On the forum.

"Let's drop this for now. We should be figuring out how to get to the cafeteria."

Finally, someone remembered what actually mattered.

"Since they can kill zombies, just have them escort us to the cafeteria."

"Yeah, I think that works."

"Who are these people though? @ them."

"Three of them are Zhao Kun, Old Hei, and the others from Room 716 on our floor. The other two I don't recognize-probably not from this floor."

"@Zhao Kun, you there?"

"@Zhao Kun, reply if you're around."

At that moment, in a dorm on the seventh floor, all three of Zhao Kun's group had gone dark in the face.

"These assholes. Two minutes ago we were heinous criminals, and now they want us to babysit them to the cafeteria? Do they think we're suckers?" Skinny Monkey said flatly.

"I mean, you can't look at it that way. More people, more strength. Going together gives everyone backup-better odds," Old Hei said.

"Brother Kun, what's the call?"

"Ignore them," Zhao Kun said.

"But we need to get to the cafeteria too. Our food's not gonna last much longer. While everyone's got the same idea, wouldn't it be better to go together?" Old Hei pressed, confused.

"More people does mean more strength, but it also means a bigger target. Could actually be more dangerous," Zhao Kun said.

"But we can't just keep hiding forever. People online are losing their minds."

"Wait and see." Zhao Kun's voice was tight with irritation. "Fuck-how did none of these idiots recognize that psycho Yang Bin?"

"Want us to rat him out?" Old Hei offered.

"You wanna die? Go ahead and try." Zhao Kun rolled his eyes.

"......"

The school administration had apparently noticed the zombies' movement patterns. They kept the broadcast running-volume cranked to maximum.

More and more zombies drifted toward the nearest speaker sources. The dorms were emptying out.

Students began getting restless.

Finally, Buildings 4, 5, and 6-the ones closest to the cafeteria-made their move.

A mob of students organized themselves, clutching whatever passed for weapons: brooms, clothes-drying poles, plastic stools, fruit knives.

Here and there, someone carried a steel pipe or even a decorative Tang sword. College students-there were always a few who kept interesting things in their rooms.

Most of the zombies had already cleared out. The occasional straggler got swarmed and beaten to the ground before it could do much.

Most people in the group didn't dare swing. But a handful of hard cases led from the front, and under their lead, the group actually made it to the cafeteria.

Seeing others succeed sent a jolt of excitement through the remaining buildings. One after another, groups formed up and headed out.

The results were mixed. Some made it. Some took heavy losses. Some were wiped out entirely.

The broadcast attracted zombies, but zombies weren't blind. The moment they spotted living flesh, the speakers stopped mattering.

Beyond the large rooftop speakers on the teaching buildings, the campus PA system had hidden speakers scattered across lawns and mounted in trees.

So while the zombies had left the dorm buildings, they were still spread across the grounds. One unlucky sighting, and it was over.

Still, even with the death toll climbing, this was hope. People kept taking the gamble-especially those whose stomachs had been empty long enough to override their fear.

Meanwhile, on the campus forum under the Building 21 thread, Zhao Kun's continued silence had turned the comment section into a dumpster fire.

"This Zhao Kun is a fucking coward. Only knows how to steal food from classmates. Ask him to actually fight a zombie and he shrivels up like a bitch."

"Right? Saying they cleared the seventh floor-I bet that's 80% bullshit. I saw zombies falling off the building yesterday. They probably jumped on their own."

"Pathetic. Just a bunch of gutless frauds."

Reading these, Zhao Kun's group nearly smashed their phones.

"That's it. I can't take this." Old Hei's face was pure thunder. "Let's go. Room 708. I'm beating the shit out of those guys first."

"Exactly. Yang Bin started it, but we're the ones catching all the heat? I'm not swallowing this." Skinny Monkey spat.

"Let's go. I need to hit something too." Even Zhao Kun was on his feet.

The three of them marched straight to Room 708.

"Bang bang bang-" Old Hei hammered the door.

"Wh-what do you want?!"

Curly Hair spotted them through the window-three furious faces-and his voice cracked with fear.

"Relax. You wanted us to take you to the cafeteria, right? Let's go." Zhao Kun's voice was level, but barely.

"R-really?"

Glasses Guy didn't buy it. Nothing about these three looked like a friendly escort service.

"Of course. Tons of people from other buildings already left. You coming or not? Because we're not waiting." Zhao Kun said.

"Yes! Yes yes, we're coming!"

The four inside scrambled to open the door, terrified of being left behind.

The moment it swung open, they regretted it.

Zhao Kun and the other two were grinning. The kind of grin that promised pain.

"Wait-what are you-don't-"

"Ahhh-!"

Screens echoed from Room 708.

Four against three, and it wasn't even close. The 708 boys couldn't land a single hit.

Zhao Kun's crew had been fighting zombies for two days. These guys hadn't even dared to open their door. The gap was obvious.

A few minutes later, the three strolled out looking thoroughly refreshed.

Behind them, four bruised and swollen faces lay on the floor, trembling.

"Let's move. While the zombies are thin, we head for the cafeteria." Zhao Kun rolled his shoulders.

"Should we... bring anyone else?" Skinny Monkey asked.

"We go on our own. Forget the rest."

"Got it."

After they left, Curly Hair and the others scrambled to their feet almost immediately.

"They're gone."

"Heading to the cafeteria. We follow them. Now."

"Yeah."

They hated the three who'd just beaten them bloody. But they weren't stupid. Those guys actually killed zombies. Following them beat going alone.

On the forum, under the Building 21 thread, a new message appeared.

"They left for the cafeteria..."

One by one, students who'd been hiding in their rooms crept out and trailed after them.

Room 308.

Yang Bin scrolled through the forum posts and shook his head.

"Zhao Kun. Still can't sit still."

"The zombies are mostly gone now. They've got weapons and experience. If they're careful, getting to the cafeteria shouldn't be a problem, right?" Chen Hao said.

"If it's just the three of them? No problem at all. But if there's a trail of people following behind them, that's a completely different situation."

"True. Bigger group, bigger target. But they're all classmates-if they can bring people along, might as well. Staying in the dorms means starving."

"Drop that thinking. Right now." Yang Bin's voice went flat. "This is the apocalypse. Taking care of your own family and friends is already more than most can manage. Everyone else? Not our problem. One moment of playing savior and you're Beyond Redemption."

"...Yeah. I get it."

"So Brother Bin, when do we move?"

Yang Bin glanced at Hu Wenliang, still dead asleep, and thought for a moment.

"We've got enough food. One more night here. We leave tomorrow." He paused. "There won't be beds at the cafeteria."

"Works for me. Your call."

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