A Fake Holy Mother in the Zombie Apocalypse

Lu Xingchi raised his crossbow, contemplating the best shot to stop the young man, when he saw Bei Nuan take out her small mirror.

She angled the mirror, reflecting a beam of sunlight onto the young man's face.

The reflection was faster than Lu Xingchi's arrow. The young man, about to take another step towards the edge, noticed the unusually bright light reflected from below.

Bei Nuan put away the mirror and peeked out from her hiding spot.

She waved her arms vigorously, then crossed her forearms above her head, forming a large X for him. The message was clear: Don't jump.

Countless zombies were still frantically pouring through the doorway. Behind the young man, the door leading to the rooftop rattled violently.

"What should we do?" Bei Nuan asked Lu Xingchi.

"Too many zombies, I don't have a clear shot." As Lu Xingchi spoke, he extended his hand towards the rooftop. "I'll try something else, but it's a bit far, not sure if it will work."

Suddenly, the metal pipe on the roof began to thin and stretch, like pulled putty, extending into the air as if alive, finally reaching the roof of the opposite building.

Bei Nuan couldn't see it from below, but the young man had a clear view. In an instant, the elongated pipe fused with the pipe on the opposite building.

The young man reached out incredulously, testing the long metal pipe.

A miraculous escape route had appeared on the otherwise trapped rooftop.

However, this route wasn't easy.

No one wants to die if they can live. Without hesitation, the young man bent down, gripped the pipe with both hands, and prepared to crawl across.

The distance between the two dormitory buildings was considerable, a full six stories. Falling wasn't a joke.

The banging on the door behind him grew louder.

The door was made of thin wood, not very sturdy. The stick propping it up was about to give way. Seizing the moment, the young man hugged the pipe, wrapping his legs around it.

Like a koala, he clung tightly to the pipe, suspended in the air between the two buildings, inching forward.

He had only crawled halfway across when the rooftop door burst open.

Zombies surged through the narrow doorway, flooding the roof.

The young man's loudspeaker lay on the ground, but he was gone.

The zombies spotted him crawling along the pipe. Some foolishly lunged towards him, only to plummet to the ground like falling dumplings.

Others, not as foolish, imitated them, grabbing the metal pipe, attempting to climb. But there was only one pipe, and the jostling zombies, too many to count, became a tangled mess.

Lu Xingchi, holding his crossbow, continuously eliminated the zombies trying to climb the pipe.

But the zombies were like a tide, wave after wave.

Their scrambling caused the metal pipe to sway wildly. The young man's foot slipped.

Fortunately, his hands held fast.

In this critical situation, he abandoned any attempt to use his feet, instead using his hands to pull himself forward, hand over hand, finally reaching the other side.

With all his might, he managed to get his feet back onto the pipe and climbed onto the opposite rooftop.

The moment he left, the metal pipe in the air abruptly disconnected, retracting like a snail's antenna.

Although the rooftop was temporarily safe, the young man knew this was his chance. While the zombies were occupied on the other building, he had to get downstairs.

The door on this rooftop was locked. Wasting no time, he found a concrete block and smashed it against the door.

After only a few blows, the thin wooden door splintered open. He rushed through the door and into the stairwell.

Bei Nuan breathed a sigh of relief, having held her breath in tension, only when she saw him safely inside.

Lu Xingchi led the group forward, quietly eliminating the zombies near the building entrance.

Just as they finished, the young man cautiously peered out from the doorway.

Quick-witted, he spotted Bei Nuan and the others, stealthily approaching them under the cover of the greenery.

His first words were: "Did you do the metal pipe thing? Do you have abilities?"

The young man looked young, bright as the sunshine, with lively, dark eyes, like a fearless little animal.

Even after his near-death experience, he still seemed in good spirits, curious about abilities.

Someone who could hold a concert for zombies certainly had courage and strong nerves.

Lu Xingchi didn't answer his question, only saying, "You said the cafeteria was safe? Let's go to the cafeteria and talk."

"Right, the cafeteria is just behind these buildings."

The young man led them towards the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was a three-story building, quite large, sprawling low to the ground. The first-floor doors were fitted with sliding metal gates.

Bei Nuan had read about this cafeteria in the book. Shuida University's food festival was famous, held annually, always drawing huge crowds.

In the old campus, the largest cafeteria, built decades ago, had a wall of glass windows on the first floor. Every year during the food festival, as people rushed in, some would inevitably choose the windows over the doors.

Every year, glass would be broken, costly and dangerous.

So, when the new campus cafeteria was built, the entire first floor was walled, with no windows at all. Light came from electric lights and a cleverly designed system of reflected light from skylights above.

This design had even won an award.

Because of its sturdy construction, Shuida students jokingly called the cafeteria "The Fortress."

Now, the fortress had truly become a refuge from zombies.

The cafeteria doors weren't completely closed.

A tall young man stood guard, letting in escaping students during lulls in the zombie activity.

Seeing Bei Nuan and the others, he waved frantically.

They rushed towards the entrance.

Once they were inside, the young man at the door breathed a sigh of relief, quickly closing the metal gates. He then playfully punched the young man who had been with Bei Nuan's group.

"Tang Tang, you're something else. I heard the singing and knew it was you. You attracted a whole crowd."

Tang Tang?

Wasn't that the person Jiang Fei was looking for?

"Your name is Tang Tang? Is your father Tang Zheng?" Jiang Fei asked.

Tang Tang nodded. "My dad is Tang Zheng. Who are you?"

"I'm your father's…" Jiang Fei glanced at the other student, "…colleague."

Hearing the particular tone Jiang Fei used when saying "colleague," Tang Tang immediately understood. Knowing this was one of his father's prison mates, he quickly asked, "Where's my dad?"

Jiang Fei looked at him. "Let's talk inside."

The cafeteria was already filled with people, seemingly all Shuida students.

Despite the large number, they seemed orderly, resting in small groups.

As Bei Nuan's group started to move further inside, the young man guarding the door stopped them.

"Sorry, we have a procedure. Newcomers must be checked for injuries. Anyone with wounds needs to be quarantined upstairs."

Du Ruo voluntarily raised his hand, showing them his hand. "I actually have an injury, and it was from someone who was about to turn."

Lu Xingchi said, "Forget it, we found who we were looking for. We won't go in."

He then asked Tang Tang, "Do you want to stay here, or come with us?"

Tang Tang had witnessed Lu Xingchi's abilities. Following him clearly offered a better chance of survival.

Without hesitation, Tang Tang replied, "I'll go with you."

His decisive response made Lu Xingchi smile slightly.

Bei Nuan knew Tang Tang was also a member of the team in the book. Now, he had finally joined them.

Du Ruo suddenly asked Tang Tang, "You were shouting a girl's name on the rooftop, something like Yuhan, telling her to run. Aren't you bringing her with you?"

Tang Tang shook his head, answering frankly, "No need. She's someone else's girlfriend."

Everyone: "…"

Tang Tang grinned, revealing bright white teeth. "I saw her and her boyfriend run in here. I think she'll definitely remember me, remember me for the rest of her life."

Risking his life to save a girl, and that girl was someone else's girlfriend.

This was a rather peculiar act.

Du Ruo patted Jiang Fei's shoulder, sighing, "This kid really has a connection with you. You two should chat more."

Jiang Fei: "…"

The student guarding the door opened the gate for them again. Just as Lu Xingchi's group stepped out, someone hurried over.

It was a young man wearing glasses, running and calling out, "Please wait!"

Breathless, he approached and asked Du Ruo directly, "You said you were injured by a zombie, before it turned?"

Du Ruo, unsure of his intentions, nodded hesitantly.

"Excellent!" The bespectacled young man's eyes lit up. "I've been looking for someone like this. Could you stay for a bit? I'd like to record some data and conduct an experiment."

Du Ruo: ???

Bei Nuan thought, it felt like Du Ruo was about to be taken away for scientific experiments.

The young man led them upstairs in the cafeteria.

It turned out Shuida University had a virus research lab. The young man, Jiang Xu, was a doctoral student there.

Despite being the only survivor in the lab after the outbreak, and with limited resources, he continued to record data and collect samples, hoping the information would be useful in future efforts to combat the virus.

"So you haven't turned yet?" Jiang Xu was excited. "You're the slowest to turn among all the people I've seen these past few days!"

Jiang Xu rubbed his hands. "I bet ten yuan you'll turn before tonight!"

Du Ruo was speechless. "I bet twenty yuan I won't."

Bei Nuan quickly voiced her support. "I'll add twenty that he won't turn."

Jiang Xu said objectively, "I'm definitely going to win. Look, your eyes are bloodshot."

"Are they?" Du Ruo reached for his phone, wanting to check his eyes.

Bei Nuan then noticed Jiang Xu was right. The whites of Du Ruo's eyes weren't their normal color. They had faint red streaks, as if he'd been pulling an all-nighter playing video games.

Could he really be infected? Bei Nuan felt a pang of despair.

Jiang Xu led Du Ruo to a separate office in a corner on the second floor, which seemed to have been converted into a makeshift lab.

Jiang Xu put on a hazmat suit and asked everyone else to leave, keeping only Du Ruo. "I need to take blood and bodily fluid samples."

Du Ruo looked at the "lab." "Isn't this a bit rudimentary? You're taking potentially infected blood."

Jiang Xu chuckled. "No way around it, limited resources, have to make do."

Du Ruo asked cautiously, "It's just the two of us. What if I turn now? That hazmat suit won't stop my teeth, will it?" He bared his teeth at Jiang Xu.

"Nothing much to do," Jiang Xu replied calmly. "So, as long as I'm inside, I'll definitely lock the door."

Then he instructed Bei Nuan and the others, "If you hear anything unusual inside, or if the door remains locked, don't open it yourselves. Go downstairs and find the security team, have them come up with riot forks to deal with the zombie."

His tone was scientific, objective, and resigned.

He calmly closed the door and locked it.

They stayed inside for a long time.

So long that Bei Nuan started to worry, suspecting something had gone wrong, before the two finally emerged.

Jiang Xu had removed his hazmat suit. "His situation is very unusual. He looks infected, but also not. Can you stay a few more hours? I think he'll definitely turn before dark."

Du Ruo felt wronged. "I'll bet forty yuan I won't turn!"

Bei Nuan patted his back. "I'm with you on the forty!"

Lu Xingchi didn't want to waste time here and started to refuse, "We have other things…"

Jiang Xu quickly added, "I tried a broad-spectrum antiviral drug on two students a couple of days ago. I think it might delay the onset. Do you want to try it?"

There was medicine? Why didn't he say so earlier?

Everyone was immediately interested.

With no other options, any glimmer of hope was worth trying.

The medicine was an injectable. Dr. Du was uneasy.

After repeatedly questioning what the medicine was, and trusting neither Jiang Xu's nor Lu Xingchi's injection technique, he ended up administering the shot to himself.

He was unhappy about it, and even candy couldn't cheer him up.

Because of Du Ruo's unusual situation, Jiang Xu discussed it with the students in charge and temporarily settled Bei Nuan's group in a small dining area on the second floor.

To prevent any sudden transformation by Du Ruo, the dining area was locked, with someone guarding the door. If they needed to use the restroom or anything, they could call for someone to open the door.

Surprisingly, Tang Tang was willing to share their fate, risking potential infection from Du Ruo, and stayed with them in the small dining area.

While waiting for Du Ruo's sample collection, Jiang Fei had pulled Tang Tang aside to talk privately about his father.

Tang Tang's eyes were still red, as if he had been crying, but he remained composed.

Tang Tang explained that the zombie outbreak occurred during morning classes. He had skipped class and was sleeping in his dorm, luckily avoiding the initial chaos.

However, his cookies ran out. He searched the entire building but found no other survivors, only some snacks.

Food wasn't the main issue; the problem was the sheer number of zombies downstairs. He had tried several times to escape, but failed.

The dormitory doors weren't sturdy and were about to give way.

Tang Tang said, "The doors downstairs will eventually be breached. Rather than hiding in the dorm like a bug, slowly starving to death or being eaten, I might as well do something big while I still have the strength."

"So you were hungry, right?"

Bei Nuan quickly rummaged through her space and brought out a plate of sheng jian mantou that Jiang Fei had made in the morning.

The sheng jian mantou had been stored in the upper level of her space while still hot. Now, they were as if freshly cooked, steaming slightly.

Each one was plump and round, with a golden-brown fried bottom, sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped scallions, incredibly fragrant.

Tang Tang held the plate, his dark eyes shining. "What kind of deities are you people?"

Bei Nuan had never seen anyone devour sheng jian mantou so quickly.

Before she could even get him chopsticks and a vinegar dish, he had already finished the plate.

He was truly starving.

Bei Nuan handed him a bottle of water, letting him catch his breath, poured him some vinegar, and then brought out another plate.

Tang Tang was nearly moved to tears.

They then noticed something – all the lights in the small dining area were on.

Even at this point, the power in Shuicheng hadn't gone out!

Everyone was shocked.

Their first reaction was to grab anything that needed charging and plug it in, especially their phones. Even without a signal, they could at least play games.

Bei Nuan absently fiddled with her phone, her mind still preoccupied with Du Ruo.

He seemed fine, engrossed in his phone game, showing no signs of turning.

Except for the slightly bloodshot eyes. Perhaps he just hadn't slept well.

Staring at him, a thought suddenly struck Bei Nuan.

She had been so worried she hadn't thought of this.

She quickly brought up the task list and reread the initial "Voice of the Saint" task.

She had completed all the "Voice of the Saint" tasks except for the last one, "Save Him."

Bei Nuan opened the task description, reading each word carefully.

In front of the male lead, embrace someone who is about to turn, and say sorrowfully, "Someone save him! Can anyone help him?" For the next twenty-four hours, all Saintly Points earned will be doubled.

That day in the Ningcheng supermarket, Bei Nuan had embraced an asthma patient and recited the lines, but the task hadn't been completed.

This meant that if she hugged Du Ruo and recited the lines, she could determine if he was truly about to turn based on whether the task was completed.

The only problem was the sheer embarrassment of doing something so bizarre.

Bei Nuan took a deep breath.

Embarrassment be damned.

Knowing whether Du Ruo was infected was more important.

Du Ruo, completely oblivious, sat there, unaware of the impending "attack."

Bei Nuan steeled herself, closed her eyes, and rushed over, hugging his shoulders from behind.

She gathered her emotions and sorrowfully recited the incredibly awkward line: "Someone save him! Can anyone help him?"

The sorrow was genuine, half for Du Ruo, half for her own dignity.

Everyone in the small dining area looked up in unison: Huh???

An awkward silence followed.

Du Ruo was completely stunned. After a few seconds, he finally managed to ask, "Bei Nuan, what's wrong?"

Lu Xingchi, after a brief pause, strode over and crouched down, placing his hand on her back.

"What's wrong? Don't be afraid."

His voice was low and gentle, patting her back as if comforting a child having a nightmare.

Bei Nuan ignored them, quickly checking the task list in her mind.

Voice of the Saint "Save Him" task (0/1).

So he wasn't infected? Was he?

Bei Nuan's heart leaped with joy.

Du Ruo turned around, patting Bei Nuan. "It's okay, we all have our fate. Even if I do turn, I'll try my best not to bite you."

Bei Nuan: "…"

Du Ruo indeed wasn't "about" to turn. He played video games furiously for several hours, lasting until nightfall, successfully winning ten yuan from Jiang Xu.

Before going to sleep, Du Ruo dragged his sleeping bag to the other side of the dining area, away from everyone.

He then found a pile of pots, pans, and bowls from the kitchen and arranged them in layers around his sleeping bag.

Zombies weren't intelligent. If he turned and got up, he would definitely kick these items, alerting the others.

After setting his trap, Du Ruo gave himself another shot of the antiviral drug, but he couldn't sleep.

He felt restless, his body hot and achy, as if he had a fever.

He was parched, his throat burning, no matter how much water he drank. His head also ached constantly.

Tossing and turning until midnight, he quietly got up and crawled out of his sleeping bag.

The lights in the dining area were off. Borrowing the faint light from outside, Du Ruo looked at himself in his phone camera.

The whites of his eyes were completely red, not a trace of white remaining, just like a zombie.

He glanced back at everyone sleeping soundly, put on his clothes, carefully stepped over his trap, and walked to the door.

Du Ruo knocked softly and whispered to the person outside, "Going to the restroom."

The door opened.

The person on duty was Tang Tang's classmate, who seemed to be called Song Xiwang, the captain of the security team.

Because they needed extra people to guard the small dining area upstairs, he had volunteered for the night shift.

Song Xiwang opened the door and asked Du Ruo, "Restroom?"

He was startled when he saw Du Ruo's completely red eyes.

Du Ruo had already slipped out, closing the door behind him. "Quick, let me out."

Song Xiwang was still stunned, processing Du Ruo's words.

Ignoring him, Du Ruo hurried down the stairs without stopping. "I'm about to turn, hurry, let me out."

Song Xiwang finally reacted, following him to the main entrance, urging the security team members to quickly open the metal gate.

Du Ruo rushed out, only relaxing when he heard the clang of the gate closing behind him.

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