, was astonished and turned around.

Then, almost in unison, they uttered a name: "Tang Xiaoquan!"

And as soon as they finished speaking, two equally anxious male voices followed closely behind!

"Dazhuang!"

"Wu Chao!"

Previously, one might have thought the shouts were random, but the two cries that followed clearly indicated their source: the third squad!

Instinctively glancing at each other, both Hu Xiaodong and Dazhuang could see the serious concern in each other's eyes.

Without a doubt, judging from the alarm in King Tang and the others' voices, chances were high that they were in a dire situation!

Without delay, Hu Xiaodong zipped up his backpack. At this moment, medicine and tasks meant nothing to him.

For as far as he knew Tang Xiaoquan, unless it was a matter of life and death, the latter would never act so recklessly, disregarding safety!

Seeing Hu Xiaodong packing up to leave, Dazhuang didn't stop him. Though his own bag was only a third full of medicine, and he understood what leaving meant, nothing at this moment was more important than the lives of the three team members in the distance!

Together, they pushed the wooden table aside. Hu Xiaodong softly opened the door, cautiously peeking out. After confirming there was no danger, he quickly signaled to Dazhuang, and the two vanished into the darkness at the end of the corridor one after the other.

Tang Xiaoquan shouted hoarsely from the rooftop platform, helplessly looking at the massive horde of zombies gathering below.

They had been surrounded for five minutes, and the root of this crisis traced back to fifteen minutes earlier.

After successfully scaling into the courtyard, Tang Xiaoquan and his team of three quickly crouched and dashed to the front of the house door.

They were exceedingly lucky, for the iron security door of this house wasn't locked, and the wooden door beyond also showed signs of a broken lock due to external force.

What a scenario of panic must it have been, with such a forceful kick! Gazing at the deep shoe print at the center of the door panel, Tang Xiaoquan couldn't help but sigh.

He carefully pushed the door open, and the hinges inevitably let out a ghastly "screech," settling back into silence once it was fully open.

The interior was very dark and silent. Cautiously, Tang Xiaoquan knocked on the door frame twice. Seeing nothing unusual, he led his team inside.

For safety, Tang Xiaoquan signaled to Wang Qiang to close the door again. Though he knew the broken lock offered no protection, it was better than nothing. At least it could somewhat reduce noise and block sight.

The first floor was a vast living room, spanning about 80 square meters. The lavish decor gave Tang Xiaoquan the feeling of being in a palace.

This was probably the most splendid home he had ever been in since birth, far outclassing the distant relatives' house he stayed at during a vacation to SH years ago.

Is this really a rural area? Tang Xiaoquan felt as if his worldview was about to collapse. But recalling the identity and status of the house's owner, he quickly understood.

Truly, the treatment for the public servants is extraordinary!

They thoroughly searched all four rooms, and the abundance of their findings astounded Tang Xiaoquan and his team.

From premium baby formula to nutritional products, from fine tobacco and wine to antiques and calligraphy; except for illegal items, nearly everything imaginable was there.

Of course, although the house was well-stocked, not everything catered to the survivor's needs.

For instance, fine tobacco and wine, antiques, and calligraphy were nothing but trash to the survivors. Carrying them would only add weight without any practical use.

So after some careful selection, Tang Xiaoquan and team packed easily preserved, protein-rich items into their backpacks. Once everything was done, they focused their gaze on the second floor.

The staircase was also decorated grandly, but the stench of decay rising from below killed any interest in admiring it.

Suppressing the urge to vomit, Tang Xiaoquan ascended the steps one by one. Yet he barely reached the landing when he heard Wang Qiang ahead of him retching violently.

"I... ugh~ damn! You all better brace yourselves! Ugh~ this is... disgusting!"

With Wang Qiang's warning, Tang Xiaoquan instinctively lifted the hem of his shirt to cover his nose, improvising a crude gas mask.

Even so, he underestimated the impact of the scene.

There was nothing more gruesome than this corpse – not even the dismembered one they'd seen earlier in the bedroom could compare.

The bile in his stomach churned uncontrollably; Tang Xiaoquan felt his throat tighten, and then he spewed forth a flood of foul substances.

After suffering through over two minutes of such a "cathartic" ordeal, with nothing left to vomit, Tang Xiaoquan finally pushed himself up against the wall and stood weakly.

The corpse on the floor was long rotted beyond recognition, yet the humiliation it suffered wasn't entirely erased.

Seeing the wounds as if gnawed by countless vermin, Tang Xiaoquan couldn't help but frown deeply.

This... doesn't look like it was done by zombies! The man was on the second floor, and no other zombies were found inside.

Additionally, to mutilate a body like this, it would need climbing abilities, which zombies clearly lack! So then...

For some reason, Tang Xiaoquan suddenly felt an uncontrollable chill creep over him!!

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