Edge of the Apocalypse
Chapter 24 - 22: Chemistry Teacher Zhou Jianguo

Chapter 24: Chapter 22: Chemistry Teacher Zhou Jianguo

The crack in the door created a draft.

Liu Ye’ye’s unique scent drifted into the room. Instantly, the yoga pants zombie froze, then became even more frantic!

A pair of bloody, mangled hands clawed at the gap in the door!

UGH-ROAR!!!

The zombie’s face pressed against the gap. A single, bloodshot eye stared out from the crack, watching Yu Dong as it roared incessantly, its fingers scrabbling violently at the door.

CLANK CLANK CLANK~

The door slammed against the chain, making a huge noise, but the bolts in the wall didn’t budge an inch. The chain on the doorknob was also tied fast, and the lock had only shifted slightly.

Obviously, the yoga pants zombie wasn’t strong enough to break the contraption.

Yu Dong seized the opportunity, raised his spear, and thrust it hard toward the yoga pants zombie’s eye.

"Hah!"

SQUELCH!

It stabbed viciously into the yoga pants zombie’s cheek, getting stuck in the skull.

The yoga pants zombie’s face was pinned by Yu Dong’s spear tip. Blood flowed down the blade, but it continued to roar madly, feeling no pain at all.

’I missed.’

Even though it was trapped in the door crack, the zombie’s head wasn’t a stationary target; it was thrashing about wildly.

Yu Dong used both hands to yank the spearhead out. A spray of brownish blood spurted from the wound, spattering onto his combat boots.

Yu Dong took aim again...

"Hah!"

The sharp spear tip burst the eyeball!

Yu Dong’s strength drove the spearhead deep into the eye socket, scrambling the brain tissue within...

The yoga pants zombie’s hands fell limp. Its head lolled to one side, and it collapsed to the ground, silent.

"Wow!!!"

CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP~

Liu Ye’ye clapped and said, "Senior, you’re amazing! How did you think of such a clever method!"

This door-jam kill tactic left Liu Ye’ye full of admiration.

She didn’t have to face the zombie herself, which was a huge relief.

Yu Dong pulled out the spear and wiped the eyeball and blood off on the yoga pants zombie’s perky butt.

"It’s the wisdom of the people."

Yu Dong wasn’t a survivalist. Before his rebirth, besides food, he didn’t know anything about apocalypse survival. All his skills were learned from survival masters.

And he would continue to learn from books.

Yu Dong didn’t rush in. Instead, he stuck his spear through the opening and poked the zombie’s head a few more times. Only when he was sure it wasn’t moving did he undo the chain.

He pushed open the door and entered apartment 1403.

It looked spartan, much like Yu Dong’s place, and didn’t feel lived-in.

"The two of them must have just moved in. This probably isn’t their house. It looks like they were just staying here for a trip..."

Liu Ye’ye said.

"Yeah, they moved in last week."

During his previous observations, Yu Dong had made a note about the residents of 1403. They were a couple... with a significant age gap.

Walking toward the master bedroom, Yu Dong knocked on the door.

"Come on out. We’ve taken care of the zombie."

There was some noise from inside, then a hoarse voice said excitedly:

"Finally... someone’s finally here to rescue me! Are you the police?"

"There are no police for now. We’re your neighbors. Come on out, it’s safe."

"Oh... oh, okay!"

Zhou Jian Country fumbled around inside, pushed away the wardrobe blocking the door, and came out.

A haggard-looking middle-aged man appeared, about 1.7 meters tall and a little chubby. Contrasting him with the young, sexy yoga pants zombie outside... Yu Dong guessed he was very rich.

"Are... are you special forces?"

Zhou Jian Country was first startled by Yu Dong’s appearance, but then his sense of security soared!

The police certainly didn’t have this kind of professional gear.

At that moment, he suddenly recalled a short web drama he’d seen a few days ago: *Apocalypse: My Neighbor is a Retired Soldier King*.

"Give him some water."

After Yu Dong spoke, Liu Ye’ye handed Zhou Jian Country a bottle of mineral water.

GLUG GLUG~

Zhou Jian Country, who hadn’t had water in nearly two days, had chapped lips. He chugged the entire bottle and still seemed thirsty for more.

It was only then that he noticed a beautiful girl standing behind the soldier king.

Even though she was covered from head to toe, you could still tell she was a top-tier beauty.

Instantly, he was reminded of another short web drama he used to watch before the apocalypse: *The Campus Belle’s Personal Special Forces Bodyguard*.

"Thank you, Brother Soldier King, and Sister Xiaohua."

Liu Ye’ye: "Huh? Me?"

Yu Dong was about to get down to business, but hearing these nicknames made him feel a little wary.

’This guy’s knack for giving nicknames is... on par with my own.’

’But at his age, calling me ’Brother’ is a bit much, isn’t it?’

Yu Dong fought back a twitch at the corner of his mouth and said seriously:

"Tell us your basic situation. We need to know everything about you."

Zhou Jian Country knew at once that "Brother Soldier King" was vetting him. He wiped his mouth and quickly and honestly explained:

"My name is Zhou Jian Country. I’m 43 years old, a university chemistry professor. I was taking my annual leave to relax by the sea with my... girlfriend. The day before yesterday, she suddenly turned, and she tried to bite me, so I hid in the bedroom."

’A chemistry teacher?’

An important thought flashed through Yu Dong’s mind, but he couldn’t quite grasp it. He then asked:

"You were that thirsty, and you didn’t think to fight your way out?"

"I... I didn’t dare. I was never a match for her. She has a very strong core," Zhou Jian Country said, reminiscing. He even nodded emphatically at the end.

"She definitely would have eaten me."

Hearing this, Yu Dong glanced at Liu Ye’ye. Her eyes were as clear as water, without a ripple of emotion.

As for the relationship between this old Zhou and the young woman in yoga pants, Yu Dong couldn’t be bothered to ask. Such things weren’t important in the apocalypse anymore.

"Now, give me a reason why I didn’t make a mistake saving you."

Through the helmet, Zhou Jian Country couldn’t see Yu Dong’s face, but his tone made him realize... his fate rested on this one answer. A wrong answer now would be even more terrifying than the last mistake that had filled him with lifelong regret.

Blood was still dripping from Brother Soldier King’s spear...

Zhou Jian Country raised his head and said in the most sincere voice he could muster:

"Brother Soldier King! You saved me, and I’ll listen to you from now on! I’ll do whatever you say! I promise I won’t cause any trouble for the group. I’ll follow orders to the letter! When peace is restored, I’ll transfer all my savings to you! I just hope you can lead me... and help me survive."

After listening, Yu Dong looked at Liu Ye’ye, intending to ask her opinion. But Liu Ye’ye was just staring at him with a grin, her almond-shaped eyes full of admiration.

’Forget it.’

Yu Dong felt it was no longer necessary.

He put away his spear and extended his right hand.

"Zhou, welcome to our survival squad. I’m Yu Dong. From now on, you can just call me Dongzi."

"I’m Liu Ye’ye. And don’t call me Sister Xiaohua, it’s weird~" Liu Ye’ye also extended her right hand, copying Yu Dong.

Zhou Jian Country hurriedly bowed as he shook both their hands.

"Thank you, thank you! Thank you, Comrade Yu Dong and Comrade Liu Ye’ye! I will definitely serve everyone well in the future. I will carry forward the spirit of enduring hardship, striving hard, and daring to take responsibility to bring glory to our small team!"

Zhou Jian Country breathed a sigh of relief. This time... he had finally made the right choice.

’Perhaps this was the only chance for a washed-up, middle-aged guy like me to survive.’

’Setting aside Sister Xiaohua’s combat ability, this little brother Soldier King is the real deal.’

’Geared up to the teeth, breaking down doors and killing zombies as easily as eating and drinking. His combat power is off the charts!’

’If I can join his squad, my safety is at least guaranteed.’

Yu Dong wasn’t surprised by Zhou’s addition to the group. The human instinct in the face of danger is to band together.

"Zhou, gather all your food and water here, grab your clothes, and come with us."

"Okay, okay!"

Zhou Jian Country hurried to pack his things.

Since he was here on vacation, his food and drink supplies were pitifully small: just one bag of snacks and four bottles of mineral water. After rummaging through the kitchen, he found half a bag of rice left by the previous tenant.

It was about five and a half pounds.

But surprisingly, they also found a portable cassette stove, a barbecue grill with some racks, as well as three butane canisters and a bag of charcoal in the kitchen.

A set of kitchen knives and a full set of pots and pans.

"The kitchen is a good place."

"Pack it all up. We’ll be able to eat some hot meals for a while."

"Let’s go. We’re heading to the third floor."

Yu Dong called to Zhou Jian Country, who had packed a suitcase, and they set off.

"Wait a second."

Before leaving, Zhou Jian Country took another look at the headshot yoga pants zombie, found a white bedsheet in the bedroom, and covered her body with it.

"Let’s go."

After reaching the third floor, Yu Dong repeated the process, using the angle grinder to cut the locks on the doors of rooms 302 and 303.

"We’re the only three people left alive in Building One. From today on... we’re a team, and we’ll live together on the third floor."

"Liu Ye’ye in 301, I’m in 302, and Zhou in 303. We’ll watch each other’s backs, advancing and retreating as one."

"Any objections?"

After listening, Liu Ye’ye timidly raised a small, fluffy puppy paw.

"Senior, can... can you stay in 301?"

After speaking, she used the fluffy dog plushie to hide her blushing face. She didn’t know how she’d found the courage to say it.

Yu Dong paused to think for a moment.

"Alright, I guess. In that case, you can move your things to 302 in a bit."

Liu Ye’ye: "?"