Chapter 37: The Stolen School Bus

"Ah, this feels so good!" Yue Zhong let out a sigh of relief as the long-awaited hot water poured over his body. Being able to take a hot shower after an intense battle was a rare luxury, especially in these times of scarce water resources.

Chi Yang, squatting in front of a bucket of hot water, smiled nostalgically, "This reminds me of our middle school days."

Yue Zhong and Chi Yang had attended a boarding middle school. In the summer, a group of boys would gather around the water taps, shirtless, to wash. In the winter, they would fetch hot water in buckets and bathe in the warm rooms.

Yue Zhong fell silent for a moment before saying slowly, "I wonder how Baozi and the others are doing."

Baozi was one of Yue Zhong's close friends. After the college entrance exams, their old group had gone their separate ways.

Chi Yang replied, "Don't worry, they're tough. They won't die so easily."

"Yeah."

After Yue Zhong and Chi Yang finished their bath, everyone went to their rooms to sleep.

In one of the small rooms, Yuan Ying suddenly said, "Zhang Li, I've set my sights on Yue Zhong. I want him to be my boyfriend. You'll support me, right?"

Zhang Li was taken aback. The image of Yue Zhong killing zombies flashed through her mind. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "Yeah, I'll help you."

Yuan Ying then turned to Lin Qi, who was beside her, and pressed, "Lin Qi, you'll support me too, right? If Yue Zhong becomes my boyfriend, I'll make sure he protects you all as well."

Lin Qi fell silent. She also had some feelings for Yue Zhong, though not to the point of love. Still, she wasn't willing to give up her chance so easily. However, she was introverted and timid, not good at refusing others.

"How ugly. Yuan Ying, if you like Yue Zhong, go win his heart with your own skills. What's the point of talking about it here? Are you trying to scare off your sisters and reduce the competition?" Zhang Xin, who had been lying nearby, opened her eyes and sneered at Yuan Ying.

Yuan Ying, embarrassed and angry, retorted, "This is between us. What's it to you?"

Deep down, Yuan Ying did want to reduce the competition. She was a beautiful and elegant girl, but Chen Yao and Ji Qingwu were even more stunning. She wasn't confident she could outshine them. Even Wang Qian and Zhang Xin, who were close to Chi Yang, were no less attractive than her, and Zhang Xuan had a delicate, lovable appearance. This filled Yuan Ying with a sense of crisis.

Zhang Xin coldly laughed, "This has nothing to do with me. I just can't stand your tactics. You don't really like Yue Zhong; you just want a protector. You're quite the schemer."

Yuan Ying, her face red with anger, shouted, "You're talking nonsense!"

Zhang Li quickly stepped in to mediate, "Enough arguing. Get some rest. Tomorrow we'll probably have to go out and hunt zombies to evolve. If you don't rest well, you won't have the strength to fight them."

Hearing Zhang Li's words, Yuan Ying and Zhang Xin stopped arguing, snorted, and went to sleep.

After midnight, the door to Unit 208 opened quietly, and Zhao Zhen's group tiptoed out, quickly making their way to the school bus.

Once on the bus, Zhao Zhen pulled out a set of keys from his pocket, selected one, and inserted it into the ignition.

Yun Yi sat in the driver's seat and immediately started the bus.

With the roar of the engine, the bus quickly sped out of the neighborhood.

"What's that noise?" Almost as soon as the bus engine started, Yue Zhong and the others were awakened.

Wearing only his pajamas, Yue Zhong rushed to the balcony and saw the bus speeding away. His face darkened.

Chen Yao, also in her pajamas, came over and asked anxiously, "What's going on, Yue Zhong?"

Chen Yao had a vague idea of what had happened but didn't want to believe it.

Yue Zhong said grimly, "Our bus has been stolen."

Yuan Ying's face turned pale, "What do we do now? How will we get to Longhai City?"

Everyone in the room turned their eyes to Yue Zhong. Except for Chi Yang and Ji Qingwu, the others were filled with fear. Without a good vehicle, it would be almost impossible for them to travel the hundred miles to Longhai City.

Yue Zhong said calmly, "Don't worry. Tomorrow I'll find another vehicle. Everyone, go back to sleep."

Seeing Yue Zhong's calm demeanor, the others hesitated but eventually returned to their rooms. There was nothing they could do about the stolen bus now.

"People's hearts are hard to predict," Yue Zhong sighed as he looked out the window. He hadn't expected that the people he had just saved would turn around and steal the bus he had worked so hard to obtain.

Chi Yang came over and comforted Yue Zhong, "Don't be angry. If the bus is gone, we'll just get another one tomorrow."

"Yeah."

Yue Zhong quickly adjusted his mood and went back to his room to sleep.

Zhao Zhen's group drove the bus out of the neighborhood and headed towards Longhai City.

After driving for a while, Li Manni hesitantly said, "Zhao Zhen, are we really doing this? Yue Zhong did save us, after all."

Hearing Li Manni's words, a sense of guilt crept into the hearts of everyone on the bus. The world had only just changed, and their sense of shame hadn't yet been worn away.

Zhao Zhen reassured her, "This is the only way we can get to Longhai City. If we don't do this, we'll never make it. Don't worry, Manni. Yue Zhong is strong. He'll easily find another vehicle."

Another boy, Ji Yun, added resentfully, "Yeah, Manni. Look at Yue Zhong. Just because he saved us, he acts all high and mighty, expecting us to follow his orders. Who does he think he is? He has no manners."

"Exactly!" the others chimed in. Belittling Yue Zhong helped ease their guilt.

Just then, the bus entered Qingyun District, one of the busiest areas in Leijiang City. The streets were littered with wrecked cars, and zombies roamed like ghosts.

Yun Yi suddenly slowed down and shouted, "Zhao Zhen, there's a traffic jam ahead. What do we do?"

Up ahead, eight or nine cars had collided, blocking the road.

Zhao Zhen's heart sank. He immediately shouted, "Reverse! Reverse now! We can't stop here."

If the bus stopped, they would be surrounded by zombies, and none of them could fight them off.

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