City D – Bright Elite School (Escape)
Su Yan quickly helped Su Jin and the other two children climb out of the apparatus room through the broken laboratory window.
The corridor outside was silent, but the faint groans of zombies echoed from deeper inside the building.
"Stay close to me," Su Yan said quietly.
The children nodded nervously.
They moved carefully through the hallway, their footsteps light as they followed behind Su Yan.
Suddenly—
A loud crash echoed from a distant classroom.
A zombie stumbled into the hallway, its body covered in blood.
Its head twisted unnaturally as it sniffed the air.
Su Yan's eyes darkened.
Too close.
She immediately raised her hand, signaling the children to stop.
The zombie slowly dragged its feet across the floor.
Its cloudy white eyes scanned the hallway.
Su Yan quickly pulled the children into a nearby classroom and quietly closed the door.
Everyone held their breath.
The zombie shuffled past the door outside.
Its nails scratched against the wall as it groaned hungrily.
"Grrr…."
Su Jin trembled slightly, but Su Yan placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't make a sound," she whispered.
The zombie lingered outside for several seconds before finally wandering away.
Su Yan waited another full minute before opening the door again.
"We're moving."
The group continued down the hallway.
When they reached the stairwell, they discovered something terrifying.
Two zombies were wandering near the exit.
One wore a teacher's uniform.
The other looked like a student.
Their mouths were smeared with blood.
The children's faces turned pale.
Su Yan calmly pulled out one of the metal rods she had taken from the laboratory earlier.
She moved silently behind the first zombie.
CRACK!
The rod smashed into the back of its skull.
The zombie collapsed instantly.
Before the second one could react—
CRACK!
Another precise strike crushed its head.
Su Yan wiped the rod on the floor.
"Let's go."
The children stared at her in shock.
They had never seen someone kill zombies so calmly.
Su Yan didn't explain anything.
In her previous life, she had already killed far worse things than these.
They quickly left the school building and started crossing the school grounds.
When they passed by a certain classroom, they suddenly heard a voice.
"Hello! Can you take me with you?"
Everyone turned.
Inside the classroom, a boy was hiding under a desk.
Su Yan looked at him expressionlessly.
"You can follow."
The boy quickly stood up and ran out.
"Okay!"
He joined the group as they hurried toward the school gate.
Fortunately, the path outside was clear.
They quickly reached the car Su Yan had driven earlier.
Everyone climbed inside.
Su Yan started the engine and drove away from the school.
But before they could go far, three military vehicles suddenly drove toward them and blocked the road.
The cars stopped nearby.
Several soldiers stepped out.
One man in military uniform walked toward Su Yan's car while the others stayed beside their vehicles.
Su Yan immediately recognized what was happening.
They must be searching for survivors.
The boy who had joined them earlier suddenly became excited.
"That's my dad!"
He pointed happily at the man walking toward the car.
The man was wearing a military uniform and looked around forty years old.
"I don't see my dad," said the other girl Su Yan had rescued from the laboratory.
"But he's also in the military."
Su Yan unlocked the doors and stepped out of the car.
"Come out," she said.
The children quickly got out.
The boy immediately ran toward the military man.
"Dad!"
The man looked relieved.
"Xiao Huo!"
He pulled the boy into a tight hug.
Meanwhile, the girl hesitated to approach the soldiers.
She looked nervous.
Su Yan gently took her hand and walked forward with her.
The man soon approached Su Yan.
"Hello," he said gratefully.
"My name is Zhang Huo."
"Thank you for saving my son."
"It's nothing," Su Yan replied calmly.
"This girl said her father is also in the military."
The man looked at the girl and suddenly smiled.
"Yes, I know her!"
"She's Chu Xin, the daughter of our commander."
"We were actually sent here to search for her."
He looked extremely relieved.
"Come with us," he told the girl kindly.
"We'll take you to your father."
Chu Xin nodded.
"Okay, pretty sister," she said softly to Su Yan before walking toward the soldiers.
Zhang Huo turned back to Su Yan.
"Thank you again."
"You can follow us. We'll make sure both of you stay safe."
Su Yan shook her head.
"No thanks."
"I have somewhere else to go."
"But you can help me with something."
The man raised an eyebrow.
"What is it?"
"Lend me a gun. Or two."
"You know how to use a gun?" he asked.
"Not very well," Su Yan replied calmly.
"But it's better than nothing."
Zhang Huo studied her for a moment before nodding.
"Fair enough."
He handed her two pistols.
Su Yan accepted them.
Before leaving, she spoke again.
"You should warn your soldiers."
"Don't let anyone get scratched or bitten."
"Otherwise they might turn into zombies."
"However, not everyone who gets bitten will turn immediately."
"Some people survive and awaken special abilities."
Zhang Huo looked surprised.
"You seem to know a lot about these creatures."
"Not really," Su Yan replied.
"I'm leaving now."
She turned around and walked back to the car.
When she got inside, she looked at the two remaining children.
"Do you want to go with the military?"
The boy shook his head.
"No thanks."
"My brother doesn't get along with the military or police."
"What's your name?" Su Yan asked.
"My name is Fu Leng."
Su Yan stiffened slightly.
Fu… Leng?
It must be a coincidence.
Fu Chen didn't have a brother.
Meanwhile, the little girl Huang Nian spoke up.
"I'll stay with pretty sister."
Su Yan looked at her.
"Aren't you afraid your brother won't find you if he comes looking?"
Huang Nian shook her head confidently.
"My brother told me that if I'm ever in danger and he isn't around…"
"I should run as far away as I can."
"As long as I'm alive, he will find me."
Su Yan stared at her for a moment before nodding.
"Alright."
She started the car again and drove away from the school.
As they drove through the streets of City D, the apocalypse had already begun.
People were running everywhere in panic.
Some were screaming.
Others were being chased by zombies.
In one street, a man fell to the ground while three zombies tore into his body.
Blood splattered across the pavement.
Inside the car, the children trembled with fear.
None of them spoke.
But Su Yan didn't try to comfort them.
They needed to understand reality.
From now on, scenes like this would become normal.
If they couldn't accept it, they wouldn't survive.
Eventually, they reached the apartment Su Yan had rented earlier.
But the area wasn't completely safe.
Five or six zombies were wandering near the entrance.
Su Yan quietly stepped out of the car.
"Stay inside."
The children watched nervously.
Su Yan approached the zombies silently.
BANG!
The first shot pierced a zombie's head.
BANG!
Another one collapsed.
Within seconds, she killed all six zombies.
Then she waved to the children.
"Come."
They hurried inside the apartment building.
Once they entered her apartment, Su Yan immediately locked the door.
She let out a small sigh.
Protecting children while fighting zombies was exhausting.
The living room was empty.
She went straight into the bedroom where she had placed the supplies she bought the previous day and stored everything inside her space.
Fu Leng stared in shock.
"Sister… are you a magician?"
"No," Su Yan replied calmly.
"It's just an ability I awakened."
"You might awaken one too in the future."
Huang Nian's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"Will I get powers too?"
"Maybe," Su Yan said bluntly.
"As long as you don't die early."
The little girl stiffened.
"Your words are scary," Fu Leng said.
"You're just making her more afraid."
"I know," Su Yan replied.
"But it's the truth."
"From now on, our world will be like this."
"Survival of the fittest."
"If you're not strong enough, you'll die… and turn into a zombie."
Su Jin looked worried.
"What about Dad?"
Su Yan shrugged slightly.
"He's an adult."
"He knows how to protect himself."
"Now go take a bath and change your clothes."
She handed Su Jin and Fu Leng a pair of sportswear.
Then she took Huang Nian into another room to help her wash up.
The clothes Su Yan bought for Su Jin were slightly big for the little girl, but they worked.
Afterward, Su Yan used scissors to cut both her own hair and Huang Nian's hair short.
The little girl now looked like a cute little boy.
Next, Su Yan used an electric cooker to heat some instant noodles.
The children ate quietly.
No one complained.
They were too hungry.
After dinner, Su Yan checked the time.
7:35 p.m.
It was already dark outside.
"You should sleep early," she said.
"Tomorrow will be a long day."
She placed a large mattress on the floor.
The children lay down together.
Su Yan sat a short distance away, keeping watch.
Even though the doors were locked, she couldn't relax completely.
In the middle of the night, she heard light footsteps.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Huang Nian standing there.
"What is it?" Su Yan asked softly.
"I can't sleep," the little girl said while nervously fidgeting with her fingers.
"Come here."
The girl walked over and sat beside her.
Su Yan gently pulled her closer and let the girl rest her head on her lap.
"You don't need to be afraid," Su Yan said softly while patting her head.
"I'm here."
"I'll watch over you."
Huang Nian nodded.
"Okay."
A few minutes later, the little girl slowly fell asleep on Su Yan's lap.
Outside the apartment, distant screams echoed through the dark city.
The apocalypse had only just begun.