Chapter 44: The Fading City (9)
The situation in Searle has deteriorated to the point where the city needs to be locked down. It's clear things are only going to get worse. Those who can are scrambling to find a way out before the exits are closed.
The news of the lockdown has shattered the previously calm atmosphere.
Within just thirty minutes, all tickets out of the city were sold out. Airplane and boat tickets were snapped up at ten times their usual price, and even then, they were hard to find. Prices kept rising as demand surged.
Ye Nianchu received a notification from the store owner. Without hesitation, she paid extra for her supplies and went out to collect them. With the possibility of a zombie outbreak at any moment, waiting for delivery was not an option.
Two hours later, Ye Nianchu arrived at the corner with a cart full of supplies. Qin Mubai helped put everything into their storage space.
Meanwhile, traffic was at a standstill as cars lined up for miles trying to leave Searle, causing gridlock everywhere.
Their location was not far from the hotel. Considering Ye Nianchu’s unpredictable luck and to avoid getting stuck in traffic again, Qin Mubai decided to put the car into their storage space, and the two of them walked back.
Nearby, a truck was heading towards the store. Across the street, the flat-headed man’s eyes widened in shock. The steering wheel almost veered off course.
“What’s going on? Where’s the old driver?” the tall, thin man next to him asked, trying to steady himself.
“I think I saw someone,” the flat-headed man said, still in shock, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
“Who?” the tall man asked, looking out.
The road was crowded with people carrying large bags of food, and nothing unusual was visible. Zhao Cheng looked as though he had seen a ghost.
“It must be a mistake. How could that person be back?” Zhao Cheng muttered.
The car behind honked impatiently.
“Come on, hurry up. When we left, Brother Tian told us not to waste time,” the tall man urged.
Zhao Cheng snapped out of his daze and restarted the car.
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Evening fell.
The bright moon hung high among the clouds, and a few scattered stars shone. Standing on a tall building, Ye Nianchu felt the cool night breeze.
The number of cars on the main roads leading out of the city had increased, while the once-bustling business districts were now deserted.
Ye Nianchu sat on the balcony, scrolling through social media. Several attacks had occurred in the city today, and official notices were advising people to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.
All the other residents on her hotel floor had checked out earlier in the day. Some had even left on private jets.
Online, there were numerous cries for help, mostly from people stuck in traffic while trying to get to hospitals for treatment.
“I have a patient in my car. We’ve been stuck in traffic for nearly three hours. The ambulance calls aren’t going through, the patient’s condition is getting worse, and we urgently need help.”
In the video, the patient was on the verge of turning into a zombie, and the driver was desperately pleading for help.
Soon, the patient lost control and the phone fell with a scream.
Such scenes were happening throughout the city.
Clearly, the situation had spiraled out of control.
There was another series of car accidents at an intersection, and under the bright streetlights, zombies were chasing and attacking the living.
Ye Nianchu set down the binoculars. “The zombies seem to be moving faster.”
“It’s nighttime,” Qin Mubai said. “The zombie virus is more active at night than during the day.”
At midnight, all exit routes from the city were closed. The streets were filled with wailing and screams.
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On the sixth day of the crisis, zombies roamed the streets.
All shops in the city were closed, and communication was gradually being cut off.
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