Rotting Land: Survive

Old Xu, who understood the situation, picked up the hand-held radio and announced to the whole vehicle: "Old Lin, Lei Tong and I will soon head inside the school. We will follow Derek through the manhole cover. After we leave, you will lead the team. If an emergency occurs, don’t worry about Lei Tong and me, just focus on escaping. Remember, no matter what, you must protect the camp, understood? Over!"

Old Lin held the hand-held radio, hesitating to respond.

This was understandable; Old Xu’s request was something he couldn’t easily promise.

Lin Junfu certainly understood the priorities, but how could he ignore it if something really happened and let Old Xu venture into the wolf’s den alone?

Even if he ignored it, could other brothers follow Lin Junfu’s orders to stand by and watch?

Let’s not even mention it, Zhao Yunhai would certainly be the first to disagree.

And as soon as Old Zhao got involved, then...

"Hey! Old Lin, did you hear what I said? No matter what happens, prioritize protecting the camp!! Got it? Over!"

"Understood!" Old Lin replied succinctly, having thought it through; this was a different time. He agreed with Xu Renjie for now, and if something really happened, he would lead the team out, whether Old Xu liked it or not.

Xu Renjie nodded with satisfaction upon receiving Old Lin’s affirmative response, then drew the Type 92 from his waist and handed it to Tang Xiaoquan: "You take this. The other weapons are in the back vehicle. If something happens, take them out and shoot! Don’t be polite!"

Tang Xiaoquan paused, not understanding what Old Xu was implying.

From his words, it seemed like there was a large stash of weapons in the back vehicle.

But as far as Tang Xiaoquan knew, the team only had about four firearms in total. Since when did they become affluent enough to shoot freely at others?

However, Tang Xiaoquan quickly realized Old Xu’s intention. The latter was putting on a show for Derek.

Old Xu was trying to intimidate Derek by flaunting a nonexistent show of force.

After all, Derek was unclear about their actual firepower; he didn’t know their exact armament.

Understanding this, Tang Xiaoquan immediately pushed the gun back and cooperated: "Old Xu, since there are so many guns in the back, you should carry this for self-defense."

Old Xu smiled and waved his hand; Tang Xiaoquan hadn’t disappointed him. From his words, it was evident he understood what Old Xu meant: "Ah, I can’t take this gun with me. If I do, it’ll definitely be confiscated, so better leave it with you for defense. As for me, this weapon will do just fine!"

While speaking, Old Xu picked up a cold, long knife from beside the driver’s seat, then unloaded the Tiger’s Fang and other items from his body.

Old Xu wouldn’t want his equipment to end up in the hands of those "Japanese" beasts; it would be a disgrace for him.

Meanwhile, Lei Tong was also preparing inside the cabin.

Once ready, Xu, Lei, and Derek got out of the car.

After briefly bidding farewell to the remaining team members, Old Xu and Lei Tong followed Derek toward the manhole cover.

To avoid being noticed by zombies wandering the streets, Derek signaled Old Xu and Lei Tong to crouch down.

To be honest, although Derek’s movements weren’t quite standard, Old Xu inwardly gave the young man a thumbs up for his crisis awareness.

Putting aside the trust issues, the courage of this young man to venture solo through the zombie-infested line was truly admirable.

Since Old Xu and Lei Tong were both former special reconnaissance soldiers, their team quickly reached the designated location.

Derek gestured for Old Xu to lend him the knife so he could use it to pry open the tightly shut manhole cover.

Unexpectedly, just as his eyes lifted, Lei Tong placed his hand into the cover’s eye, and with a groan, lifted the heavy manhole cover.

Derek was dumbfounded! He had tested the cover’s weight himself, although he could lift it, to yank it out with finger strength like Lei Tong did was indeed beyond ordinary capacity.

Compared to Derek’s shock, Lei Tong remained remarkably calm, as if he was moving a feeble, soft quilt rather than a heavy manhole cover.

Lei Tong gently placed the cover on the ground, ensuring minimal noise.

After finishing, Xu Feng was the first to enter the manhole, followed by Derek, while Lei Tong was responsible for sealing the cover and then slid down into the pit.

With the cover sealed, the space below plunged into darkness.

Old Xu signaled everyone to wait for a moment for their eyes to adjust before proceeding forward.

He didn’t ask Derek to lead the way, a subtle gesture that pleased Derek.

To Derek, this choice suggested that they at least began to trust him.

But Derek didn’t know that Xu Renjie made this choice precisely because he worried about him playing tricks.

After all, Old Xu hadn’t been through these tunnels before, and if he let Derek lead, there was a chance he might escape at the intersections.

With the underground passageways crisscrossing and being pitch dark, chasing after Derek would be difficult.

However, positioning him in the middle of the group changed everything; even if Derek intended to escape, blocked front and back, he had no way out.

"Turn right at the front intersection!" Derek instructed Old Xu as he walked, stepping forward unevenly.

Because this area had recently experienced heavy rain, the situation beneath the manhole was terrible.

Not to mention the strong, fetid air that churned people’s stomachs.

Approximately two minutes passed, and Old Xu heard the faint sound of footsteps above.

Judging by these dense sounds, Old Xu knew their group had reached the street observed earlier through binoculars, leading to the campus.

He was very thankful to be walking beneath the street right now, as even though the air was foul and it was inconvenient to walk, being down here was unquestionably preferable to the "playground" of zombies above.

Continuing onward, Old Xu held his knife, scanning his eyes around cautiously.

He moved slowly, carefully observing and confirming his surroundings before taking each step.

This slow pace somewhat exasperated Derek; to him, Old Xu’s cautious behavior seemed unnecessary because Derek had traversed this path many times and was quite familiar with it.

However, Old Xu paid no mind to Derek’s rationale; to him, being cautious never hurt anyone, especially since he still doubted Derek.

So he regarded all of Derek’s words with skepticism, leading their three-person team to move through the sewers at a torturously slow pace like turtles.

Meanwhile, the survivors waiting outside under Old Lin’s arrangement commenced intense vigilance.

With Hua Biao, Li Xiaoxin approached the transport vehicle; they were members of the second support team.

According to the agreed plan, once Old Xu and Lei Tong’s team found a suitable opportunity, they would use the hand-held radio to contact the convoy.

Once contact was made, Hua Biao and Li Xiaoxin would infiltrate the school with their gear to assist Old Xu and Lei Tong in their mission. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to recommend it and give it a vote on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com).