Chapter 39: Mysterious Maneuvers

Published Mar 13, 2026, 02:57 PM

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Mysterious Maneuvers "Oh, so this is what the rooftop looks like. It’s my first time up here." Zheng Xinyu glanced around with curiosity. The warm sun hung high, the wind was cool and the clouds were calm, with distant mountains in sight. Everything seemed so beautiful — if not for the rolling smoke in the distance, she might have thought the disaster hadn’t erupted. "Brother Su, there are people!" Zhong Xiaoshan tugged on Zhang Su’s arm with a bit of nervousness, pointing towards Building No. 4. Zhang Su and Zheng Xinyu looked towards Building No. 4, and sure enough, a couple was staring back at them. The woman wore a short woolen coat, while the man sported a sports pullover. They both looked young, no older than twenty-five. From their attire, it was clear they weren’t on the rooftop at the onset of the disaster; at least the woman wasn’t, as it wasn’t yet cold enough to need a woolen coat back then. Perhaps wanting to show friendliness, the man in the sportswear waved vigorously at Zhang Su and the others, his whole body swaying with the effort. Zhang Su waved back in response. Unfortunately, the thirty-plus meters between the two buildings and the wind made communication only possible by shouting, and both parties knew their voices would attract zombies, so they dared not speak. "They must have been hiding on the rooftop for several days." Observing the dirt-laden coats and tangled hair on the couple, Zheng Xinyu remarked. "They don’t seem in good shape... we need to find a way down quickly or they might suffer from hypothermia. It’s more dangerous!" With a helpless look on her face, Zhong Xiaoshan commented. Zhang Su glanced at the two women in surprise; these were his lines to say, yet they were preempted by the two. It seemed their minds were gradually catching up to the pace of events. "Let’s focus on our task, not waste time. Zhong Xiaoshan, you stay here and keep watch. If you hear any commotion below, call us! Xinyu, follow me." As Zhang Su instructed, he also waved to the people across, drawing a brief encounter to a close. "What do you think they’re doing on the rooftop?" The man on the roof of Building No. 4 lowered his arm, his dirt-smeared face showing a thoughtful expression. At just over twenty, he should be full of youthful spirit, yet his eyes were filled with confusion and helplessness. "Tian Fan, they... they seem totally unperturbed, so they must be able to come and go freely from the rooftop. It looks like the crisis in Unit 1 of Building No. 3 is over, we could ask them for help!" The woman on Building No. 4’s rooftop excitedly tugged at the man’s clothes. Though her dirty face appeared quite ordinary, a closer look would reveal her well-maintained skin. The bulky woolen coat obscured her figure, revealing only that she wasn’t plump. She was six or seven years older than Tian Fan, and the two were not very familiar before the sudden disaster brought them together on the rooftop. Tian Fan turned his face to the side, giving a bitter smile: "Sister Yu, even if we could get a message to them, how could you expect them to rescue us, with so many zombies gathered in our unit!" Hearing Tian Fan’s words, Yu Nuo’s expression darkened. She recalled the frightening experience of escaping to the rooftop two days ago — the scene of monstrous open mouths, blood-red eyes, and teeth clinging with flesh — always brought cold sweat and lingering nightmares. "But, staying on the rooftop isn’t a solution either; our food and water is running out, and... it gets so cold at night. Tian Fan, we can’t stay here, we must escape." With a look full of yearning for life, Yu Nuo’s eyes suddenly reddened as she prepared to crouch down to save energy but suddenly gazed at the opposite rooftop, murmuring: "It looks like they’re up to something." Following her direction, Tian Fan was astonished to see one of them pick up a palm-sized piece of concrete and throw it far away. "This... hitting zombies?" Tian Fan’s vision went black for a moment. Initially, he thought the three opposite looked fierce with their weapons, but their action appeared quite humorous. There were at least a hundred zombies below; using stones to hit them was as futile as tearing the building apart stone by stone. Yet while Tian Fan was left speechless, a strange yellow ball appeared in the man’s hand across... Soon, a blaring echo of rustic music came from the rooftop opposite! "How could I fly out, in this dazzling world, really..." Before he could snap out of his shock, he saw the man opposite vigorously throw the yellow ball between Buildings No. 7 and No. 8! "Wow, they’re trying to lure the zombies away from between Buildings No. 3 and No. 4!" Tian Fan exclaimed softly, excitement lighting his dim gaze. He dashed to the edge of the wall, watching the yellow ball in the sky with awe at the man’s strength, tracing a beautiful arc that sent the ball flying far! "Old Liu, oh Old Liu, seems I might fail your trust..." At the bottom of Building No. 4, cramped in a narrow space, a man licked his parched, cracked lips. An assault rifle lay beside him, with a pistol at his waist, yet he held no intention to charge out. It wasn’t cowardice; it was fulfilling an old friend’s dying wish that kept him from rushing to his death. "Xiaojin, I can’t make it, your sister-in-law... your sister-in-law is gone, but Xiaoyu is still alive. He’s not infected, promise me, live to find him, don’t die here with us, it’s meaningless!" The scene of Captain Liu’s last moments kept replaying in his mind. If not for the obligation he bore, he would have died that night! Wanting to turn over, but the space was too confined, he could only shift slightly, unable to change his prone position to supine. Grabbing the water bottle beside him, he tried to pour out some drops into his mouth... The uncomfortable position, hunger, thirst, and surrounding danger, relentlessly wore at his resolve, making each minute feel like a year. He passed time by counting zombie feet, though he couldn’t see everything due to obstructive shrubs. Noting different shoe styles, he counted over fifty zombies; regardless of how many were hidden, that number alone was enough to overwhelm him. "Tonight, no matter what, tonight I have to make a break for it. Even if it means death, I will..." Thud! At the moment of his silent vow, a stone landed on the grass with a distant thump. With difficulty, he turned his body, straining to see the source of the sound, but his view revealed nothing. "Who the hell has the time to mess with zombies? Not planning to take them out one by one with stones, right?" "Turns out I’m a drunken butterfly..." Amid complaining about the peculiar mind behind the stone toss, loud singing suddenly erupted by his ears. In the stillness of the world, the zombies’ shuffling was the main rhythm, sometimes pierced by heart-wrenching wails. This sudden singing struck the man’s eardrums like lightning, making his heart tremble involuntarily. Soon, to his disbelief, the zombies within his range of sight all bolted in the same direction!

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