Survival code 416

The Crumbling World（part 3）

Damn it! Fan Zhen felt frustrated. Why couldn't he ever get through? But this sudden phone call did manage to jolt him awake. He realized that this was no ordinary public event. Once this terrifying contagious event spiraled out of control and erupted in the city center, the entire city could potentially fall. Even with strong measures in place, it would be difficult to regain control of the situation within a short period of time, not to mention prevent further casualties.

The immediate task at hand was to keep moving, to leave the epicenter as quickly as possible and find a relatively safe shelter to await rescue.

His rented apartment was too far and unrealistic. Given the current traffic conditions, taking a car was even slower than walking. He could only choose a reliable location within a 5-kilometer radius.

The nearest police station immediately came to his mind.

He wasn't familiar with this area, so he had to rely on his phone to search. However, the map was still loading.

No internet signal either? Fan Zhen broke out in a cold sweat in an instant. Without network access, he was as good as blind. Modern people really couldn't get anywhere without the internet...

He could only blindly follow the crowd towards the subway station, uncertain of where it would lead, but at least the direction was right. At the same time, he kept a close eye on the people around him because he couldn't determine if they were infected or not. In case an infected person managed to bite him when he let his guard down, he would be practically powerless to fight back.

After 100 meters, at an intersection, Fan Zhen finally saw a traffic officer. Just as he attempted to approach and inquire about the direction of the police station, a sudden burst of screams erupted from the people around him, and they scattered in all directions.

Fan Zhen instinctively lunged forward, feeling a strong gust of wind brush against his back. He could even sense its powerful suction. When he turned around, he saw a dark red heavy truck losing control, plowing through the crowd and leaving a long trail of blood behind it, a gruesome sight. The traffic officer hurriedly chased after it, but Fan Zhen took only a quick glance before quickly leaving the scene.

The driver inside was convulsing, pounding on the door and windows, but he was securely locked in by his seatbelt. It was evident that he had been fully infected, causing him to lose control of the vehicle.

This was a very bad sign.

Not only did it indicate the presence of infected individuals outside, but more importantly, there were no signs of attack on the driver's cabin, suggesting that:

The pathogen could be transmitted through the air.

Fan Zhen's heart sank, and he instinctively tightened his mask.

Now the crowd seemed even more dangerous. However, he couldn't avoid them; he could only keep his head down and hasten his pace.

But soon enough, infected individuals appeared beside him as well.

An elderly man carrying a bag suddenly stopped in his tracks, convulsing in place. The people around him hurriedly moved away, but they stared at him anxiously as they passed. Meanwhile, Fan Zhen forcefully pushed through the crowd and sprinted away.

He had experienced scenes like this many times before.

Sure enough, after running about four or five body lengths away, a wave of screams erupted from behind.

Fan Zhen maintained his sprinting posture and continued moving forward. He couldn't stop because he knew that this outbreak would soon spread far and wide.

The only way to survive was to detect and distance himself as early as possible. He had to leave this densely populated area.

By now, he had left the junction of Nan Er Road and Yue Xin Road and was heading south along Yue Xin Road. If he could safely reach the junction of Nan San Road, he would be safe.

But it wasn't that easy. Several intersections along Nan Er Road, Yue Xin Road, and Xing Jing Road formed a commercial center that was usually crowded with people. Now it was even more packed with fleeing crowds, compounded by the traffic congestion. Even though he pushed through the crowd along the way, his speed remained slow.

The number of infected individuals around him increased, and the desperate screams and terrifying howls of the infected gradually filled his surroundings. Fan Zhen's forehead began to sweat, and he had a vague sense that the infected were forming a circle around him in the direction he was heading. He felt like a turtle in a jar; even if he could still swim for now, he couldn't change the fact that he would eventually be trapped.

It was too late to find a police station or escape from the crowd. Now he had to find a temporary shelter. Fan Zhen anxiously surveyed the area around him, but all he saw were small shops on Yue Xin Road, which had already closed their rolling doors in light of the situation. He couldn't jump onto the roofs of these shops to avoid the crowd, and gradually, he found himself cornered against a wall.

The people around him were being knocked down one by one, only to quickly rise and join the ranks of the infected. Gradually, there were fewer and fewer people resisting. Fan Zhen helplessly pounded on the doors of every shop, shouting for help, but none of them responded.

Was this the end? The screams around him grew faint. Fan Zhen knew that soon it would be his turn.

Just then, he suddenly noticed a half-meter gap beneath the rolling door of a nearby shop.

Fan Zhen immediately ran towards this last pathway to life, while the infected in front of him roared and began to charge at him. As they drew closer, he could already see their repulsive faces.

10 meters, 9 meters, 8 meters... The bloodstains and horrifying wounds covering the infected made the hairs on Fan Zhen's body stand on end.

Just as the outstretched hands of the infected were about to touch his sleeve, Fan Zhen let out a loud shout, leaned to the side, and used the inertia of his movement to forcefully push aside the infected person in front of him, creating a temporary opening. He seized this rare opportunity and rushed forward a few steps, skillfully sliding past the infected in the back row and diving into the gap beneath the rolling door.

It was incredibly thrilling. Amidst the ecstasy, tension, and the relief that comes after surviving a catastrophe, Fan Zhen's heart beat violently, pumping hot blood to his limbs and brain.

Suddenly, he realized that the rolling door was not completely closed. With a start, he flipped over and tried to close it, but his movement was immediately stopped by a pair of strong arms. At the same time, something cold pressed against his neck, and when he looked down, he saw a dazzling cleaver.

Fan Zhen froze for a moment, wanting to say something, but no words came out.

The person holding him seemed equally nervous, their hand trembling slightly. Fan Zhen worried that they might accidentally cut his throat in a moment of panic.

Fortunately, the person did not make any further moves, and both of them silently refrained from making any sound. The infected outside lost their target and aimlessly bumped into the door a few times before leaving. Soon, the screams outside also disappeared, leaving only the chaotic sound of footsteps.

There were no more living people.

After about 10 minutes of stalemate, the captor lowered their voice and questioned, "Who are you?"

From the captor's anxious demeanor, it was clear that they were not a villain. Fan Zhen had no psychological burden and decided to introduce himself directly.

"My name is Fan Zhen, a survivor," he replied straightforwardly. "I came out of the subway. I work as a programmer at Yipin Corporation."

At a time like this, there was no need for unnecessary words, as they could easily lead to misunderstandings.

The captor scrutinized him for a while before asking, "Where is Yipin Corporation located?"

"334 Luo Wen Street, across from Changjing Department Store, and it's on Line 2, Dong Ning Road Station."

Not everyone who commuted on this route every day would answer with such certainty. The captor probably accepted his explanation and released him.

Only then did Fan Zhen turn around. He was sitting in a tobacco and liquor convenience store, facing a sturdy, short-statured owner. Although the owner still frowned, he didn't appear threatening.

The owner stood up and said, "Come help me for a moment, we can talk later."

Then he and the owner moved the store's shelves to the entrance, blocking the gap beneath the rolling door. The shelves were heavy, and Fan Zhen's heart settled a bit.

The owner seemed relieved as well. He took a bottle of cola from a shelf behind him and said, "Here, relax a bit. Sorry about earlier."

Fan Zhen removed his mask and took the cola in his hand. As he drank his favorite soda, a sense of joy from surviving gradually welled up in his heart.

I'm still alive. Being alive is wonderful.

The distance between life and death turned out to be just this thin layer of iron.