Chapter 52: Friend or Foe?

When Mo Yu and Li Jun arrived at the gas station, this was the scene that greeted them: cars of various makes parked haphazardly, some with doors flung wide open, clearly abandoned in panic when the undead appeared. Other vehicles had their doors closed, but the interiors were empty. Strangely, deep claw marks marred the roofs, the force behind them so great it looked as though the entire roof could have been torn off. Were they dealing with an evolved form of zombie? Mo Yu instantly became alert, pulling Li Jun, who was still gawking at the surroundings, behind her. These evolved zombies obviously possessed intelligence, and the eerie silence of the parking lot seemed to be part of their cunning. Caution was paramount.

The pair moved in single file toward the exchange kiosk inside the gas station—such places usually held ample supplies of food, and their mission was to scavenge as much as possible. They approached the large glass doors stealthily. The once-clean panes were now smeared with grimy bloodstains, as if screaming menacingly at those who dared to enter. From outside, the view inside was blurred, but Mo Yu could still make out the general situation.

Most of the goods on the shelves were gone, some scattered across the floor, others still neatly in place. From the entrance to the glass doors of the kiosk, aside from bloodstains, nothing else cluttered the ground. Mo Yu noticed a door, locked from the inside, indicating someone was hiding within, sharing the food.

Mo Yu tapped lightly on the door—her knocks echoed harshly across the empty land, causing both her and Li Jun to hold their breath in anxious silence. No one answered. Mo Yu was about to knock again when she felt a gentle tug from behind. “Sis Mo, someone’s coming!” Li Jun whispered. Mo Yu calmed her impatient nerves, closed her eyes, and listened intently. Indeed, a car was approaching, headed for the same exchange kiosk as themselves.

Mo Yu dragged Li Jun into the cover of a nearby bush, intending to observe the newcomers before revealing themselves. If they weren’t friendly, she was ready to ambush them; after all, their journey had been arduous, and they couldn’t let the food slip away easily.

The approaching vehicle was a dusty yellow sedan, its blue curtains drawn, hiding the number and identity of its occupants. The driver seemed cautious, slowing down as soon as he entered the gas station, carefully watching the surroundings.

“Boss Jin, there’s an exchange shop!” Lin Hu exclaimed, spotting the small store still stocked with food. “Hey! There’s quite a lot left!” Who knew how many days they’d starved, refusing to eat their only ration—they were nearly seeing stars.

“Hu, park here. Dong and I will go.” Jin Te glanced at the three women and the timid man in their group. Seeing no one volunteering to join, his expression soured with annoyance at their laziness.

“Boss Jin,” Wang Xiaoxiao, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. “I’ll go with you.” Jin Te was surprised; it was the first time since the apocalypse that she’d spoken, and her words filled him with relief.

“Alright, let’s go.” In the end, Jin Te, Xu Dong, and Wang Xiaoxiao set out to search for food. Lin Hu stayed with the car and filled the gas tank, Zhao Qingqing was tasked with protecting the two cowards, Nan Li and Wang Zixing, and guarding the food against theft. With plans made, everyone split up.

Mo Yu and Li Jun crouched in the bushes, only peeking out when they heard footsteps. Four people exited the car: one burly man, two handsome young men, and a girl. This meant at least one person remained in the car. The burly man carried a large white plastic gas can, heading for the fuel pumps, while the other three made their way to the exchange shop. Mo Yu hesitated—if she revealed herself now, would they see her as a threat or a rival for the food? Besides, she had a child with her; caution was best. And in any case, she’d wait until they opened the door.

Jin Te and his group were unaware that two people were lurking in the shadows, watching them and planning to seize the food when the opportunity arose. Their attention was entirely fixed on the locked glass door ahead. Seeing the snacks scattered inside, they were desperate to get in.

“What should we do, Boss Jin?” Xu Dong asked, frowning.

“What else? Smash it!” Jin Te raised his weapon and struck at the glass door. Xu Dong and Wang Xiaoxiao joined in, each grabbing something to help. Jin Te’s iron rod had been found during a previous scavenging trip—it was heavy but served well as a weapon. Each strike rang out sharply, making everyone tense—including Mo Yu, hidden nearby. Was he trying to draw the zombies here?

But the gas station’s glass was tough. After many blows, only a few cracks appeared, nothing substantial. Xu Dong and Wang Xiaoxiao grew impatient, and even Mo Yu and Li Jun were tempted to jump out and stop them.

“Boss Jin, this isn’t working!” Wang Xiaoxiao complained. Jin Te wiped sweat from his brow, leaving streaks of grime on his face. He was growing anxious—the glass was proving impossible to break.

Just then, Wang Xiaoxiao tossed aside the wooden stick she’d picked up and ran toward their car. Jin Te was about to scold her for acting like a spoiled princess at such a time, but she didn’t get into their vehicle. Instead, she started up another car at random and floored it, charging straight at them! Jin Te and Xu Dong realized her intent instantly and leapt aside.

With a crash and screech, Wang Xiaoxiao rammed the car into the exchange shop, shattering both the car’s glass and the shop’s door in a spray of shards. Jin Te and Xu Dong rushed to check on her, astonished when Wang Xiaoxiao emerged from the driver's seat completely unharmed—not even a scratch. Their eyes were full of disbelief, and even Mo Yu was surprised. Was she a skin mutant?

Skin mutants in the apocalypse were a mixed blessing. Their skin, transformed by altered cellular structure, was impervious to blades and bullets, making them invulnerable—except for one fatal flaw: zombie bites had no effect on their skin, and their flesh was especially favored by zombies. In zombie eyes, they were a delicacy, the forsaken ones.

Oblivious to everyone’s thoughts, Wang Xiaoxiao, fresh from the driver’s seat, dashed inside, grabbed snacks, and began eating, stuffing more food into her arms. Seeing Jin Te and Xu Dong still stunned, she gave them a look as if they were fools, prompting them to finally start grabbing food themselves.

“Let go!” Suddenly, a group of burly men with tattoos on their arms and bodies emerged from the back of the shop, making it clear they were not to be trifled with. Jin Te, Xu Dong, and Wang Xiaoxiao froze, gripping their weapons and watching the men warily. Jin Te signaled to Xiaoxiao, who, catching his glance, picked up a metal rod and continued to gather food.

“I told you to stop, you slut! Understand?” One of the big men appeared behind Xiaoxiao, yanking her shiny black hair hard. Yet Wang Xiaoxiao merely staggered back a few steps, unfazed, and continued picking up snacks.

“Damn!” he cursed, swinging an iron rod at her with full force.

“No!” Jin Te and Xu Dong cried out, but to their shock, Wang Xiaoxiao was unharmed—and the iron rod in the man's hand seemed to have bent. What was going on?

The man’s hand jerked violently, a wave of excruciating pain shooting up his arm. His palm split open, the injury so severe his hand was useless. He collapsed, clutching his hand and howling in agony. His companions were startled, but one shouted, “Cut them all up for me! Tonight we feast!”

Chaos erupted; the men swarmed Jin Te, Xu Dong, and Wang Xiaoxiao. Despite her invulnerable skin, Wang Xiaoxiao wasn’t skilled in combat, and several men surrounded her. The three were soon overwhelmed, leaving two of the assailants standing. Would they really be turned into stew? Someone help!

Suddenly, a black shadow flashed by, charging at one of the remaining men and kicking him so hard he flew into the shelves, canned drinks raining down on his head until he was thoroughly dazed. The last attacker stared at the two unexpected visitors at the door, his gaze filled with shock, fury, and even a hint of awe. The others, wounded or half-conscious, followed his line of sight—it was two children. But the girl was strikingly beautiful—and remarkably fierce.

Everyone watched as the small girl delivered a left hook, a right hook, followed by an uppercut and a spinning kick that sent the burly man flying, spitting blood. After finishing him off, the girl didn’t pause; she grabbed a bag of snacks and a bottle of drink, handing them to the boy behind her, who accepted them and began eating and drinking without hesitation.

Mo Yu walked over to Jin Te and extended her pale, delicate hand. She had already discerned he was the leader. Jin Te looked at her fair hand, then down at his own, stained with mud and blood, and shook his head, struggling to stand. Mo Yu said nothing, withdrawing her hand. She merely wanted to show she wasn’t their enemy—at most, she’d compete for supplies. Besides, she’d helped them; a little compensation was only fair. She began gathering food, surreptitiously sending some into her storage space while the others were distracted.

Then, from behind, came several piercing screams. It seemed an evolved zombie had arrived.

Author’s note: First update... A quick clarification: in earlier chapters, there was a scene where Jin Te asked Wang Xiaoxiao for the cards used in the "killer game." Originally, Jin Te wanted everyone to draw a card, and whoever drew the killer would be thrown off the car. But... I had a moment of confusion and changed it, then forgot to fix it later, making it seem abrupt—sorry about that~