Reborn in the Post-Apocalyptic World: Building Infrastructure

"What's happening?" Sheng Hongye sprang to his feet and strode swiftly toward the door.

Xin Zan dismounted from his horse and spoke with a stiff tone, "Lizhou is under attack by zombies. Your friends have been ambushed, and two of our people are dead."

Sheng Hongye's face darkened. "Impossible! Er Lei and the others are highly trained; they can't be dead."

He reached for the Land Rover's door, jumped into the vehicle, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged.

Su Ling followed suit. "I'm going too. If they're injured, I can help."

Though she hadn't spoken much to Er Lei, he had protected her for days. She couldn't be indifferent now.

Geng Hao joined them as well. "Count me in for backup."

Seeing the three about to leave, Liu Yu promptly halted the car.

With genuine concern, he said, "You shouldn't go. Lizhou might have supplies, but it's a long journey. By the time you return, it'll be dark. The three of you won't withstand a large horde of zombies."

Sheng Hongye retorted coldly, "No matter how tough it gets, I can't leave my brothers in Lizhou."

Xin Zan interjected, "Even if you go, you won't find them. They're already dead."

Sheng Hongye's eyes turned sharp. "You better not be lying."

Liu Yu sighed helplessly. "Mr. Sheng, if you doubt me, there's nothing I can do. But I hope you won't take Miss Su on this risky venture. She's a woman and won't be much help even if she comes along."

Su Ling's expression remained composed. "I'm a doctor, and there's a lot I can do. Mr. Sheng, let's go."

For some reason, she felt increasingly repulsed by Liu Yu.

Geng Hao offered, "Sister Su Ling, I can assist you."

Sheng Hongye glanced back at Geng Hao and instructed, "Geng Hao, stay here and protect Kai Xuan for me."

Su Ling then remembered the child inside the house and nodded to Geng Hao.

Reluctantly, Geng Hao complied and got out of the car. Sheng Hongye stepped on the accelerator, and the sedan gracefully drifted away from the farmhouse.

After a few people left, Xin Zan spoke in a hushed voice, "Prophet, what if that woman doesn't come back? What should we do now?"

Liu Yu smirked. "Don't worry, we still have two women, Geng Hao, and that child. Although those women are of little use, they still have some value to exploit. Unfortunately, even if we combine their worth, they're still not as valuable as Su Ling. No matter what, we have to keep Su Ling and Geng Hao here."

As Liu Yu spoke, the sedan had already entered the road.

Su Ling hesitated and asked, "Isn't it inappropriate to leave Kai Xuan there?"

Sheng Hongye glanced sideways. "Do you think there's something wrong with the people on the farm?"

Su Ling shook her head. "It's not that there's something wrong, but I find it very strange. Even a kid like Xin Zan managed to come back, but Er Lei and the others are seasoned warriors. How could they be surrounded by zombies?"

Sheng Hongye nodded, agreeing with Su Ling's thoughts.

"This whole thing is indeed very suspicious, and I think that Liu Yu plays a significant role in it too."

Su Ling sighed and looked out of the window.

"I'm sorry, perhaps our coming here was a mistake."

"It was my decision as well, so don't blame yourself. Don't dwell on it. Maybe Er Lei and the others just got separated from Xin Zan."

Sheng Hongye tried to console her, but his heart remained uneasy.

He had been too careless, assuming that Xin Zan, being a kid, wouldn't pose any problems, and that's why he allowed Er Lei and the others to follow him.

As various possibilities ran through his mind, Sheng Hongye pushed the accelerator to the floor.

The distance that would usually take over three hours to reach was covered in just two hours.

Compared to the Lizhou from a few days ago, the dilapidated city before them now appeared so unfamiliar that Su Ling couldn't recognize it.

Most of the buildings had collapsed, and the roads were strewn with debris, making it impossible to believe that this had once been a bustling city of nearly ten million people.

"How could this happen?"

Su Ling gazed out of the window, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Sheng Hongye slowed down the car, his voice heavy. "It must have been an earthquake. Leaving was the right decision."

Su Ling remained silent, unable to determine what was right or wrong anymore. Her only hope was to find Er Lei and the others as soon as possible.

They maneuvered through the city, eventually entering Lizhou. Sheng Hongye drove towards several large supermarkets based on his memory, but there was no sign of anyone.

As the sky began to darken, Su Ling couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Could it be that they never came to Lizhou at all?"

Sheng Hongye pondered for a moment. "This is the biggest city, and the supplies shouldn't have been completely looted. If they were looking for resources, this would be the best choice."

Before he finished speaking, a familiar growling sound reached their ears. Sheng Hongye immediately pulled Su Ling behind a still-standing counter.

"Shh, there are zombies!"

With most of the counters collapsed, there was only a small gap behind them, forcing the two to stand pressed against each other.

Su Ling could even sense the cold, hormone-laden scent emanating from Sheng Hongye's body. Though it was not the time for such thoughts, her face still flushed slightly.

Then, they heard footsteps approaching. The zombies had evidently entered the store.

Su Ling couldn't help but feel nervous, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

The constant squeezing made Sheng Hongye hold his breath, quickly shifting his gaze elsewhere.

The zombies outside the door drew closer, seemingly as if they had eyes. Their footsteps soon reached their side.

Goosebumps appeared on Su Ling's skin, and she immediately covered her mouth to avoid attracting more zombies with any noise.

With lightning speed, Sheng Hongye kicked out and sent the zombie flying. He then swiftly leaped forward, grabbing the zombie's head and twisted it with force. With a crisp snap, the zombie went still.

Su Ling hurriedly emerged from the gap.

Sheng Hongye reached out to hold her and decisively said, "The sun is about to set, and a large number of zombies will soon be on the move. Let's head back first."

The two skirted around the debris-filled counter and made their way to the side entrance. Suddenly, Su Ling stopped in her tracks.

"There's a smell of blood, and it's fresh."

Due to her profession, she was particularly sensitive to the scent of blood.

Then she pointed to the west. "Over there."

Sheng Hongye immediately walked towards the direction she indicated and indeed saw a person covered in blood—Er Lei.

"Er Lei."

Sheng Hongye reached out and pressed his neck, checking for a pulse. He was still alive.

Su Ling hurriedly came over, quickly examining Er Lei. There were no signs of zombie bites, but she noticed a wound after she tore open his camouflage vest.

Without saying a word, Su Ling exchanged a glance with Sheng Hongye.

"It's a gunshot wound. My medical tools are in that Passat car. If we want to save Er Lei, we need to get him back quickly."

Sheng Hongye nodded and carried Er Lei on his back.

As soon as they stood up, they saw four to five zombies stumbling towards the supermarket...