Chapter Five: I Love You

Dragging Xiao Jie with him into the armory, Zhou Yu was utterly stunned by the arsenal before his eyes.

Daggers, bulletproof vests, bulletproof helmets, riot shields, police batons, Model 54 pistols, semi-automatic carbines, compact submachine guns, Type 97 shotguns, tear gas launchers, grenades and smoke bombs of every kind, boxes of ammunition in various calibers—there was even a sniper rifle hanging on the wall, the very weapon Zhou Yu had dreamed of possessing.

He stared at the equipment, somewhat bewildered—his jeep was filled with food, and there was no space for these weapons. He couldn’t bear to leave them behind, yet taking them all was impossible. Zhou Yu turned to Xiao Jie and asked, “Are there any larger vehicles here?”

Xiao Jie, blushing and lowering her head, answered softly, “Yes, there’s an armored vehicle for the special police. Will that do?”

Zhou Yu’s excitement was palpable. “Perfect! Don’t just stand there—gear up with whatever you can carry, then take me to the vehicle.”

With that, Zhou Yu released Xiao Jie’s hand and began putting on equipment himself.

Xiao Jie stood in a daze, her mind racing: He held my hand… What should I do? Does he like me? He wants me with him—what does that mean?

In no time, Zhou Yu had outfitted himself like a member of the special police. A dagger strapped to his thigh, he swapped out his surplus pistols for two with full magazines at his waist. On his torso, he wore a bulletproof vest, several high-explosive grenades attached. Across his back, a sniper rifle and a semi-automatic carbine were slung. He donned a bulletproof helmet.

Turning back, he saw Xiao Jie still standing there, lost in thought. “Hey! Wake up. Get your gear on, then take me to the vehicle—we need to hurry and move the supplies. We still have to find Nian Yu. If it gets dark, we won’t be able to leave.”

Hearing that Zhou Yu was set on rescuing Nian Yu, Xiao Jie responded with a hint of disappointment but started gearing up as well.

Soon enough, Xiao Jie was ready. Together, they headed for the garage.

Inside, Zhou Yu selected a nearly new armored special police vehicle and had Xiao Jie get in with him. They drove to the police station entrance, transferred the food from Zhou Yu’s jeep into the armored vehicle, then returned to the armory for more supplies.

They took two crates of grenades, six semi-automatic carbines, ten shotguns, twelve compact submachine guns, and twenty pistols. They packed twenty sets of bulletproof vests, helmets, and riot shields. Six boxes of assorted ammunition were loaded, and Zhou Yu slung another compact submachine gun across his chest.

Trip after trip, they moved all the equipment to the armored vehicle.

Afterwards, Zhou Yu returned to his jeep, retrieved his backpack, and walked back to the armored car, calling for Xiao Jie to get in.

He handed her the backpack. “There’s food in here. Eat whatever you like.”

He then tossed his gear into the space behind the driver and passenger seats, muttering, “Carrying all this, I can’t even drive. This is ridiculous.”

Xiao Jie, unreserved, opened the backpack and started searching for something to eat.

Zhou Yu glanced at her, smiling. “Silly girl, how long has it been since you ate? Slow down—no one’s going to steal your food. There’s water below, don’t choke.” With that, he started driving toward Jinghua Hospital, where Nian Yu was supposed to be.

Jinghua Hospital was the best in SH City, located on the west side of the city center.

Twenty minutes later, Zhou Yu parked near the hospital, eyeing the zombies outside.

On the way, he’d lost count of how many zombies he’d run over. Now, he was considering his options: how to guarantee his own survival and still find Nian Yu. After some thought, he found no better plan, so he started the vehicle and charged toward the hospital.

He told Xiao Jie, “Use the loudspeaker and call Nian Yu’s name. Tell her we’ve come to get her. She should open her window and let us know where she is.”

Obediently, Xiao Jie grabbed the loudspeaker and called out, “Nian Yu, it’s Xiao Jie. Zhou Yu and I are here to get you! If you hear this, open your window and shout out your location!”

After two calls, several windows on the fourth floor swung open.

“Help! Help us!” came the cries from above.

Zhou Yu scanned the faces and voices, searching for Nian Yu.

Suddenly, Xiao Jie shouted, “Sixth floor! Nian Yu’s on the sixth floor!”

Looking up, Zhou Yu saw a beautiful figure waving a white coat from a sixth-floor window. He knew immediately—it was Nian Yu.

Zhou Yu slammed the brakes, stopping the car a short distance from the hospital, and told Xiao Jie, “Don’t get out. Wait for me here and be ready to cover me with the guns.”

Without giving her a chance to reply, he pulled a high-explosive grenade, yanked the pin, opened the window, and tossed it outside.

Without looking, he rolled up the window, turned to grab his machete and semi-automatic carbine, chambered a round, and unlocked the gun. As he opened the car door, a loud bang startled him.

“That was loud,” he muttered, stepping out and closing the door.

He sprinted toward the hospital, hacking down every zombie that came his way, cleaving them in two as he stormed up to the sixth floor.

On the sixth floor, Zhou Yu unleashed a barrage of gunfire down the corridor with his carbine. After emptying a magazine and confirming the hallway was clear, he shouted, “Nian Yu, come out! Hurry!”

A door flew open and a sobbing girl ran out.

Without a word, Zhou Yu grabbed her and ran. On the fourth floor, he tossed aside his empty carbine, pulled a compact submachine gun from his chest, and fired another burst at the zombies.

When the magazine was empty, he let go of the gun, grabbed his machete, and started cutting down any zombies still moving.

“Open the door! Let me in!” he shouted as he fought.

A door beside him opened. Zhou Yu spun around, pulled Nian Yu with him, and dashed inside. He slammed the door behind them.

Inside were two men, both in white coats. Judging by the room, it was a doctors’ lounge.

Zhou Yu ignored the two men, holding Nian Yu close as he whispered, “Wait here for me—I’ll be back soon.”

Nian Yu clung to his hand, refusing to let go. Zhou Yu looked at her, then whispered, “Darling, I love you. Wait for me. I won’t leave you to die—I’ll get you out alive.”

He turned to the two doctors. “Protect her. If she loses a single hair before I return, you can both feed yourselves to the zombies.” With that, he strode to the door, opened it, and stepped out.