Chapter 5: Change of Plans

Sigh, did you die yet?

The iron door to the basement creaked open, and the noisy sound jolted the weak Zhang Lei awake.

He struggled to sit up from the single, worn-out bed, his body feeling weak and drained, but still managed to force a smile.

"Sorry, I'm just so tired... What time is it?"

"About ten o'clock. If you go back to sleep, I could save another meal. Too bad," came the response, before the person turned and left.

Zhang Lei struggled to get out of bed and follow.

When he stepped out of the basement, he noticed that all the windows and doors on the first floor were sealed shut, letting no light inside.

"Why aren't the windows open?" he asked.

"Do you think it's a good idea for someone to see you through the window?" came the reply.

"Well... I guess not," Zhang Lei muttered.

"Come on up."

Huang Jin led him upstairs, and Zhang Lei followed.

Once inside, Zhang Lei saw a large bowl of noodles steaming on the table, giving off a simple yet comforting fragrance.

Gurgle...

His stomach growled loudly, and Zhang Lei felt a bit embarrassed.

Huang Jin casually flopped down on the couch nearby and said, "Eat up, I made this just for you."

"Th-thank you..." Zhang Lei sat at the table, picked up the bowl, and started devouring the noodles hungrily.

Huang Jin observed him for a moment, watching him eat like he hadn't seen food in days. He couldn't help but ask, "How long has it been since you ate?"

"Three... uh, three days... cough cough..."

Zhang Lei rushed to answer, barely chewing before swallowing. He choked on the noodles and started coughing violently. Bits of noodles flew across the table.

"I don't mind well-mannered people, but before that, you should learn to save your food," Huang Jin said dryly.

"Sorry... sorry..." Zhang Lei muttered as he quickly picked up the noodles from the table and stuffed them back into his mouth. It looked incredibly pitiful.

After a while, Huang Jin stayed quiet, letting Zhang Lei get through his hungry frenzy. He was waiting for the intense hunger to pass before speaking.

Half a minute later, Zhang Lei spoke up first, "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I already ate. Do you think with our relationship, I'd still be waiting for you to finish eating?" Huang Jin replied nonchalantly.

"Right... of course!" Zhang Lei nodded, though he didn't know why, he was smiling.

"What are you smiling about?" Huang Jin asked, confused.

"Nothing... It's just that... this kind of conversation with you feels like we're back in school. You always had this serious face on, like someone owed you money. I remember back then, it was only me who got close to you."

"Are you saying you're pitying me?"

"No, that's not it," Zhang Lei said, shaking his head.

This kind of banter had been frequent in the past. Huang Jin's sharp tongue wasn't new, and Zhang Lei had long since gotten used to it.

Huang Jin had a slight physical flaw, not big, but noticeable. He had a bit of a resting face, which made him look perpetually cold. Of course, when he was around the group of tough guys, like the bald man, he forced a smile, but wearing such an expression for too long made him uncomfortable. So, most of the time, when he didn't need to pretend, he wore a cold, indifferent face.

Coupled with his decent looks, people often labeled him as "arrogant." The general impression of him was, "Isn't he just a bit handsome? What's so great about him? He always looks like he's above everyone else."

Because of this, Huang Jin had very few friends in class, the only person who really got close to him being the class monitor, Zhang Lei. Huang Jin didn't mind, since getting free homework was always a good deal. Over time, the two of them understood each other's personalities.

——

"Class monitor, is that stockpile you mentioned for real?" Bai Jiu suddenly asked.

Zhang Lei's eyes lit up. "You're gonna help me?"

"After we finish eating, take me to see it. If there's really stuff there, I'll help you."

"Alright, okay, thank you. I really appreciate it!"

Zhang Lei picked up speed eating his noodles again.

Meanwhile, Huang Jin had already come up with a plan. He had spent the entire night thinking it over.

He felt like he'd stayed in this city long enough. It was time to head to Z City. Although his stash had been stolen, it was unexpected. He couldn't keep delaying his trip for another two years just to stock up on supplies.

Huang Jin's plan was simple:

Get the materials Zhang Lei had mentioned.Help Zhang Lei take down the bald man and then have Zhang Lei help him empty the bald man's house of supplies.

With those two sets of supplies, he could use them for the journey.

——

A minute later, Zhang Lei finished his noodles. Huang Jin motioned for him to follow and led him down to the basement.

"What are we doing here?" Zhang Lei asked, confused, especially when Huang Jin brought him into a storage room.

Huang Jin didn't respond, simply moving an old washing machine aside from the corner and then lifting up a tile from the floor, revealing a dark hole underneath.

It was a secret tunnel.

"This... is this a hidden passage left over from some old war?" Zhang Lei was amazed.

"War my ass. I dug this secretly last year. Hurry up, follow me," Huang Jin said, hopping into the hole. Zhang Lei quickly followed suit.

The two of them crawled through the dark earthen tunnel for a while before emerging at the back garden of a deserted villa.

This was a rich man's garden, with lots of trees. After the zombie outbreak, there had been no gardener, and the branches had completely blocked the tunnel entrance. Unless you were close, no one would notice this secret passage.

They were now outside the shelter, about a hundred meters from it.

Huang Jin, familiar with the area, walked confidently toward the villa next door. Zhang Lei followed, curious.

Ahh!!!

Suddenly, a zombie lunged at them as they turned a corner.

Zhang Lei was startled but didn't scream.

Huang Jin swiftly drew an axe from his waist and swung it.

Thud!!!

The axe struck the zombie's head, and it collapsed to the ground with a loud thud.

Huang Jin walked into the villa, and Zhang Lei stared at the dead zombie's body for a moment before swallowing hard and quickly following.

——

They arrived at a bedroom on the first floor. Huang Jin pulled out a large wooden box from under the bed.

"What... what is this?" Zhang Lei asked, his eyes widening as he stared at the box.

"Is this a gun? A pistol or a sniper rifle?"

"You watch too many movies," Huang Jin said, rolling his eyes.

He opened the box, revealing the contents.

Inside were two pieces of rough, black, stitched leather that gave off a strange odor.

"This... what is this?" Zhang Lei asked.

"These are skins that can mask your scent. If you wear this and stay away from zombies, they won't attack you. It took me a lot of effort to make these."

"So... so this is... human skin?" Zhang Lei asked, his eyes wide in shock.

"Your emotional intelligence is off the charts. Did you learn that in Bikini Bottom? Damn, just put it on or not?" Huang Jin said, exasperated.

"I'll wear it, I'll wear it! I'll listen to you..."