At six in the morning, the sky was dim, gray and hazy over the blood-red land. Zhou Rong circled around outside the wire fence, and ahead was the sewer entrance they had entered the base through. The old biochemical car they came in was still parked on the roadside.
A silhouette leaned against the car door.
Sinan looked like he was waiting for sunrise or simply resting. The dried blood on his profile had been washed away. Dressed in all black, his face was starkly white, and as the armored vehicle passed by, he made eye contact with Zhou Rong through the window.
Zhou Rong looked down at him from above, his gaze mixed with scrutiny. Then Sinan’s figure was left far behind.
In the rearview mirror, Sinan got into the car, and the biochemical vehicle slowly drove onto the main road.
Two cars were less than two hundred meters apart, closely following each other. Zhou Rong could see the shadow of the car behind him every time he looked up.
As the daylight gradually brightened, Zhou Rong stopped at large supermarkets and gas stations along the way to search for supplies and replenish food and water. Si Nan slept in the driver’s seat.
Zhou Rong rummaged through the messy shelves, mixing batteries, salt, soap, paperclips, and other miscellaneous items into a cardboard box. He casually kicked a stumbling zombie onto its back as he carried it out of the supermarket.
He took out some anti-inflammatory medication and threw it to Ding Shi, gesturing to give it to Yan Hao. Zhou Rong noticed Chun Cao standing by the window of the biochemical vehicle, stretching her neck to talk to Si Nan.
Feeling uncomfortable, he stood there pondering for a while. He returned to the supermarket, shot a few zombies, and pulled out several bags of preserved fruits, stuffing them into his jacket.
“Daughter!” Zhou Rong shouted between the two vehicles, holding up and shaking the preserved fruits.
Chun Cao looked up and said with disgust, “So sweet! Who wants to eat this!”
Zhou Rong clearly saw Si Nan’s throat move, as if swallowing saliva.
“Forget it,” Zhou Rong said disappointedly, keeping the preserved fruits and walking away.
