Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Room Inspection on the Ground Floor (Part 2)
That’s right, the continuous deadly battles not only left the survivors exhausted but also led to their life-saving weapons falling into "enemy hands."
Regarding this issue, Tang Xiaoquan naturally had a plan. He replied unhurriedly, "You don’t need to worry about this, Brother Hu. I’ve already conducted a careful inventory. The kitchen in this room has a complete set of knives, which should be sufficient to handle zombies. However, I personally recommend making some ’Long Spears’, so in combat, we can cover both long and short range, increasing our safety."
Nodding affirmatively, Hu Wuwen and the others had all witnessed King Tang use the "Long Spear." Though it wasn’t as sharp as a blade in terms of lethality, its long reach often allowed the user to strike zombies in the head before they got too close.
After having their fill of water, everyone took a brief rest and then began preparing the things needed for the upcoming action.
As usual, Wang Qiang skillfully sharpened the wooden mop handles to a point. With his previous two attempts, crafting "Long Spears" now came as easily to him as taking a fish in water.
This time, however, he didn’t sharpen the tips as overly sharp as before; instead, he deliberately extended the spiral grooves’ length.
Through several real combats, Wang Qiang realized that bludgeoning weapons often proved more reliable than sharp ones when dealing with zombies.
Of course, to ensure the spear tip could still pierce zombie skulls effectively, he followed the design of a "Fish Spear," hammering in a few five-centimeter-long iron nails at the spiral’s tip.
As a result, this upgraded version of the Long Spear not only retained the sharpness of previous spearheads but also became incredibly rugged.
Hu Xiaodong quietly sat in a corner, sharpening the cleaver in his hand. Since his was lost during the escape earlier, he now had to use Wen Quanxin’s.
For nearly half an hour, the survivors’ preparations were finally completed.
After solving his "personal problems" one last time, Tang Xiaoquan dragged his weary steps to the front of everyone.
"Xiao Tang, maybe you should sit this one out. You stayed up all night, you should rest!" Hu Xiaodong noticed the youth’s exhaustion and, for safety’s sake, felt it would be better for him to stay indoors.
"Yeah! Quan Zi, look at yourself. Just go lie on the sofa! Downstairs, Brother Hu and I are more than enough!"
Tang Xiaoquan certainly trusted the capabilities of Wang and Hu, but his purpose in accompanying them was not solely to explore and search for resources.
No matter how abundant the supplies in this small building might be, they would eventually run out.
So, he had to prepare in advance for their departure.
And this time going down, he wanted to see the layout of the ground floor for future planning.
With a lighthearted smile, Tang Xiaoquan feigned indifference, vigorously slapping his cheeks twice and shouting, "Hey! Hey! Wow! Okay, all good now! Probably just a bit drowsy after eating, but I’m fine now. Don’t worry about me, let’s go!"
To prevent further entanglement, as soon as Tang Xiaoquan finished speaking, he picked up the cleaver and backpack from the table and headed outside.
Seeing his determination, Hu Xiaodong could only shake his head helplessly, then signaled Wu Cao and Wang to quickly follow, stepping out of the house together.
The building only had two floors, so Hu, Tang, and the others quickly arrived at the corner of the first floor.
According to the plan, Wu Chao would stand guard here to respond to any incidents that might occur.
Thus, with no verbal communication needed, Wu Chao stood firm, gripping a golf club and watching vigilantly as the other three moved forward.
Upon reaching the ground floor, Hu Xiaodong quickly glanced outside through the window. Confirming there was no movement beyond the iron door, he immediately signaled to Wang Qiang with a look.
The latter understood instantly, stepping silently to the left side of the target location and placing his hand on the doorknob.
Both extending their right fingers, Wang Qiang and Tang Xiaoquan simultaneously pointed one finger.
Meanwhile, Hu Xiaodong had drawn the bowstring of the Compound Bow, aiming its sight at the center of the door.
"Two!" Two fingers were raised simultaneously once more.
Hu Xiaodong’s bulging arm muscles flexed even more, ready to release at the "three" count, ensuring anything in front of the door would be shot dead.
"Three!" With the gesture, Wang Qiang’s hand yanked the knob decisively, and the once slightly ajar door swung open.
Hu Xiaodong could feel a gust of wind blown towards him, and if it had been anyone else, they might have instinctively turned away.
But he, a professional with years of archery training, didn’t even blink.
"Clear!" he muttered as his figure slipped into the room.
Wasting no time, Tang Xiaoquan quickly followed Wang Qiang inside.
With Hu Xiaodong in the middle, the three advanced slowly in single file.
This room’s layout was essentially identical to upstairs, except for the excessive number of cardboard boxes cluttered everywhere, enough to make anyone break into a sweat.
Frankly, calling this a living space felt less accurate than labeling it a warehouse.
Using the spear to lift a box lid, Wang Qiang immediately smelled the distinctive aroma of tobacco.
Peering inside, sure enough, rows of finely packaged cigarettes met his eyes.
"Panda," "Yuxi," "Pride," "Liqun," along with some foreign brands Wang Qiang had never even seen. Yet recalling Hu Xiaodong’s remark of "fake cigarettes" the night before, his initial excitement quickly deflated.
Tang Xiaoquan also checked a few boxes, only to find, like Wang Qiang, they mainly contained famous tobacco and liquor.
A far cry from the abundance of food supplies they had hoped for, leaving the survivors feeling somewhat disappointed.
His back suddenly tapped from behind, Wang Qiang warily raised his spear to his chest, but before he could do anything, Hu Xiaodong’s low voice reached his ears: "Look ahead!"
Tang Xiaoquan’s curiosity was piqued by the actions of the two before him. Their eyes focused on something at the end of the stacked boxes—a large plaque with gold lettering, "Close the door after entering."
Clearly, no one would remind themselves of such things at home unless...
Remembering his earlier hypothesis, a bit of excitement crept into Tang Xiaoquan’s heart, but only momentarily, for his eyes suddenly widened...