Survival code 416

The Crumbling World（part 2）

3 seconds, 2 seconds, 1 second. Fan Zhen watched as the gray pupils, pale skin, and exposed gums rapidly enlarged in his vision.

His sense of smell seemed to return. It was the stench coming from the burly man's mouth.

0.03 seconds.

In that split second, Fan Zhen's arm finally took action: he raised the bag in front of his chest and smashed it down hard on the burly man's head, buying him two seconds of time.

While the burly man shook his head to shake off the backpack, Fan Zhen managed to cross the train door and fell backward.

During his descent, he quickly realized that, amidst the extreme chaos just now, the train had unknowingly arrived at its destination.

Those two seconds bought Fan Zhen a chance at survival.

He lay on the floor, watching as the burly man locked onto a new target and lunged towards the crowd waiting outside the train.

A new round of roaring and screams filled his ears.

Having narrowly escaped, Fan Zhen quickly flipped over and got up from the ground. But as soon as he took two steps forward, he felt his sleeve being pulled.

"Save me, please..."

Instinctively, he turned around and saw the girl he had encountered on the train. Her hair was disheveled, she was lying helpless on the ground, tears streaming down her beautiful face, and her dress torn. She looked pitiful.

What a lovely girl!

Fan Zhen has never held a girl's hand in his life.

He squatted down, attempting to help the girl up.

However, the girl suddenly rolled like a wild dog, then leaped up and pounced on Fan Zhen. It was then that he noticed a clear bite mark on the girl's wrist.

This strength is not human at all! In fear, Fan Zhen disregarded his chivalrous nature and flailed his limbs in an attempt to stop her, but it only momentarily halted her actions, with no reduction in speed.

In an instant, this once adorable girl sank her teeth into Fan Zhen's sleeve and began tearing at it desperately. Fan Zhen was frightened to the point of almost fainting, but he mustered his last bit of rationality and swung his fist fiercely at her head, to no avail. Her strength was astonishing, and Fan Zhen, a sedentary IT guy who hadn't exercised in years, was powerless to save himself.

His mind went blank, and in a daze, he only heard a loud "bang."

When Fan Zhen regained his senses, the girl who had just been biting him lay on the ground like a pile of mud, and the murder weapon lay beside her—a piece of iron plate.

Fan Zhen didn't have time to understand what had just happened. He glanced at his torn jacket sleeve, which was nearly in tatters. Afraid that the girl's saliva contained a virus, he quickly discarded his ragged coat.

At this moment, survivors and zombies continued to pour out from both ends of the subway train. Several security guards attempted to maintain order, but they were immediately scattered by the fleeing crowd. Fan Zhen also got up and ran forward desperately.

Even at this moment, some people took out their phones and started recording short videos. They were still enjoying the spectacle even when faced with imminent death. Fan Zhen shouted at them anxiously, "Run!" while loudly calling for help from the passersby.

A few men nearby initially wanted to come over and ask about the situation, but when they looked up and saw the crowd chasing Fan Zhen, they turned and ran.

The escalator had already been blocked by the fleeing crowd. Everyone was pushing forward desperately, fighting for a glimmer of hope for survival.

Fan Zhen was pushed and jostled by the crowd, even taking a few punches that made his eyes see stars.

A man next to him simply jumped onto the escalator, stepping on other people's shoulders to run forward. While others wanted to follow suit, they were firmly held back by those around them.

In dire straits, nobody would allow someone to live alone. It was the instinct of people in desperate situations.

Fan Zhen looked at the crowded crowd and suddenly had a foreboding feeling.

I'm afraid I will die here.

Soon enough, despair spread to the escalator.

In the crowd, a middle-aged woman with exaggerated wavy hair suddenly let out a long howl and bit into the shoulder of a middle-aged man carrying a backpack next to her. The little boy who seemed to be her son was immediately terrified and burst into tears. After the middle-aged man turned into a monster, he jumped onto the escalator, only to be caught up and knocked down by the young man who had just triumphantly passed over the heads of the crowd, falling into the mob.

The escalator quickly turned into hell. People were constantly knocked down, then standing up again in a gory mess, continuing to attack those around them.

Unable to bear watching any longer, Fan Zhen forced his way forward with the crowd.

Even if it was just for an extra second of life.

Although slow, Fan Zhen managed to squeeze onto the escalator, reaching the negative first floor.

Like a floodgate opening, the crowd poured out in all directions.

After countless transfers, Fan Zhen was extremely familiar with this place. He did not run around like the panicked crowd but chose the less crowded Exit 11.

One less person meant a little more safety. Here, anyone could be a mutant.

As expected, hardly anyone noticed Exit 11 due to its secluded location. Fan Zhen exerted all his strength and sprinted towards the gate.

At that moment, the subway announcement sounded:

"There is an emergency situation on Line 7 of the subway, and it will be closed soon. Please disperse to various exits and leave in an orderly manner. Please do not panic and leave in an orderly manner..."

I don't believe you. Fan Zhen thought. Just two seconds ago, I barely saved my life by being faster. In this situation, even those who run slowly will become cannon fodder.

Just as he was about to leap over the gate, he froze.

Two masked special police officers with guns appeared on the other side of the gate, vigilantly surveying the crowd and advancing forward.

Fan Zhen immediately gave up on jumping over and awkwardly came to a stop, swiping his card.

As the two special police officers ran past him, they didn't even glance at him, but Fan Zhen felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

I'm saved.

Along the stairs, the chaos behind grew farther away. The cries for help and shouts gradually faded like distant echoes. Finally, Fan Zhen basked in the brilliant sunlight and greedily breathed in the fresh air.

When his pupils returned to normal, Fan Zhen couldn't see the deserted street he had hoped for, nor the large groups of riot police with shields in front and guns behind.

Exit 11 was filled with a panicked crowd. The street vendors who usually set up stalls on the roadside had long disappeared, and the shops along the street had all pulled down their shutters.

Many private cars attempted to force their way through the alley but were completely stuck in the crowd. The car owners honked their horns anxiously, but it was futile.

The entire city was filled with blaring sirens, as if under attack, but there was no sign of the police around.

Thick smoke billowed from the buildings in the distance.

Fan Zhen finally realized that hell had descended upon them.

He desperately squeezed through the crowd, attempting to call home, but there was no signal.

Damn phone, failing at such a critical moment. He cursed under his breath, but carefully put it away nonetheless.

Because it was his only connection to his parents.

The alley wasn't long, and Fan Zhen quickly pushed his way out of the crowd, revealing the wide Nan Er Road before him.

However, Nan Er Road clearly couldn't handle the torrential flow of vehicles. What met his eyes was an endless line of cars stretching towards the skyline, all eight lanes completely jammed. Many cars even recklessly mounted the sidewalks and crashed into the shops, leaving destruction in their wake. It seemed that a fire had broken out in the distance, with thick smoke billowing into the sky.

Crowds of people surged onto the streets from all directions, scattering in every direction. Fear and panic were evident on everyone's faces as they hurriedly passed by Fan Zhen, frequently bumping into his body.

The visual impact was too overwhelming, leaving Fan Zhen momentarily stunned and unsure of his next move. Just as he stood there at a loss, his phone in his pants pocket began to vibrate.

He hurriedly fumbled for his phone, but the call disconnected in his haste to answer it.

Fan Zhen quickly redialed, but the call failed to connect twice.