Published: February 6, 2025
Bai Feng stood on the rooftop, with five subordinates behind him.
Looking at the dense zombie horde below, Bai Feng felt a bit dazed, and countless memories of wandering here hand in hand with a woman flooded his mind. Sharing a spoon of Häagen-Dazs, joyfully browsing for hours without buying anything, and believing no one could see their stolen kisses—everything felt like it had happened just yesterday.
An occasional zombie lifted its head; its hollow eye sockets were devoid of eyes. It wasn’t looking at the humans on the rooftop but was perhaps just moving unconsciously, jolting Bai Feng out of his contemplation.
The life he once had, the people he once knew, the feelings he once felt—were all gone. Now, it was the cold apocalypse.
The softness in Bai Feng's eyes faded, replaced by determination.
“Boss, someone is coming.”
Bai Feng’s eyes moved slightly as he spotted someone flying in from the east between the buildings.
Yes, flying—but it wasn't true flight; it was a simple flying device strapped to his back.
The speed wasn’t fast, but it was stable and quiet, which meant the chances of being spotted by flying mutated creatures were significantly reduced, ensuring safety.
“It’s the boss of the Youth Mercenary Group, Lei Dongbao.”
Bai Feng's lips curled slightly as he thought of those arrogant twenty-somethings; he felt this entrance method really suited them.
“Boss Bai, it’s been a while since we took down that level-three mutated cockroach together,” Lei Dongbao said as he quickly flew over and landed on the rooftop. He shut down his flying device and smiled as he approached Bai Feng.
“Looks like Dongbao has gotten something good again,” Bai Feng commented, glancing at the flying device behind Lei Dongbao and subtly eyeing the waist pouch at his side.
Lei Dongbao laughed, “I did get something, but compared to you, Boss Bai, it’s just a drizzle.”
Bai Feng paused, turned his head to the direction Lei Dongbao had come from, and laughed, “It seems you don’t fully trust me, Dongbao.”
The boss of the Youth Mercenary Group was not surprised to find Boss Bai had brought so many subordinates. “Not really; it’s just that this time you brought so many people. With so many eyes around, I’m worried something might go wrong.”
“Rumble!”
A loud roar from an engine echoed from the other side of the street, and a heavy-duty mixer truck charged over like a monster, crushing zombies along the way into a bloody pulp.
“Old Li, this guy…” Both Bai Feng and Lei Dongbao wore slightly awkward expressions as they watched the two mixers roar down to the ground. Suddenly, four or five people leaped out of the mixers, throwing out grappling hooks to the fourth-floor windows and quickly climbing up. After repeating this action twice, they reached the rooftop.
“Hello, Boss Bai! Oh, is that Little Dongbao?” A burly man with a full beard, dressed in oil-stained clothes, waved his huge, similarly stained hand, greeting the two leaders.
“Uh, wait a moment; let my little buddy get out of the way first,” he said, leaning over the rooftop and waving at the unmanned mixer, which continued rumbling forward. Moments later, it rolled several hundred meters away, suddenly making a few spins, crushing numerous zombies before finally stopping and shutting off. A group of attracted zombies surrounded the massive vehicle, but it was a futile effort.
Bai Feng and Lei Dongbao exchanged glances, a hint of disdain for such a loud entrance evident, but they also saw a tinge of envy in each other's eyes. Old Li, who had been a mechanic before the apocalypse, had now gained the profession of a ‘driver,’ possessing incredible control over vehicles. In Ying City, Old Li’s fierce howling battle team was the most mobile force, ranking third among all factions, largely due to this profession.
Almost simultaneously, agonized screams echoed in everyone’s ears. They turned to see a figure flying towards them.
This ‘flying’ was different from Lei Dongbao’s; it resembled someone jumping from a distance, crossing the gap through inertia rather than any other propulsion.