Chapter Thirty-Five: Successfully Landing on the Island!

The next afternoon.

Chen Yi leaned against a jeep, silently gazing at the bleak cityscape in the distance.

Below, the occasional rasping sounds of scattered zombies drifted up.

The revelry of last night was now behind them; today, they would face new challenges.

“Chen, my brother, everything’s ready,” Hu Sanhan strode over, his voice deep and steady.

Chen Yi turned his head, smiled, and nodded. “Let’s begin, then.”

After reorganizing, the team prepared to set out in perfect order. The battered military trucks, jeeps, and a few modified off-road vehicles were lined up neatly—every usable vehicle had been pressed into service.

“Listen up, everyone! We’re crossing that suspension bridge ahead. Our destination is the island just beyond.”

“But there are many zombies at both ends of the bridge. To get across, we’ll have to clear a path first.”

Chen Yi’s gaze swept over the assembled group, making sure his voice carried clearly to each person.

“Yes, boss!” Lu Kai responded first, and the others echoed him in turn.

The engines rumbled to life, and the convoy moved forward swiftly.

On the road toward the bridge, they encountered a few scattered zombies, dispatched without difficulty.

As they drew closer to the bridgehead, the vehicles slowed and halted.

“There are quite a few zombies here,” Hu Sanhan said, standing in front of his vehicle, his brows furrowed.

“Yes, there’s no other way—we’ll have to force our way through,” Chen Yi replied, immediately stepping out and unsheathing his double-edged blade.

Hu Sanhan raised his golden broadsword, the two standing side by side, tension in the air.

“Everyone, stick to the plan!”

“The first group will clear the zombies at the bridgehead. The second group, deal with the vehicles blocking the bridge—make sure the passage stays open.”

At Chen Yi’s command, the team moved quickly, dividing up and springing into action.

The roar of zombies mingled with the crack of gunfire and the flash of blades—the battle was underway.

“Kill!” Chen Yi swung his blade, dropping a zombie in an instant.

The double-edged knife flashed under the eerie crimson glow of the sky, its cold gleam revealing its deadly sharpness.

Beside him, Hu Sanhan’s golden broadsword swept like the wind, each strike decisive and unerring.

Their teamwork was flawless, instilling immense confidence in the others.

“Quick! The front is nearly clear. Get ready to sweep the roadway!” Lu Kai shouted, directing the team. Members darted among the abandoned vehicles on the bridge, rapidly clearing debris and obstacles.

Time ticked by…

At last, after several hours of fierce combat, the bridgehead was cleared. The convoy slowly moved onto the bridge.

At the far end, the team paused to catch their breath.

Ahead lay the island, and it seemed that a better future was within reach.

Just then, a middle-aged man stepped forward, weariness etched across his face. Yet urgency drove him as he spoke up, “Boss Chen, the situation on the island isn’t ideal. It’s on the city’s edge, so there won’t be many zombies, since it’s far from the center.”

“But we have a pressing issue—fresh water!”

Chen Yi wiped sweat from his brow and nodded slightly, “I know, but this is only our forward base.”

“We need a secure foothold to face the challenges the apocalypse will bring.”

“Our true utopia isn’t meant to be here.”

“How do we proceed?” Hu Sanhan asked, stepping closer, curiosity in his voice.

“I’ll share the full plan later. For now, we need to cross the bridge and reach the island ahead.”

“To prevent another zombie horde from attacking us, we must destroy the bridge.”

“That’s the only way to ensure a stronger defense on the island.”

Chen Yi’s proposal was sound.

The team exchanged glances; clearly, this decision was not easy to accept.

Destroying the bridge meant there would be no way back to the mainland. Unless the island had vessels large enough to carry them all, their situation would become precarious.

If survival proved impossible on the island, it would be a dead end.

But at this point, even with doubts, no one voiced opposition.

They all chose to trust Chen Yi.

“If it’s decided, let’s do it,” Hu Sanhan said heartily, giving Chen Yi’s shoulder a friendly slap before turning to shout, “Set up the explosives on the bridge!”

“I remember we got some explosives from those lunatics when we tallied up supplies!”

“Where’s Li Huowang, our quartermaster?”

A lean young man stepped forward.

“Yes, we do have explosives, but it doesn’t seem to be enough.”

“We must calculate the blast points precisely to make sure the bridge is destroyed.”

Li Huowang explained the details.

“It's fine, so long as we break the bridge,” Chen Yi said after a brief moment’s thought.

“Alright, that’ll work. I’ll arrange it immediately.”

The team sprang into action, methodically setting up the explosives.

The sky grew darker, not pitch black but tinged with a blood-red hue, making the scene all the more uncanny.

At last, before night fully fell, the explosives were in place.

Everyone retreated to a safe distance, gazing at the bridge behind them.

“Ready! Detonate!” Chen Yi commanded.

A thunderous explosion erupted.

The central span of the bridge, its steel girders shattered, collapsed with a tremendous crash into the water, sending up towering waves.

Then, the bridge began to shudder violently, and, as if possessed by some strange resonance, the entire structure collapsed.

Perhaps the shockwave had triggered a unique vibration, overwhelming the bridge’s integrity.

Now, Chen Yi and the others stood at the island’s edge, quietly watching the wreckage strewn across the water.

“Boss Chen, the bridge is gone—what’s our next step?” Lu Kai asked.

Chen Yi gazed at the unfamiliar yet promising island and instructed, “From now on, we’ll establish our temporary base here.”

“We’ll survive here for a month. After that, we’ll head to another island, thirty kilometers away.”

“There, we’ll find our true utopia!”

“You may wonder, why wait a month? Time will give you the answer!”

A tidal wave of cheers erupted from the team.

“We trust Boss Chen!”

“Yeah, we trust Boss Chen!”

“With Boss Chen, we can’t go wrong!”

“…”

Soon, seven days passed.

The scattered zombies on the island had all been eliminated.

Everyone had built temporary shelters from wood, and no new dangers had appeared; life seemed peaceful.

Some began to grow curious—what would happen within a month? Why couldn’t they move to the next island sooner?