"What's the call, Director?" Fu Hu asked, eyes fixed on the road.
Su Jin replied, "When we drove past earlier, the horde inside the school was already on the move. I'm worried we'll run into trouble with the cars parked outside the gates. There were plenty of parents picking up their kids, and plenty of cars lined up along the curb. With so many zombies out in the open, making any loud noise will likely draw out every last one within the school grounds.
"If it were just regular zombies giving chase, that would be one thing. But given the evolved zombies we've seen so far... with the sheer numbers on that school athletic field, there are bound to be a few hiding among them. Special variants are our greatest latent threat."
"Don't we have an alternate route?"
"Yeah. We'll assess the situation when we get there, but the risks are hard to gauge. Based on what we saw on Central Street, the side alleys are definitely choked with debris, so driving through them won't be quiet by any stretch."
Su Jin finished and sighed. "Back then, Elder Sun and I debated whether to develop a base here in the city or head to the military district with a small group. It was only after discovering the latent carriers that I agreed to Elder Sun's plan. But looking at it now, I was wrong from the start. There are too many unknowns in the city, far too many things we can't foresee."
"It really is a dilemma no matter which way you turn..." Fu Hu sighed.
The vehicle retraced its route.
As they approached Longshan Middle School, all three men tensed, their gazes locked straight ahead.
Fu Hu unconsciously pressed his lips together, his hands gripping the steering wheel tight.
The road ahead did not look promising. True to Su Jin's prediction, their previous pass had lured out a portion of the school's zombies.
A good number of greeter zombies, clutching fake flowers and sporting little caps, had poured out through the school gates.
They swayed and wobbled about, searching for targets.
Even so, there was still a clear lane to the side that allowed for a fast pass.
At the vehicle's high speed, slipping past and shaking off the horde wouldn't be difficult.
"Things look manageable—looks like we won't need the back alley... Lao Fu, keep an eye out for any athletic-student zombies. Don't get caught off guard again!"
"Got it!" Fu Hu stomped on the accelerator.
The vehicle surged forward, racing straight toward the horde.
Spotting a vehicle approaching in the distance, the greeting committee at the school gates surged forward in a dense crush, waving their fake flowers and shoving shoulder to shoulder.
As the zombies jostled and collided, the frenzy across the entire horde ratcheted up a notch.
Inside the school, the horde abruptly erupted into a riot, stampeding out in a massive wave. Many even charged straight at the iron railings, vaulting the wall.
"What's going on?!" Su Jin's expression changed drastically.
Something was wrong. The engine noise alone was nowhere near enough to whip the zombies into such a frenzy.
Their previous drive had proven as much.
Even if the car had gotten louder, the zombies inside the school shouldn't be reacting this violently!
They had already passed the turnoff for the side alley, and the horde was right in front of them. It was too late to brake and reroute.
In his panic, Su Jin was still scrambling for a plan when Cheng Du cranked down the window. Before even sticking his head out, a furious curse exploded from his lips.
"Holy! Fucking! Shit!"
"The horde's being summoned by those greeter zombies!"
Su Jin's face turned instantly grim as he realized the root of the problem.
"Welcome, welcome! A warm, warm welcome! Welcome, welcome! A warm, warm welcome!"
A local celebratory tune accompanied by cheerful recorded shouts drilled into their ears.
On the desolate street, it rang out with piercing clarity!
Su Jin caught movement in his peripheral vision and snapped his head around. Several greeter zombies had portable loudspeakers slung around their waists.
The crush of bodies must have pressed the buttons, and the speakers had even been thoughtfully wrapped in plastic bags... which was the only reason they still worked.
Su Jin gripped his gun, his facial muscles twitching in simmering fury.
Of all the absurd things! What a goddamn nightmare!
That son of a bitch who made the kids hold an assembly in the rain... he'd better still be in one piece!
"Ram through them!" Su Jin barked. Fu Hu floored the gas.
Because the horde had stirred early, quite a few zombies had already spilled onto the sidewalk.
Though it made maneuvering trickier, there were fortunately only a few in their immediate path.
Barreling through at full speed, the car sent two zombies flying on impact.
There was no time to swerve around the debris and garbage littering the road.
The three men were jostled violently as the car bucked, their heads knocking against the interior with loud thuds.
Su Jin clamped his right hand firmly over the cage, doing everything he could to protect the mice.
Fu Hu's knuckles turned white on the wheel. After a few ragged breaths, he roared, "We made it! Up ahead is—"
Before he could finish, a piercing screech tore through the air.
The car began skidding violently, its trajectory swaying out of control.
Fortunately, Fu Hu kept an iron grip on the wheel, slowly wrestling the vehicle back into alignment.
Behind them, a massive pack of zombies remained in hot pursuit.
Face pale, Cheng Du cried, "What happened, Lao Fu?! Did the car break down?!"
Fu Hu grimaced. "Something feels jammed in the wheel hub... If I keep driving like this, it might seize up entirely."
"Slow down!" Su Jin looked back and ordered in a low, sharp voice.
"We can't slow down! It's too dangerous! Some of those zombies are fast runners. If they catch up and latch onto the car..."
"I said slow down!" Su Jin snapped.
With no other choice, Fu Hu steadied his nerves and gradually eased off the throttle.
The car decelerated while the horde closed in from behind.
Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible for running zombies to catch a moving car.
Given their mechanical trouble, however... what happened next was anyone's guess.
Fu Hu and Cheng Du were fraught with anxiety, yet neither dared question Su Jin's command.
A moment later, Su Jin issued another order.
"Cheng Du, get in the back, arm the bomb, and drop it. Set the timer for one minute! Remember how to work it?"
Cheng Du acknowledged the command, leaning halfway out the rear window to manipulate the timer on the gas cylinder.
With a few brisk adjustments, the countdown was set. He drew a small knife from his waist and slashed through the ropes securing the gas cylinder bomb.
*Thump... thump... thump...*
The gas cylinder bounced along the pavement, rolling back toward the pursuing horde until it was swallowed up and lost from sight.
Seeing the explosive deployed, Su Jin turned and narrowed his eyes at the rearview mirror...
Initially, a group of parent zombies had been leading the pack. But spurred on by the greeters' loudspeakers, the student zombies who had vaulted the wall had overtaken them.
Though all of them were sprinting at an all-out sprint, the students were noticeably faster than the parents.
Sweat beaded heavily on Fu Hu and Cheng Du's brows from pure tension.
Right then, a glint flashed in Su Jin's eyes. He clenched his fist tight.
"Down!"
The moment the word left his lips, the horde shuddered. The lead zombies pitched forward and tumbled backward, instantly collapsing in a massive heap.
The stampeding horde's blistering pace ground to a sudden halt!
In the blink of an eye, the crisis had plummeted.
"Holy crap!" Fu Hu and Cheng Du both gasped in shock.
"Director! How did you do that?! Don't tell me you have other powers! Is that... telekinesis?" Cheng Du asked, brimming with awe.
A smile broke through the stiffness on Fu Hu's face. "What incredible power! As expected of the director! To think you were hiding a trump card like that all along!"
"It's not a power. Their pants fell down."
"......"
"......"
Chapter 53