Chapter 58: Finding a College Student

The next morning, Jiang Qiyu stifled her last yawn and led the group toward the logging site—the gate stood wide open, revealing the chaos left from last night’s cleanup.

Zhao Hu, Zhang Qiang, and the others carried saws and hammers, hoisting heavy wooden planks, their expressions weary and reluctant, as if marching to the execution ground.

Jiang Qiyu cast a cool glance over them, raising an eyebrow. “Tired? Think a good cry will get you out of work?”

“No, no, never tired,” Zhao Hu rubbed his hands nervously, forcing a smile that barely concealed his exhaustion. “It’s just… last night—we worked a bit late. Haven’t fully recovered yet.” He stole a glance at Zhang Qiang, as if seeking solidarity.

Zhang Qiang caught on immediately and chimed in, “Yeah, boss. We didn’t finish until midnight. My back’s still aching.” He exaggeratedly rubbed his lower back, grimacing in a mixture of pain and pride. “But,” he straightened up, adopting a resolute stance, “whatever the boss orders, even if we have to crawl, we’ll get it done!”

Zhao Hu quickly followed suit, “Exactly! One word from the boss, and we’d walk through fire and water without hesitation!” He nudged the man beside him, signaling them to show their loyalty. The others caught on and all nodded, voices rising in a chorus of unwavering obedience, swearing no slack would be allowed.

Jiang Qiyu was unbothered. After organizing the work, she turned to the group behind her. Lu Yao stood obediently to her side and slightly behind, munching on a cookie while clutching a large bucket of pickled vegetables like a well-trained pup on a leash. Shi Chao lounged lazily against a utility pole with his arms crossed, fiddling with a small trinket and looking thoroughly indifferent. Jiang Fengmian maintained his usual carefree smile, casually tidying the medical kit, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding chaos.

“Shi Chao, Jiang Fengmian, Lu Yao, you three take a few people and come with me to the highway,” Jiang Qiyu cut through their dawdling with a crisp command. “Wu Ning, you stay here and watch the logging site—fail today’s task, and you’ll be skipping this meal.”

Wu Ning had been thinking of slipping away, but the chill down his spine stopped him cold. He patted his chest and stammered out several “Don’t worry”s with exaggerated seriousness.

Once on the road, Lu Yao leaned back into the worn yet relatively soft passenger seat like a frightened quail, nervously chewing cookie crumbs and clasping his hands tensely on his knees. His eyes darted like a hunted animal, stealing glances at the focused Jiang Qiyu behind the wheel. The morning sun slanted through the windshield, casting sharp shadows across Jiang Qiyu’s tense profile and subtly arched brows. Lu Yao opened his mouth several times, then hesitated, finally whispering hesitantly, “Sister, are you… still angry?”

Jiang Qiyu kept her gaze fixed ahead, knuckles tightening on the steering wheel. After a moment of silence, she snapped, “What, do you think your little life’s too long?”

The words hit Lu Yao like a jolt; he shivered and nervously tugged at his backpack straps like a kitten caught in the act, shrinking into himself with an embarrassed, guilty look. “N-no more, I swear…” His voice dropped almost to a whisper. He stuffed the cookie into the door compartment, losing all appetite for sneaking snacks.

Shi Chao reclined lazily in the back seat, hands behind his head, wearing an air of detached amusement as if watching a trivial scene spice up his dull life. He glanced at Lu Yao’s pitiful, pleading expression and smirked. “What Lu Ge means is…” He paused, squinting as he added casually, “Boss, maybe you should cut us some slack.”

His words briefly lightened the tense atmosphere, but Lu Yao ignored them, lowering his head to vanish into the smallest shadow possible.

Jiang Qiyu shot a sharp look his way, prompting Shi Chao to instantly feign sleep in silence.

The car roared onto the highway, the endless road stretching before them like a forsaken wasteland. On either side, zombie-ravaged corpses lay piled haphazardly, some so mangled they were unrecognizable as human. Decaying flesh dripped with black-green ichor that pooled into filthy stains. The stench was suffocating, slithering into their nostrils like venomous snakes.

A breeze swept by, seemingly infected by the foul air, blurring the line between the cold morning light and the bleak, drowned surroundings.

Liu Mei covered her nose and hurried a few steps away, the stench clinging like rot beneath her skin. Her brows furrowed into a tight knot, suffocation tightening her chest. She stole a glance at Jiang Qiyu’s resolute, indifferent back, a heavy stone pressing down on her heart. Fear and reverence tangled inside her, forcing her to grit her teeth and swallow the rising discomfort.

The thought that they were alive, fed, and safe today only because Jiang Qiyu had stepped up in the darkest hour stirred a complicated emotion within Liu Mei. She clenched her fists so tightly her nails bit into her palms without her noticing.

Fragments of forgotten despair flooded her memory like a tide, vividly recalling countless brushings with death that Jiang Qiyu’s unwavering figure had pulled them back from the abyss time and again.

Others might grow used to and overlook such debt, but Liu Mei could not afford such luck. She felt clearly the fragile boundary between life and death was held steady only by Jiang Qiyu’s all-out effort.

Her eyes instinctively swept over the corpses strewn on the ground, the mingled stench of rot and hopelessness a stark reminder of how precious life was. Without Jiang Qiyu, they would have long since become part of this silent, nameless mass, melting into the wasteland.

A massive truck lay overturned in the center of the highway, only half its cab visible; its rear cargo door hung slightly ajar. Jiang Qiyu said softly, “Stop.”

The group halted, the air instantly falling silent save for the wind and occasional low growls of distant zombies.

The tailgate of the truck thudded heavily, as if something alive nudged it from inside.

The rusted iron door echoed with a dull clang across the quiet road, like a whisper from death itself. The door creaked slightly with the impact, a narrow gap widening as a foul stench seeped out.

Then came soft knocks from within the cargo hold—one, two, one, two—each heavier than the last, growing more urgent, as if something alive was trying to break free.

“Is that… a zombie?” Shi Chao frowned, his voice hoarse, as if the putrid air clogged his throat. He muttered nervously but couldn’t help staring at the trembling door, his face pale as paper.

Lu Yao added in a hesitant voice, “Or… a living person?”

His eyes shifted toward Jiang Qiyu, seeking an answer but fearing its harshness.

Jiang Qiyu’s gaze never settled on them but remained cool and steady forward. She raised her wrist decisively, signaling for silence with an undeniable authority.

In one swift motion, she drew her somewhat worn but deadly pistol. The cold steel gleamed sharply in the faint morning light.

“Let’s go see,” her low voice cut through the tension like a command, each word clear and forceful, more oppressive than the pounding on the door.

Shi Chao and Lu Yao swallowed hard, falling silent, but their feet moved instinctively to follow, as if pulled by the invisible will of that gun—their only choice was to obey Jiang Qiyu’s lead.