Chapter 87 The Counter-Siege Operation Begins

When the sun rose the next day, a group of people stood in high spirits in the lobby on the first floor of the dormitory building. With the pressure of survival lifted and after a full day of rest, everyone was in much better shape.

"Today, we begin the zombie purge!" The leader stood at the front of the crowd, his expression grave. They had been besieged by zombies for three days and nights and had only just managed to break out. Now, after recovering, it was time for revenge.

Moreover, the ten-day deadline was looming. If they didn’t clear out the zombies in the port district, there was a real risk of losses when the small starship arrived.

"Starting today, for the next two days, we need to wipe out all the zombies in the entire port district so we can await the arrival of the small starship," said Skinny Monkey, having received a signal from the leader. He began explaining to everyone using a detailed map of the port district. Suddenly, he noticed the group's lackluster mood, and his eyes gleamed as he quickly came up with an idea.

"If we don't clear out the zombies in two days, they might attack us when the small starship arrives. Whether or not you make it onto the starship will depend on your luck," Skinny Monkey, clearly the smoothest talker among the leader’s trio, hit the nail on the head with his words, immediately capturing everyone’s attention.

Now, what everyone cared about most was whether they could escape with their lives when the small starship arrived, not whether the zombies were completely cleared from the port district. After all, once they left, no one would use this place again.

But after hearing Skinny Monkey’s words and thinking about the rendezvous in three days, they realized that if they failed to clear the zombies and got left behind when the starship came, it would be a bitter ending. Instantly, their spirits rose—they were determined to clear the port district thoroughly. If they were to fall at the last moment, they would never rest in peace!

Everyone answered in unison and turned their attention to the map and the explanations. Half an hour later, fully equipped, they set off for the port.

Du Yun walked at the front of the team, her heart brimming with a sweet and indescribable joy. Last night, she had slept in the arms of the leader and had the deepest, most restful sleep she’d had in days. All the fear and anxiety that had plagued her vanished. Now, she felt refreshed and full of energy—zombie hunting seemed more delightful than a stroll in the park.

To conserve everyone's strength, they advanced at a steady pace, following their previous route and efficiently dispatching stray zombies along the way. Only days before, they had been forced into a desperate flight by these monsters; now, the tables had turned, and the sense of satisfaction drove everyone to work with renewed vigor.

Du Yun had an extra task: after each zombie fell, she would scan the body and extract the energy crystal. She had set aside two special compartments in her storage for these: one for the tiny, rice-sized crystals from first-tier zombies, and another for the pigeon-egg-sized ones from second-tier zombies.

The group pressed forward with impressive efficiency, and after about an hour, they returned to the small building where they had once been besieged. The towering wall of zombie corpses still stood, a macabre monument that was oddly awe-inspiring from a distance.

“We were incredible back then!” said Baldy, huddled in the middle of the group, unable to keep from sighing at the sight of the zombie barricade.

Baldy had been nothing more than a barber in the town, with no real achievements to his name, yet here, in the apocalypse, he had managed to survive three days and nights under siege and escape unscathed—a fact both astonishing and a source of pride.

“Yes, surviving was truly a blessing from above,” chimed in Fat Aunt, glancing back at the leader and his companions with admiration. “We owe it all to these soldiers—without them, we’d have been dead long ago.”

“They couldn’t have done it without us either,” interjected the flamboyant Red Plum. Seeing everyone’s respect for the leader’s group, she spoke up hurriedly. She was now with Dong Tiechui, and if he lost standing in the group, so would she.

“Sure, without us dragging them down, maybe they wouldn’t have needed to hide in that building at all!” retorted Peach, glaring at Red Plum. She had lost her mother, but that didn’t mean just any woman could marry her father.

“You—” Red Plum ground her teeth in frustration at Peach, whose sharp tongue always got the better of her. But as Dong Tiechui’s beloved daughter, Peach was untouchable, which only made Red Plum more furious.

“What about me?” Peach darted to Du Yun’s side, hugging her waist and making a face at Red Plum. “Talking nonsense—hope it makes you mad!”

“You little brat, one day I’ll see you dead!” Red Plum clenched her teeth, but dared not say it aloud. She began plotting how to secure a good spot on the starship when it arrived, and maybe push Peach off to settle the score.

“Enough! Stop arguing—we still have zombies to kill!” Dong Tiechui found himself caught between his lover and his daughter, unable to take sides. He barked out the order and strode forward, rifle in hand, to escape the quarrel.

No one else paid any attention to this minor squabble, though Du Yun looked thoughtfully at Red Plum. She had sensed the woman’s intense hatred toward Peach, and being as sensitive as she was, Du Yun could even feel the murderous intent.

That could be trouble, Du Yun thought to herself. If this woman caused any problems, she wouldn’t mind sending her on her way.

The group moved quickly, and soon they arrived at the previously besieged spot. The once flat dock now had a blown-open pier, with only half remaining.

A small building, surrounded by zombie corpses, stood beside another charred structure. The heavy stench of blood and the putrid odor of rotting flesh made it nearly impossible to breathe.

Occasionally, a few zombies could be seen feeding nearby, the grisly crunching sounds sending chills down their spines. As soon as the zombies heard the commotion, they rushed toward them as if provoked, their blood-red hands and lips making a nauseating sight.

A storm of gunfire erupted, flames meeting the charging zombies. One by one, the zombies fell, and Du Yun hurried to extract their energy crystals, thus marking the beginning of humanity’s counteroffensive.