The surrounding civilians, witnessing the sudden transformation into a zombie, became increasingly agitated. People surged forward, each hoping to push through to the entrance of the checkpoint, for beyond it lay the perfectly safe, peaceful world outside.

Jill paid no mind to the commotion around her. She simply helped the large Black man sit up on the ground and then asked, "You arrived here much earlier, didn't you? Why haven't you gotten out yet? The city is in chaos; there are those ghastly things everywhere, just like the one before. You all need to leave as soon as possible."

The big Black man gave a bitter smile. "We certainly wanted to leave this place quickly, but the guards at the checkpoint stopped us. They said the orders from above were to maintain order here temporarily and not leave the city. Damn it, maintain what order? Organizing everyone to leave the city in an orderly fashion—that’s what should be happening!" As the two spoke, the massive steel gate of the checkpoint began to swing shut. Both men froze, and it wasn't just them; the entire crowd nearby was stunned into silence. Suddenly, everyone began running frantically toward the steel gate. Although police officers were still trying to hold the line, even more officers were now staring blankly upwards.

On top of the steel barricade, a man holding a megaphone shouted loudly, "Attention everyone! The checkpoint is temporarily closed. No entry or exit is permitted for anyone. Please rest assured, we are only doing this to protect the safety of others. So, we ask that you please remain inside the city."

A woman below, holding a small DV camera, retorted loudly, "What do you expect us to do here? The city is crawling with monsters!" The man continued, "Don't worry, we will take appropriate measures. Essential supplies will be airdropped to everyone, along with medicine and other necessities. To prevent the situation from spiraling further out of control, please return to your homes now."

Although he said this, the crowd below grew even more agitated. People kept pushing forward; this thousand-meter stretch was a dense mass of humanity. With everyone pressing in, the police officers at the very front simply could not hold the line, watching helplessly as the crowd surged toward the steel gate.

The man’s face turned cold. He suddenly drew a pistol and fired a shot into the air, then called down to the people, "You have five seconds to get away from here!" The civilians below stared at him dumbfounded, their eyes reflecting utter bewilderment. No one knew what to do next.

The man turned to a nearby mercenary and said, "Do as I said! Five seconds!" The mercenary let out a quiet sigh, then pulled back the bolt on his rifle. "Clear out! Five seconds!" As he spoke, more than ten other mercenaries nearby simultaneously chambered rounds. All of them aimed their weapons down at the civilians.

It was only then that Jill and the police officers realized the men hadn't been joking. Jill immediately began pushing the civilians outward, shouting as she did, "Hurry up and go! What are you waiting for? Get out of here, all of you, quickly!" The other police officers snapped back to reality and began pushing the congested crowd as well. Only Zheng Zha and his group watched the unfolding events silently. He said calmly to his teammates beside him, "In this situation, how confident are we that our team can breach this checkpoint? Zhang Heng, after using the Wind Arrow skill combined with the Sharpness +3 Enchanted Arrow, what are the chances of shattering that steel gate?" Zhang Heng considered it. "I haven't tested it. I don't know the thickness or hardness of this steel gate. But the enchanted arrow has significant power, and it carries an annihilation effect. I think it should be able to breach the gate, especially since the Wind Arrow skill inherently boosts power."

Zheng Zha nodded. "As long as we can break the gate, everything else is negotiable. Although our original plan involved returning here via helicopter, we must account for contingencies. Let’s first plan how to break through this checkpoint head-on. Cheng Xiao, use my heavy machine gun for suppressing fire. Zhang Heng, after breaching the gate, focus on sniping. Xiao Honglu’s magic can also provide some suppression. Then it will be Zhao Yingkong and me assaulting inside. For this, we'll need Zhan Lan’s help to slightly control the personnel inside and scan their distribution for Zhao Yingkong and me. Once we’re in close combat, we won't need to fear them anymore." "That's the basic plan. But unless absolutely necessary, we should avoid engaging in too many fights with the characters from the movie, especially the main plot characters. Otherwise, if the storyline is altered, finding the Doctor's daughter, Anne, might become impossible," Zheng Zha said. As he spoke, the mercenaries began firing, but thankfully, they dared not randomly execute civilians, so they held their rifles level, seemingly shooting but actually just aiming to intimidate.

The crowd began to scatter in a panicked crush. Even the police officers were forced to flee along with them, as the threat of leaving within five seconds seemed to apply to them as well. The mercenaries turned their barrels toward the officers again, and under duress, the police officers had no choice but to join the flow of the fleeing crowd.

Jill suddenly looked toward Zheng Zha and his group and shouted, "Help me! That zombie bit his leg!" Without a word, Zheng Zha walked over and helped the large Black man sit up. He then said, "We should get out of here quickly too, Jill. You go start the armored transport vehicle."

Jill nodded silently, stood up, and walked ahead of the group. Simultaneously, the woman holding the DV camera shouted again, "There are so many of you. Can you take me along? I have no weapons, and I’m terrified of running into those man-eating monsters again. Can you take me with you?" Zheng Zha smiled and said, "Then follow us. Just don't get lost."

As they were talking, Jill, who had been walking ahead, suddenly rushed back. Her face was ashen. "Our vehicle has been driven off! Someone must have stolen the transport during the chaos! What do we do? The roads around here all lead out of the city, and it will take hours to reach the city center, but the city is full of man-eaters! What now?" The big Black man suddenly spoke up. "Let's walk forward. It’s a six-hour journey. There’s a large cathedral situated closest to the highway. We can rest there for the night, and we can decide what to do after dawn tomorrow. What do you all think? I can’t think of anywhere safer or closer than that."

Since this was part of the established plot, Jill and the others would naturally head for that cathedral, and with the time approaching midnight, Zheng Zha simply nodded silently, following the Black man’s directions down the highway.

Along the way, they saw wandering civilians everywhere—some who had just rushed out of the city, others walking back from the checkpoint, and more civilians simply sitting by the roadside, waiting for the checkpoint to open. However, the plot indicated that they weren't waiting for rescue or departure, but for a merciless bomb to destroy everything.

The group walked on in silence. After about an hour, they passed a locked vehicle repair shop along the roadside. Zheng Zha chuckled softly. "Let's all guess—are there any vehicles left inside this garage?" Everyone paused, and Zheng Zha had already drawn his combat knife from his spatial ring. He walked up to the locked steel door and slashed horizontally across it. Then, he reached into the gap he had cut, and amidst the hissing sound of grinding steel, he ripped the section of steel plate away. The remaining members of the Reincarnation Squad didn't react much, nor did the two newcomers or the woman with the DV camera, but Jill and the big Black man’s faces shifted dramatically.

They exchanged a look of profound understanding.

In the end, neither said a word. The layman watches the excitement; the expert watches the technique. Those who didn't understand simply stared, but those who did understood the immense power Zheng Zha had just displayed. With just a small incision, he tore a massive piece of steel from the door—a level of strength impossible for an ordinary person, especially one of Zheng Zha's build. If Zheng Zha had been a giant man, perhaps two meters forty-five tall and weighing over 300 pounds, such an act might have seemed plausible.

The big Black man waited until the others had moved toward the garage before speaking in a low voice, "Jill, where did you find these people? Didn't you notice the scent of blood on them? Several of them have been through death battlegrounds and certainly experienced more combat than the mercenaries I knew. You can tell by their movements; some of them maintain defensive postures even while walking, ready to attack the instant something moves. Are you sure they won't turn against us?" Jill also replied quietly, "I can't be sure, no. But I feel they won't harm us. Don't you think we'll be much safer in this city if we have people like them accompanying us? And I think they are actually decent people." The big Black man nodded and said no more. Just then, bright headlights illuminated the garage, and the sound of an engine starting echoed as a small cargo truck slowly backed out.

Zheng Zha parked the truck on the road and smiled at the big Black man. "You know where the cathedral is, so you take the front passenger seat. Let Jill drive, and you can navigate for her. We’ll rely on you two."

Jill and the big Black man exchanged a look and nodded silently before settling into the driver’s and passenger’s seats. The members of the Reincarnation Squad and the woman with the DV camera sat in the cargo area behind them. Then, the vehicle slowly pulled away, driving into the distant darkness of the road.

"The city's power has been cut, right?" Zheng Zha murmured.

Xiao Honglu nodded. "Definitely. It would be stranger if there were still electricity in this situation, wouldn't it?"

"That’s why it’s so dark," Outside the truck, the night was black as ink, leaping into...