Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 49: 4S Store

Zombies lurking in the dark were stirred up by the explosion. They rushed onto the elevated bridge with unimaginable speed, only managing to catch a whiff of gunpowder smoke.

The howling of the zombies on the bridge only made the area below it seem eerily quiet.

The Beetle, having just experienced a brush with death, stood silently in the middle of the road, basking in the night breeze, pondering its existence.

“Ding—”

A crisp notification sounded thoughtfully.

The three bewildered companions in the backseat immediately lifted their arms to check.

[Cheat Sheet]: Purple Qi from the south, as if aided by the gods, the Ghost Door locks before the Gate of Hell, granting a safe path under the peace talisman.

“What does this mean?” Qian Ai recognized every word and found it smooth to read but couldn’t understand it at all.

“The lock before the Gate of Hell probably refers to the recent explosion. We were almost sent home but narrowly escaped death.” Xu Wang stared at the latter half of the cheat sheet, frowning. “But this peace talisman…”

“Maybe it’s a hidden Easter egg,” Wu Sheng guessed tentatively. “Perhaps we unknowingly completed some side quest, like giving the blanket to Shen Yi in the red-eye flight, earning us a chance to survive a critical moment. It will automatically be triggered.”

“The problem is, on this journey, apart from killing zombies, we’ve only been killing each other. We haven’t done anything good, right?” Xu Wang realistically summed up their achievements.

Kuang Jinxin: “Could it be because we sent Ding Xiaoche home?”

Ding Xiaoche, the Beetle driver, loved his name so much he repeatedly reminded them to remember it*.

*Clarity: Xiaoche (小车) means small car. 

After pondering for a moment, Xu Wang could only think of this possibility… Wait, who was talking just now?

Suddenly looking up, he saw a clean, round face with clear eyes like a clear autumn sky. Other than Classmate Kuang, who else could it be?

The teammate, who had woken up at some point, turned around and leaned on the passenger seat, seamlessly integrating into the “team discussion” without realizing how close he was to going home.

“You’re finally awake!” Qian Ai was immensely relieved, but soon became worried again, bombarding him with questions. “Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Headache, fever? Numb limbs? Chest tightness, shortness of breath? Cold hands and feet?”

Xu Wang was speechless. “Are you caring or cursing?”

“I’m fine.” Kuang Jinxin scratched his head awkwardly, feeling a bit guilty for his teammates’ concern. “I feel like I just had a good sleep, so I’m not sleepy anymore. I’m quite refreshed and clear-headed.”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin wasn’t pretending to be strong, as it was obvious he looked revitalized, with a healthy blush and bright eyes, indeed full of energy.

But because it was so apparent, it only made Qian Ai, who had been anxious throughout the journey, feel more complicated.

“It’s mainly because you protected well.” Xu Wang patted Classmate Qian on the shoulder, offering some comfort.

Qian Ai, resigned to his fate, flicked Kuang Jinxin’s head irritably. “Next time you meet someone who looks crazy, stay away.”

“Oh,” Kuang Jinxin responded, but his mind was still filled with flashbacks of Chi Yingxue. “Why did he insist on dying with me?”

Qian Ai was speechless. “If he could make you understand, he wouldn’t be called a psycho.”

Hearing that Kuang Jinxin was unharmed, Wu Sheng got out of the car to switch to the driver’s seat.

The Beetle hadn’t turned off after landing, but the gear was in park. It was unclear whether it was the last bit of conscience left by the fleeing Mr. Thirteen.

Wu Sheng fastened his seatbelt, shifted into drive, and gently pressed the gas pedal.

“Clank!”

It sounded as if an internal part of the car was misaligned.

The Beetle shook slightly and completely turned off.

Wu Sheng was puzzled. His operation was flawless; how come it survived the fall off the bridge, but now failed as soon as he took over?

As if hearing his inner doubts, a stereo sound echoed inside the Beetle—

[Astral Projection Mode, activated.]

Wu Sheng: “……”

“What was that sound?” Xu Wang was still talking with Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin and didn’t catch on immediately.

Wu Sheng turned around. “The car won’t start.”

Xu Wang: “Wasn’t it fine just now?”

“This is a Beetle with a soul.” Wu Sheng never thought one day he would say something so poetic. “And now, its soul has ascended.”

Xu Wang: “……”

“There seems to be a 4S shop* over there.” Kuang Jinxin looked out the car window, towards a towering car billboard in the distance. The building below was hard to make out, but the car logo on the façade shone silver in the moonlight.

*It’s basically a car store that encompasses a 4-in-one model (Sales, Sparepart, Service, and survey—thus the 4S in their name).

Qian Ai checked the time on his phone. “Even if we find a car, it’s too late now.”

Kuang Jinxin: “But we can’t just wait here.”

Qian Ai: “You’re fully revived now, aren’t you? Do you know how we three broke out of the amusement park… Wait, why are you staring at me with such big eyes?”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “Fine, let’s go to the 4S shop to find a car!”

Sometimes, Qian Ai felt that Kuang Jinxin was the real invincible one. Wu Sheng might want to kill with a glance, but he’d need stationery. Classmate Kuan, on the other hand, came with the innate skill of “Righteous Death Stare”—indestructible and could directly interrogate your soul.

Regarding the visit to the 4S shop, Wu Sheng and Xu Wang were all for it.

Despite slim chances of success, they had been saved by the talisman and couldn’t waste this extra time they fought for. Exploring more wouldn’t hurt.

The distribution of zombies changed daily, but the city map did not.

Walking under the cover of night, the four avoided major roads and took back alleys to reach the front of the 4S shop.

The shop door was wide open, without lights or sound, and was eerily quiet inside. The floor-to-ceiling glass was smeared with stains, resembling blood, but it was too dark to tell.

“Everyone be careful.” Wu Sheng, carrying the rocket launcher, led the way into the shop almost noiselessly.

Xu Wang followed closely, holding the Lightning Gun.

Kuang Jinxin’s scythe, swapped with Wu Sheng, was lost on the Ferris wheel, so now he held Qian Ai’s screwdriver.

Qian Ai walked at the end, holding his chainsaw. He initially wanted to give the chainsaw to Kuang Jinxin, but the latter thought it was too cruel and couldn’t use it.

Qian Ai, heartbroken, wished time could reverse. At least then, his unconscious teammate seemed a bit cuter.

It was a mess inside the 4S shop. By the moonlight, they could see documents and car model brochures scattered on the ground. The sofas and coffee tables for customers were toppled over.

Almost all car display spots were empty, except for a lone white sedan in a corner.

The four tiptoed to the car. When Wu Sheng reached for the door, he gently tugged on it.

Locked.

Wu Sheng glanced at the empty display spots and whispered, “We’re not the first ones here looking for a car.”

Xu Wang understood his meaning. “If other cars were driven away, the keys for this one must also be here.”

“We don’t have much time,” Wu Sheng said. “Let’s split into pairs. If we encounter zombies, fight if you can, run if you can’t, and try to keep noise to a minimum to avoid attracting more.”

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin nodded in agreement: “Understood.”

Xu Wang swallowed, raising his Lightning Gun. “Once I start fighting, I can’t be low-key.”

Wu Sheng gave him a resigned look. “Then just stand still and leave the zombies to me.”

Xu Wang glanced at his rocket launcher confusedly. “Are you sure your weapon is ‘gentle’?”

“Dealing with zombies doesn’t always require weapons.” Wu Sheng tapped his head with a finger. “We can also outsmart them.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Without any deliberate pairing, who teamed up with whom seemed naturally decided; they just needed to divide the areas.

Keys like these were unlikely to be left in the lobby, so the focus was on the office area. Xu Wang and Wu Sheng were responsible for the first-floor office area, while Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin took the second floor.

After watching their teammates go upstairs, Wu Sheng asked Xu Wang, “Where do you want to start?”

Xu Wang didn’t hesitate. “The bathroom.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang looked at his advisor with an experienced eye. “Think about where we got our original weapons. Believe me, the ‘Owl’ have a mysterious affection for places of grain reincarnation.”

Wu Sheng: “So you think a salesperson deliberately hid the car keys in the toilet tank?”

Xu Wang: “Why are you so rigid? Couldn’t it be a salesperson with keys who got bitten in the bathroom and now wanders there forever, waiting for challengers to discover?”

“……” With clear arguments, Wu Sheng found it surprisingly reasonable.

Perhaps for convenience, the bathroom was located at the junction of the office area and the front hall, close to the stairs they were at, modestly luxurious in decor.

The two heightened their alertness and quietly approached.

The closer they got, the clearer the sounds inside became.

Drip.

Drip.

The bathroom was designed with men’s on the left and women’s on the right. The dripping sound was on the left, chilling in the night’s silence.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng exchanged a glance, with the latter silently turning on his phone’s flashlight.

Shoulder to shoulder, they entered the men’s room on the left.

Without the moonlight, the bathroom was pitch dark. Wu Sheng used his phone’s flash to scout ahead.

The sinks were empty, with one apparently clogged. The water was overflowing as the tap wasn’t tightly closed, which was the source of the dripping sound.

They passed the sinks and finally reached the inner part of the bathroom.

It was a narrow area, with urinals on one side and stalls on the other.

Wu Sheng stopped Xu Wang from going further, then raised his phone, illuminating the narrow bathroom’s end.

There, a person in a suit was squatting with his back to them, munching on something unknown.

Judging by the attire, it was likely a salesperson.

But given the situation, a peaceful negotiation seemed out of the question.

Wu Sheng nodded to Xu Wang.

Xu Wang got the hint. Using the light from the phone flashlight, he whispered a faint “Hi” to the other person.

The munching stopped.

The suited zombie maintained its squatting position, slowly turning its head.

Its face was ghastly green, its mouth smeared with filth, and its eyes devoid of pure black. They weren’t the deep red or blood red of the zombies in the south of the city, but a pale red membrane on a white base.

“Do you think if I ask him where the keys are, he’ll understand?”

Xu Wang’s voice was barely audible.

Yet it seemed to be caught. The suited zombie slowly stood up, turned around, and faced them head-on.

Xu Wang felt a chill run down his scalp.

Wu Sheng also felt a wave of nausea.

The zombie wasn’t holding anything in its hands; it was gnawing on its own arm.

Caught in shock, the suited zombie suddenly lunged at them without warning, incredibly fast, and knocked Wu Sheng down in an instant!

Wu Sheng hardly saw how it approached. His rocket launcher and phone clattered to the ground as he was tackled!

The zombie pinned Wu Sheng down and lunged to bite his face!

Wu Sheng could no longer worry about his weapon; he grasped the zombie’s neck with both hands, trying to push it away. Unexpectedly, the zombie was extraordinarily strong, and after a few seconds of struggle, Wu Sheng began to falter!

The rocket launcher had rolled to the wall, but the phone continued to cast light dutifully.

In the cold, white light, the zombie’s teeth were almost touching his face!

Suddenly, a mop handle descended from above, pressing against the arm Wu Sheng was using to hold the zombie, and then tightened around the zombie’s neck from behind!

Taking advantage of the situation, Wu Sheng released his grip, and Xu Wang, who succeeded in his surprise attack, used the mop handle to drag the zombie off him!

Quickly getting up, Wu Sheng ran to the nearest stall, flung open the door, and yelled, “Push it in here!”

Xu Wang, exerting all his strength in the struggle, was wondering how to end the fight. Hearing this, he immediately let go of the mop handle and shoved the zombie from behind!

The stall Wu Sheng had chosen was well positioned, and Xu Wang was able to push the zombie straight in.

The zombie, caught off guard, charged into the stall like a bullet, stumbling over the toilet.

Seizing the moment, Wu Sheng slammed the stall door shut, holding the handle tightly to prevent the zombie from breaking out, and quickly strategized to Xu Wang. “Climb up and drench it—”

Xu Wang immediately understood.

He climbed atop the stall in just a few quick moves, poised and agile. Aiming at the suited zombie, which was also struggling to open the door, he unleashed a direct stream of water.

When the dynamic song started, the suited zombie seemed unaffected, different from those from south of the city, as if the water stream did no harm. Even the stall door had been cracked open by the zombie.

However, underestimating the enemy always comes with a price.

Exposed and unprotected, the zombie’s eyeball was finally pierced by the water stream when the chorus began, hitting its brain.

The zombie collapsed to the ground, and Xu Wang released the trigger.

The clear, but not too loud song continued for about ten seconds before stopping.

Then, the bathroom returned to silence.

Xu Wang jumped down from the stall and joined Wu Sheng in holding their breath for a while, listening to confirm there were no other zombies approaching. Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.

Back in the amusement park, Xu Wang discovered he could control the volume of the music from his Lightning Gun. The loudest was like when he summoned zombies on the Dumbo ride, and the softest was just now, about 80% of the volume of music played through a phone speaker.

In such a silent environment, it was still quite loud, but thankfully, the depth of the bathroom helped.

Picking up the phone from the ground and returning it to Wu Sheng, Xu Wang looked at the corpse in the stall, feeling a sense of empathy.

The zombies north of the city definitely made a qualitative leap in terms of speed, strength, and resistance to attacks.

“Um…” The second-to-last stall door suddenly opened, and a round head peeked out. “Is it dead for good?”

Xu Wang hadn’t expected anyone else to be in the bathroom and was nearly scared out of his wits.

Wu Sheng was slightly better, but it took him a while to locate the source of the voice. “It’s dead. Who are you?”

“A poor young man trapped in the bathroom by zombies.” The round head didn’t fully emerge, seemingly fond of the safety of the stall, and spoke to them with just his head showing. “You killed the zombie, so I want to repay you.”

The word “repay” brightened Xu Wang’s eyes, and he saw a halo of treasure chests behind the round head.

After calming his heartbeat a bit, he realized he was still clutching Wu Sheng’s clothes, showing how impactful the appearance of the round head was.

Casually withdrawing his hand, he cleared his throat and asked, on behalf of the still-pondering Wu Sheng, “Do you have a car?”

“No,” the round head answered crisply.

Xu Wang: “……”

Why would you make such a cool entrance if you’re an NPC that can’t even help in a pinch?!

“But I can save the game.” Round Head blinked. “Do you want to try?”

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