Chapter 24: No Survivors

The sleet made the roads slippery. If not for this, Zhou Caijun wouldn't have lost control of the pickup truck, and he wouldn't have been injured.

Zhou Lin put on his infrared night vision goggles. Even with dim headlights, he could see the road ahead clearly.

Before reaching Yangba Pass, he saw roadblocks in the distance—several construction machines. If they had crashed into them, the driver and passengers would have been killed instantly.

The people who set up these roadblocks weren't just looking to rob; they were out for blood. Zhou Lin's anger flared. He slowed down and scanned the area, trying to spot the culprits.

Before he could stop the car, gunshots rang out ahead!

"Mom!"

Zhou Lin didn't hesitate. He grabbed his submachine gun and jumped out of the car, running forward.

The gunfire continued, mixed with screams, yells, and frantic barking.

As Zhou Lin rounded the roadblock, his night vision goggles revealed a chaotic scene.

Some people were running towards him, others were diving into the fields, some were scrambling onto the pickup truck, and others were already on the ground.

Through the goggles, Zhou Lin saw that Zhou Caijun and Cheng Yali were still in the truck. The figure in the passenger seat was firing bursts of red light—Cheng Yali, furious and taking lives.

With guns already drawn, Zhou Lin couldn't let anyone escape.

He aimed at the nearest figures and pulled the trigger. The bullets left clear trails in the night vision, helping Zhou Lin adjust his aim until he hit his targets.

The fleeing figures glanced back at the gunfire, then continued running.

But could they outrun bullets?

Having survived the apocalypse, Zhou Lin had no qualms about killing.

The U.S. Special Forces submachine gun was stable, and with the night vision, Zhou Lin's shots were precise.

After emptying three magazines, no one was left standing in the night vision—except Cheng Yali.

"Son!" she called, pressing her gun to the hood of a body.

"Mom." Zhou Lin acknowledged, then shot a struggling figure.

"Quick, let's go."

Cheng Yali, now calm, was starting to panic.

"Don't rush."

Zhou Lin was much calmer. With the night vision, he could see who was truly dead and who was pretending.

Despite Cheng Yali emptying two magazines, she had only killed the first two attackers. As the crowd scattered, her aim had been off.

Watching Zhou Lin methodically finish off the wounded, even Cheng Yali felt a chill. When Zhou Lin shot a man begging for his life as if he were a chicken, she turned back to the truck.

"Lao Zhou, is that still our son?"

"Didn't you just shoot too?"

Zhou Caijun, feeling better, wrapped his wound with a towel. He hadn't experienced the apocalypse or served in the military, and usually seemed less capable than Cheng Yali.

"I did it to save you!"

"You did great." Zhou Caijun's voice softened, calling her "wife" for the first time in years. Cheng Yali couldn't hold back and hugged him.

"Gently."

"Honey, I was so scared..."

"I was too. I told you not to get out, but you didn't listen. Next time, if you don't listen, I'll..."

Outside, Zhou Lin said, "Mom, Dad, I'm glad to see you so affectionate, but can we hurry? It's cold."

"Who's being affectionate! You brat, help your dad out!"

"You can handle this alone, Mom." Zhou Lin pretended to check the truck's cargo.

Poor Blackie was locked in a cage, foaming at the mouth from barking. It must have wanted to protect its owners. Zhou Lin saw blood on Blackie's gums, unsure if it was from biting the cage.

"It's okay, Blackie."

Zhou Lin opened the cage, and Blackie barked and rushed to the driver's seat. Zhou Lin ignored it and started unloading the truck.

Besides supplies, the truck had ten chickens, six ducks, two geese, four rabbits, and a cage of quails. These animals couldn't go into storage space.

Zhou Lin called Blackie to help, moving the cages to his car.

After unloading, Zhou Lin stored the pickup truck.

He left the bodies. Without the truck as evidence, no one could trace it back to them.

In the car, Cheng Yali sat in the back with Lao Zhou, Blackie in the front seat. Zhou Lin removed his gear and started the car with a smile.

On the way, Zhou Lin told them about Wu Xue. Cheng Yali was pleased, saying it was timely. Zhou Caijun's head wound was serious, and an ordinary person couldn't treat it.

"Mom, call Li Li and tell her to prepare with Wu Xue. Don't let Dad lose too much blood..."

A few minutes later, Zhou Lin saw the community gate and slowed down. As he waited for the gate to open, a figure suddenly rushed from the guardhouse!

Zhou Lin almost drew his gun, but Ai Bing shouted.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm freezing! Let me in!"

Due to the angle, Ai Bing couldn't see Lao Zhou and Cheng Yali. She stomped her feet and tried to open the door, but it was locked.

"You..."

"Let her in!" Zhou Lin told the guard, then drove off.

Watching the car disappear into the underground garage, Ai Bing was furious!

"Miss, do you still want to go in?" The guard asked, stifling a laugh. He thought, rich people's lives are so simple. Even a beautiful woman is just a sycophant to them.

"Of course! I told you I'm a resident, but you didn't believe me!" Ai Bing turned and vented her anger on the guard.

"What's going on?"

Shao Hang, passing by, heard the commotion and asked.

"You..."

"What? You look like you're in charge. Tell your guard to recognize me. I'm the owner of Unit 17 in Building 8. Stop blocking me, or I'll stop paying the property fee!"

Shao Hang paused, then suppressed a laugh. "Miss, our property fees are prepaid. If I remember correctly, Mr. Zhou of Unit 17 prepaid five years. Are you sure you're the owner?"

"I... I'm his daughter-in-law! Move!" Ai Bing stomped off. Watching her swaying figure, Shao Hang pondered, "What happened? Tell me from the beginning."