Rotting Land: Survive-Chapter 373 - 371: The Death of Xiao Mei

Now that things have come to this, there’s no point in overthinking. Even if they face a road of knives and a sea of fire, the survivors must brave it.

No choice, because they truly have no other path to take now!

Drawing a simple layout of the campus on paper, such work for old Zhao, a seasoned architecture professor, is a piece of cake.

Though the imagery of the campus had become vague in his memory due to the passage of time, Zhao Yunhai still strived to draw it as perfectly as possible.

After all, a school is different from other places; every student inside it might turn into a zombie carrier, so laying out a meticulous plan in advance to determine the best action route is undoubtedly a necessary way to reduce danger this time.

Focusing on the location of the archive room marked by old Zhao, Wang Zhongyu carefully weighed the campus layout drawn by the latter and decisively charted the routes for advancement and retreat that he envisioned.

No one else gave much opinion on this, as they had considerable faith in Wang Zhongyu’s driving skills. So, after making some adjustments based on the few areas with likely high foot traffic as suggested by old Zhao later, the final action route was settled.

Afterwards, the group exchanged viewpoints on specific details, especially regarding the selection of team members for the mission, considering the supplies in the gymnasium needed replenishment, and so the survivors decided to split into two teams for separate actions.

One team, as usual, would be led by Xu Renjie; they were responsible for gathering supplies needed by the gymnasium.

The other team, led by old Zhao, mainly had the task of going to Shuren Vocational Architecture College to investigate the situation with the construction drawings.

Besides that, there were also two people determined to join this school trip.

These were Yue Guishan and Bi Dahu, who had previously almost died at the hands of Sang Biao’s group. After careful nursing by Zhang Zhizai and some time of recovery, their health had basically returned to normal.

Now they also knew about the upheaval at the base and, despite their anger, didn’t forget their intent for revenge.

So upon hearing there was a chance to reclaim the base, they volunteered themselves immediately.

However, old Zhao was mentally reluctant to involve the two of them, since he wasn’t clear about their capabilities and qualities. If an emergency arose, he’d have huge concerns about whether these two could shoulder the responsibility to deal with the crisis.

Yet, faced with their resolute expressions, he eventually agreed to their request.

It’s not that Zhao Yunhai acknowledged their abilities. On the contrary, old Zhao agreed to this matter not only because he was moved by their strong desire for revenge, but also due to his own selfish motives.

Aware that this mission was extremely dangerous and what might be encountered in the campus couldn’t be predicted, they, while trying to mitigate risks, drafted detailed plans and a safe action route. However, unforeseen events could render the actual conditions far from their beforehand expectations.

In consideration of everyone’s safety, old Zhao agreed to Yue and Bi’s request with ulterior motives, thus allowing him to refuse other companions from joining under the pretext of limited vehicle space.

Undoubtedly, old Zhao’s approach was somewhat unscrupulous, inadvertently giving off a sense of using Yue and Bi as pawns.

But upon reflection, this is real human nature—aren’t we living in a world of deception and mutual exploitation?

Even though old Zhao’s intention was well-meaning, he still couldn’t escape this reality.

Meanwhile, in a tent within the gymnasium, another recently recovered burly man was preparing for potential upcoming conflicts.

Push-ups, sit-ups, besides these necessary exercises, Hu Xiaodong also conducted phase-based recovery training for his injured leg.

As a former archery athlete, he’s familiar with injuries, naturally leading him to summarize many effective rehabilitation methods.

These effective methods accelerated his leg’s recovery, evident from the recent confrontation with Wei Dazhuang.

Today, Wei Dazhuang didn’t bother Wei Yang as usual but instead lingered alone in the center of the court.

His eyes aimlessly scanned the surroundings, much like a thief trying to scout out a place.

"A leopard never changes its spots," was Wei Dazhuang’s evaluation of Dai Sha.

He had initially thought the latter, after taking his previous kind advice, would restrain his subordinates. What was the actual result?

His gang shows no intention of restraint, instead becoming even more rampant.

However, upon careful consideration, he understood why.

Aside from other reasons, consider the ordinary people in the base; their spirits had long been crushed by the hopeless life. Even if Scarface’s men held a knife to their throats, they wouldn’t dare show any sign of resistance.

Over time, Scarface, who previously had some restrictions due to just seizing power, after seeing the civilians’ submissive behavior, naturally felt more reassured and bold.

Additionally, with the corrosive influence of power and desire, Wei Dazhuang was convinced that Scarface shedding the last facade of humanity was merely a matter of time.

Once he completed this final transformation, the base would completely become his personal domain of tyranny and excess, and the civilians would consequently lose their human dignity.

Thinking of this, Wei Dazhuang sighed with a mix of emotions.

He resumed his stride. The cool autumn breeze gradually brought his hazy mind back to calmness.

Raising his brow again to glance at the grandstand, intending to observe the surrounding guards’ deployment, unexpectedly, a familiar figure caught his eye.

"That person is..." Feeling quite familiar, Wei Dazhuang unconsciously quickened his pace.

"It’s a woman," as he got closer, the silhouette became clearer. After approaching tens of meters, Wei Dazhuang recognized the identity of the person.

"Xiao Mei!!"

Yes, the figure in Wei Dazhuang’s eyes was Xiao Mei, whom he had watched helplessly being forcefully abducted by the short-man five-man group that night.

"What’s this girl doing on top of the gym at this time?" Wei Dazhuang confusedly twisted his neck, and just as he pondered over the situation, Xiao Mei unexpectedly climbed onto the gym’s wall.

At this sight, a certain possibility surfaced in Wei Dazhuang’s mind, causing his body to jolt suddenly, and he then frantically sprinted towards where the woman was.

"No, please don’t do anything foolish, child!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)