Qin Ya ignored Tian Fanâs question, observing the situation on the rooftop while closing the door. He then headed towards the parapet and asked, "This afternoon, when the music started playing, did you see those people on the opposite building?"
Yu Nuo had already climbed up from the ground, her feet unsteady as she walked to Qin Yaâs side. Hearing his question, she quickly said, "I did see them; a man in his twenties and two women, probably around the same age. Did they commit a crime, Officer?"
"They couldnât have. They were just trying to attract zombies using sound, right? Thatâs not illegal, is it?" Tian Fan asked, somewhat incredulous.
"So, there were three people..."
Qin Ya shook his head, denying Tian Fan and Yu Nuoâs speculations. His gaze swept across the dark windows of Building No. 3, hoping to find some clues. Unfortunately, he was disappointed; there was no sign of light, as if the entire building had turned into a ghostly tower.
Tian Fan gradually regained his sight and also moved to Qin Yaâs side, hopeful, "Officer Brother, has the situation outside improved?"
In his view, since the special police had been able to spare efforts to save him and Yu Nuo, there ought to be some progress. After all, he and Yu Nuo were just ordinary folks.
Qin Ya looked at the hopeful-faced Tian Fan with eyes full of desolation, quietly sighed in his heart, but showed no emotion as he said, "Thereâs no sign of improvement, at least, from what I can see."
After finishing his words, he headed towards the rooftop door, urging, "Hurry up and bring your things. Follow me downstairs!"
"Uh, okay."
Tian Fan and Yu Nuo didnât have time to react, quickly grabbing their remaining belongings to catch up with Qin Yaâs pace.
"Be careful not to step on the zombie corpses."
Qin Ya coldly reminded, casting the flashlight beam onto two corpses that had already fallen silent.
"Ah!"
Yu Nuo hadnât expected to see such a horrifying scene and couldnât help but scream.
Ah, ah, ah...
The terrified screams echoed throughout the building, reminiscent of Southeast Asian horror films.
"Keep quiet!"
Qin Ya glared at Yu Nuo, annoyed, "Good thing there are no zombies left in the corridor. Otherwise, your shriek would attract all the zombies from the first floor!"
Howl.
Bang, bang.
As if responding to Qin Yaâs words, zombie howls and door pounding noises suddenly arose.
Tian Fan was so frightened that his bladder tightened, and he quickly gripped the stainless steel pipe in his hand.
"Itâs the zombies from the residentsâ homes. Donât be nervous; stay calm when facing zombies. The more nervous you are, the more likely things will go wrong!"
Qin Ya reassured him, then waved to the other two.
Soon, the three returned to 902.
"Uncle Qin, Brother Tian Fan, Aunt Yu!"
Qin Ya opened the door and saw Liu Xuanyu standing behind it, holding a candle.
"Right, how could I forget? Brother Liu is a special police officer. You must be Brother Liuâs colleague, right?"
Settling into the room, Yu Nuo calmed down somewhat, trying to make conversation.
Qin Ya removed his gear and checked the bowl on the table, finding Liu Xuanyu had done pretty well; he had eaten most of the noodles. Qin Ya glanced at the puzzled Yu Nuo and Tian Fan.
"Thatâs right, Iâve been entrusted to pick up Captain Liuâs son!"
Yu Nuo seemed to seize a lifeline and hurriedly asked, "Officer Qin, since the special police have mobilized, what about the army? Our Qin City should have stationed troops, right?"
When the topic turned to the garrison, Qin Ya was silent for a long time, frowning, "Since the disaster, weâve lost contact with them. We havenât seen any military presence since, Iâm afraid itâs a grim outlook."
This news made Tian Fan and Yu Nuo feel as if their blood had turned cold.
"Alright, donât inquire further. Do you have any thoughts or plans to escape? Tell me!" Qin Ya interrupted their wild imaginations and asked.
Yu Nuo and Tian Fan exchanged a glance, both pursing their lips and shaking their heads. They had no idea what to do originally; hearing how bad the situation was outside made them even more confused.
Qin Ya wasnât disappointed by their inexperience, instead handing each of them a bottle of water.
"I know you must be very anxious, but anxiety wonât help. You see the state of Sheng Qin Home for yourselvesâno water, no electricity, no gasâand supplies are running thin. If we want to survive, we must escape!"
"Um, um, Officer, whatâs your surname?"
After gulping some water, Yu Nuo asked tentatively.
"Aunt Yu is really silly. I just called him Uncle Qin. Of course, his surname is Qin."
At this point, Liu Xuanyu approached the group with a toy dump truck, his mood improved now that there were more people. He walked to Tian Fanâs side, asking, "Brother Tian Fan, shall we play Three Kingdoms Flash?"
Tian Fan smiled helplessly, "Play by yourself, Xuanyu. Brother has something to do."
"Oh, okay..." Liu Xuanyu walked away reluctantly.
"Qin... Uh, Officer Qin." Yu Nuo didnât know how to address Qin Ya but casually picked a title, then continued, "In this situation, shouldnât we stay home and wait for the official cleanup of... the zombies outside? Trying to escape, wouldnât it just complicate things for the authorities?"
Qin Ya said gravely, "The day the disaster broke out, our team lost contact with the government. The dire situation exceeded everyoneâs expectations. I really donât want to tell you this unfortunate news, but... there wonât be any official rescue!"
"Wha... what!"
The series of shocking news left Yu Nuo and Tian Fan staring at each other in disbelief.
"Enough, knowing this much is sufficient! Let me ask you just one question: Do you want to survive?"
Qin Ya wasnât afraid of their inexperience; instead, he preferred it. The inexperienced were easier to guide than those with preconceptions.