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As the shroud of night descended, Lin Feng and Song Zhe’s abilities really started to come into their own. Liu Tao? He just had a torchlight going for him.

Around 2 a.m., in the serene embrace of the night, Lin Feng carefully opened a window, letting down the curtain-turned-rope. That long hair of his, which he used to complain about, was now neatly braided thanks to Liu Mengqi’s handiwork. But man, was it still a pain. So he wrapped the thing around his neck like a scarf.

He’d toyed with the idea of just snipping it off, but the mere mention had Yan Aoxue and Liu Mengqi up in arms. Seriously, what was the big deal?

Foot injury aside, Lin Feng easily shimmied down to the fifth floor. And with the ease of a cat burglar cracked open the window, and chilled on the ledge. Funny thing, he realized he wasn’t afraid of heights anymore. Maybe it was those cat genes?

A soft tap on the glass broke the silence. Song Zhe caught it, looked up, and started making his way down with an expression that screamed, “Why did I sign up for this?”

It felt like forever, but ten minutes later, he joined Lin Feng, who gave him that “Took you long enough” look. Song Zhe just returned him an aggrieved look.

Then, another tap – cue Liu Tao. If Song Zhe was the bumbling nerd who couldn’t climb the rope in gym class to save his life , Liu Tao was a literal ninja, reaching them in just three minutes flat, putting Song Zhe’s night-vision skills to shame. The two reached out and yanked him in, making it look way too easy.

“Man, you’re fast,” Lin Feng said with a hint of admiration.

“Grew up climbing trees and stealing bird eggs. That did the trick,” Liu Tao said, smirking a little and giving Song Zhe a playful look. They prepped to continue their journey.

Suddenly, the rope swayed again, and to their surprise, Anna, a petite mixed-race girl, popped up at the window.

“Are you guys going to stare, or help me up?” she asked, her frustration obvious in her tight grip.

Without missing a beat, Liu Tao reached out and effortlessly hoisted Anna inside.

“Why are you here? You need to get back,” Lin Feng whispered urgently.

“Why can you be here and not me? I’m in,” Anna said, standing tall with her hand defiantly on her hip.

Lin Feng sighed, “This isn’t a game, Anna. In the movies, the washboards like you? They don’t usually make it. Now, be good and go back. I’ll get you some snacks on the way back.”

Anna raised an eyebrow, “And what? You think I can’t handle it because I’m petite? Look who’s talking, Mrs. Flat-Chested.”

“Come on, let’s not waste time. If we aren’t back by dawn, things could get dicey,” Song Zhe interjected, shooting a slightly nervous glance at his watch as he stepped between them.

“Hey, no worries! I’ve got this,” Liu Tao quipped, flexing his bicep and flashing a cheeky grin.

With a shake of his head, Lin Feng began the descent. He’d thought Liu Mengqi was a handful, but it turned out that the spirited mixed-race girl they’d bumped into in the restroom was just as much of a whirlwind.

The group crept downstairs, their figures barely illuminated by the soft moonlight. They silently thanked the moon; without its light, the less sure-footed among them would’ve been fumbling with flashlights, putting their mission at risk.

“So, where to?” Song Zhe asked, a touch more relaxed now that they were outside. He looked to Lin Feng, who naturally took charge in such situations.

“We’re hitting the infirmary first, then onto the broadcasting station.”

But Lin Feng wasn’t just thinking about food tonight. His main concern was checking on his principal. If possible, he planned to guide him back to the main school building. The worried face of Old Liu kept playing in his mind, underscoring the need to confirm whether the principal was still among the living or had turned.

From their last rushed trip, Lin Feng remembered the infirmary might have some useful supplies. In particular, that security guard person should still have some ammunition on him. Discovering any could be a game-changer for their escape plan. The idea was to get out from the top floor, hopefully with Old Liu, dodge Zhu Hanfang’s threats, and find a safer place.

Choosing the infirmary made sense: after that guy cleaned out the supermarket, the infirmary was the next best place for supplies. The cafeteria, on the other hand, was just too out of the way.

Winding their way through the hallways they knew like the back of their hands, Lin Feng took the opportunity for some quick zombie practice. With his guidance, Liu Tao and Song Zhe, took on cleanup duty, taking those zombies down like pros by the end. But Anna wasn’t about to be left out. Wanting to show she wasn’t just some damsel, she surprised everyone by handling two zombies all by herself. The guys’ eyes practically popped out of their heads.

It was clear Anna had been through some tough times before teaming up with them. As they breezed past a supermarket, Song Zhe snatched up a razor he’d been eyeing, while Anna sneakily pocketed some milk candies. With stomachs that had been complaining for days, they all grabbed a quick snack to tide them over. Feeling like they had a new lease on life, Lin Feng passed around some climbing bags, and they headed straight for the infirmary.

But things there had gone south. With no one on guard duty, zombies were having a field day at the clinic. Near the point of Lin Feng’s escape, a bunch of messed-up zombies littered the floor. were even munching on their own guts. Revolting! To say the least.

Quickly sizing things up, Lin Feng set the game plan: four zombies per person. Maybe it was that last-minute snack, but everyone was on fire, taking out those zombies in no time. Lin Feng had to admit, teamwork sure had its perks. On his own, he might’ve been stuck with those zombies for ages, but together? They cleaned house in just ten minutes.

Inside the infirmary, Lin Feng snagged a bigger climbing bag and started loading it up with all sorts of meds. Having a doctor in the crew meant these supplies were gold. He spotted a stash of food boxes in a corner. That guy sure knew how to prep. And right next to that? A computer with a stack of game CDs. Looks like someone had planned for both survival and downtime!

Lin Feng had an “aha” moment. So that’s why the guy was all about that circuitry! Sure, he had food and company, but a guy’s gotta have some fun, right? Seeing the good-to-go CDs and computer next to the messed-up circuits? Man, talk about bad luck.

As the gang packed up on food, Lin Feng grabbed the fire axe from the second floor’s fire extinguisher point and tiptoed upstairs to a storage room. Sure enough, there were zombies waiting for him inside – three of them, to be precise. And of course, there was that guy, but man, he’d seen better days. His once-bounteous belly was now skin and bones, spine and viscera bare for all to see.

Anyway, once the zombies spotted Lin Feng, it was game over for them. Searching the familiar guy, Lin Feng found a gun magazine in his pocket. Phew!

He also found something that looked like Dr. Hu’s medical robe. Handy, considering the good doctor was just dressed in a blanket now. Hardly his fault – those pants were his to begin with, and his was clearly the direr need.

Seeing a recent zombie takedown, Lin Feng raised an eyebrow and smirked, “Well, she’s got a decent figure, doesn’t she?” Without missing a beat, he started messing with her buttons.