Chapter 40: Breaking Through, the Feint Maneuver

The group was still unwilling to give up. They pushed and shoved, each trying to get another chance. Qiu Yun smirked, “You guys really don’t have a clue, do you? If you can’t keep up and end up dragging us down, I don’t know if our boss will lose his temper, but I’m pretty sure someone else will start shooting first.”

He shot a meaningful glance over at Brother Leopard.

Zhao Cheng and the others’ faces changed. They were just students, housewives, or ordinary office workers—none of them had good physical fitness, and none had any powers. The burly guys in the supermarket had always looked down on them. Once they left the supermarket, if anything went wrong and Gu Xu didn’t protect them, those people definitely wouldn’t let them off.

Actually, this whole act was just to show off their “special relationship” with Gu Xu in front of the others, but it backfired and they ended up embarrassed. They all felt a bit resentful toward Gu Xu, but they didn’t dare provoke him for real. No matter how unwilling, they could only shrink back.

As they left, someone muttered, “Seriously, what’s with the attitude? Does he really think he’s the boss?”

Gu Xu and his group heard, but didn’t react—they couldn’t be bothered.

Back on the third floor, they shared the information they’d gathered. Gu Xu decided he would go to the front of the second floor to draw the zombies’ attention, while Qiu Feng and the others would take Shadow and escape through the back door.

Qiu Feng voiced his concern: “If these zombies are being controlled by a tier-two zombie, they won’t be so easily fooled. Qiu Yun and the others saw it too—the back is full of zombies. Can you really lure them all away by yourself? And going alone is too dangerous.”

Qiu Yun waved his hand. “Who said he’d be alone? Aren’t there a bunch of people downstairs? They want to follow us and get a free ride? No way! Make them help—half go to the front, half come with us through the back!”

Qiu Feng looked helplessly at his younger brother, who was only a year younger. Did he really not think of this?

Gu Pei shook his head. “Those people are more trouble than they’re worth. If you’re alone, you have to deal with zombies and watch your back in case someone tries something…” He turned to Gu Xu. “Let me go with you. I don’t have powers, but you taught me to shoot. I can handle zombies.”

See? Even a student like Gu Pei thought of that.

“No, A’Pei, you don’t have combat experience. If something happens, your brother might not be able to protect you,” Qiu Feng said. Now, only Qiu Yun and Wu Dalang had powers. Shadow and Gu Pei needed protection, and there were two girls to look after. The two of them were already stretched thin. “I’ll go. I’ll stay with A’Xu.”

Gu Xu shook his head. “You need to command the whole operation. Breaking out from the back won’t be easy—you’ve got a lot on your plate.” He smiled at Bian Changxi. “Miss Bian, would you be willing to stay and help me hold them off for a while?”

Everyone was stunned. Bian Changxi, who’d been focused on the pot of porridge, looked up in surprise. “Me?”

She quickly ran through the calculations in her head. Acting as bait would mean using her powers and firing from inside the supermarket. It seemed safe, but if something went wrong at the back door and zombies broke in, those left inside would be trapped like fish in a barrel.

On the other hand, breaking out the back would mean a direct confrontation with the zombies—hand-to-hand combat, which was just as dangerous. Neither option was easy.

Gu Xu continued, “You’re a good shot, you don’t shy away from a fight, and you have powers. You’ll be more effective here.”

Bian Changxi thought it over. She was a wood-type user—fragile in close combat, not as explosive as Gu Xu’s fire powers, not as tough as Wu Dalang, not as agile as Qiu Yun’s wind blades, and not as good a strategist as Qiu Feng. She’d only be a burden at the back door, but up front, she’d make a decent sniper.

Fine, she was neither the best nor the worst. She’d be most valuable where she fit best.

She nodded. “I’m fine with that.”

Next came weapon distribution. Gu Xu dragged out a suitcase and a large black bag. When he opened them, Lin Rongrong gasped, “Whoa, what are you guys planning? That’s a lot of firepower!”

Inside were grenades, submachine guns, large-caliber rifles, sniper rifles, and various handguns—all jet black and dazzling. Bian Changxi, sharp-eyed, also spotted tracking, eavesdropping, and surveillance devices, plus various injectors.

She didn’t gasp like Lin Rongrong, but she was just as shocked inside.

This was definitely not a normal special ops team. She knew Gu Xu’s background was unusual, but bringing this kind of heavy weaponry on a mission in peacetime was a bit much. What kind of enemies were they up against?

Noticing Bian Changxi’s curious look, Gu Xu turned to Lin Rongrong, but it was as if he was explaining to Bian Changxi: “This mission is a bit special, so we got approval for all this gear. Lucky for us. Want to try one?”

Lin Rongrong quickly waved her hands. “No way, I’ve never touched a gun in my life. If I fired by accident, we’d be doomed.”

Gu Xu smiled and started handing out weapons. Bian Changxi got a large-caliber sniper rifle and a handgun. There were no markings, and she didn’t know the models, but the cold, heavy feel and the precise craftsmanship told her these were top-notch—much better than the pistol Gu Xu had tossed her yesterday.

The others hid their guns on themselves. There were still plenty left, so they split them: some for Qiu Yun to take, some for Gu Xu to keep. That way, if one group failed, they wouldn’t lose everything.

But that also meant they could take very little else.

Lin Rongrong watched them discuss how to lighten their packs, her face stiff with guilt and unease. She kept glancing at Bian Changxi, but Bian Changxi was focused on her sniper rifle, her expression unreadable.

Soon, some of the leaders from the second floor came up to ask about the evacuation plan. After seeing how Zhao Cheng and the others had been treated, their attitudes were much better. Gu Xu already had a plan in mind. He analyzed the situation and assigned tasks to each person.

The sun climbed higher. Around ten o’clock, everyone had a full meal and rested. At 11:40, they geared up. Wu Dalang carried Shadow, Qiu Yun took the weapons, Qiu Feng and Gu Pei each carried a large bag of food and essentials, and Lin Rongrong had a pack as well. After saying a solemn goodbye to Gu Xu and Bian Changxi, they went downstairs to join the first group on the second floor and headed for the back of the building.

Gu Xu turned to Bian Changxi. “Be careful.”

Bian Changxi put on a sun hat and earpiece—this was a more advanced comms device than the team’s wristwatch communicators. The team used these to stay in touch, while the wristwatches were given to the other group leaders. Both channels were now set to the same frequency for communication.

She glanced at him, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end just nodded, picked up her sniper rifle and bag, and headed for the rooftop.

Gu Xu watched her disappear into the stairwell, then turned and went down to the second floor, where eight people were waiting for him. Three minutes later, all fifty-eight people in the supermarket building were in position.

The weather was perfect—wispy clouds, blazing sunlight reflecting off the concrete and glass. Bian Changxi lay prone, her back burning from the sun, holding the sniper pose Gu Xu had taught her. Her right eye was on the scope, crosshairs fixed on the shoulder of an ugly tier-two zombie, finger on the trigger.

Zombies feared sunlight. In such strong sun, they slouched and barely moved. If not for the tier-two zombie, they’d probably have all retreated to hide.

Gu Xu’s cold, clear voice came through the earpiece: “Ready. Fire!”

Bian Changxi squeezed the trigger. The rifle kicked back, and a bullet shot out at high speed. Almost simultaneously, the tier-two zombie’s right shoulder exploded, sending it flying. Its shrill howl echoed through the air.

“Changxi, keep going. Everyone, open fire!”

Gunfire erupted from the second floor. Zombies fell one after another. Bian Changxi focused, aimed at a second zombie, and fired again.

Today is May 12th. The sirens sound again. In a blink, it’s been six years. Blessings for those who are gone.

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