Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Lu Rui’s Plot
"This..."
"Crash~" A loud noise interrupted Tang Xiaoquan just as he was about to offer an explanation.
Everyone exchanged glances, then collectively turned their eyes toward the direction of the alleyway, as the sound had come from there.
"Lu Rui! It’s that bastard Lu Rui! Hey, stop!" shouted Wenquan Xin, the closest to the alley entrance, as he leaned over to take a look.
No more words were necessary. As soon as he heard the name "Lu Rui," Hu Xiaodong’s strong legs immediately started running and in an instant, he reached the edge of the hallway.
Blocked by high walls on both sides, the alleyway was dim, but even so, Lu Rui’s short, cowering figure was clearly visible.
As the saying goes, enemies meeting face to face are particularly vexed. Hu Xiaodong initially wanted to wait until they regrouped to give the other a chance to explain, but now...
It seemed unnecessary.
Raise the bow, notch an arrow, draw the string—his movements were seamless, and with the flames of vengeance burning in his heart, Hu Xiaodong’s preparation to hunt was as fast as lightning.
However, he was fast, but Lu Rui was faster. Having long been prepared, Lu Rui dashed away on his short legs after completing his task, racing out of the alley.
Lu Rui frequently got into fights and was often chased by enemies, so when it came to escaping, he was indeed quite skilled.
At least, when Hu Xiaodong aimed his bow at him, all that was left was a fleeting Black Shadow at the edge of the alley.
Hu Xiaodong’s face was expressionless, but the fierce redness in his black eyes revealed his current anger.
He relocated, and once settled, Hu Xiaodong raised his compound bow again.
The bow moved swiftly from west to east, and it wasn’t long before the Black Shadow that had disappeared reappeared in the aluminum alloy sights.
The crosshairs were tightly locked onto the Black Shadow’s form, and Hu Xiaodong’s stern demeanor made him look like a statue.
However, it seemed Lu Rui anticipated being hunted by a bow, so he consistently crouched and darted behind obstacles on the street, making it impossible for Hu Xiaodong to find a suitable opportunity to release the string.
As time passed, the distance between the arrow and the target gradually increased. Although Hu Xiaodong was tempted several times to take a risky shot, he ultimately abandoned the idea due to the odds.
He punched the wall’s railing heavily, causing strands of blood to seep out.
The effective range of his bow under current parameters was 400 meters, but Lu Rui had obviously exceeded that limit.
So...
"Bro Hu! What are you doing? Why didn’t you shoot that bastard?" Wenquan Xin was both puzzled and anxious upon seeing Hu Xiaodong lower his compound bow.
Meanwhile, Wu Chao picked up broken bottles and cans at his feet and hurled them in Lu Rui’s fleeing direction, cursing as he threw: "Damn bastard! You wouldn’t even spare the elderly and children! How could you..."
Frowning deeply, Tang Xiaoquan hadn’t anticipated the situation would evolve like this.
He understood the anger and desire for revenge his companions felt after losing loved ones, but if it meant putting others in danger...
"Hey, Wu Chao, stop it! Quit throwing!" Stepping forward, Tang Xiaoquan forcibly hugged Wu Chao, trying to pull him away from the rooftop edge.
But Wu Chao was immensely strong, and with his rage at its peak, Tang Xiaoquan could barely restrain his arms.
"What are you doing?! Let go of me!"
"Qiangzi! Help us out!"
With voices clashing, the rooftop erupted in chaos, and the previously settled zombies on the rooftop began pounding fiercely on the locked door again.
Yet, it was thanks to those beasts’ pounding that Hu Xiaodong and his group slightly regained their calm amidst their hatred.
"Alright, Wu Chao, stop doing meaningless things! He’s already gone!"
"But Bro Hu, are we just going to let that son of a bitch go... Ai!" Frustrated, Wu Chao slapped his hip, his unwillingness evident.
Seeing this, Tang Xiaoquan sighed helplessly and advised, "Xiao Wu, calm down. As the saying goes, as long as the green hills are there, there’s no worry about firewood. We will definitely avenge Tiger and Uncle Lin, but first, we need to survive, and just now..."
"Hey," before Tang Xiaoquan could finish, Wang Qiang’s trembling voice interrupted: "Guys, you should probably come look, I think we’re in big trouble this time!"
In their eyes, a few zombies were swaying as they approached the rooftop. Although their numbers weren’t many, it was only a matter of time before hordes of the undead were attracted by the constant noise from behind the iron door on the rooftop.
Watching the undead silhouettes inch closer along the street, Wu Chao finally cooled down completely.
"We should get out of here!" His instincts made him speak out, but Archeng’s next words immediately extinguished Wu Chao’s hopeful thought: "The, the wooden ladder was knocked over by that guy just now, how are we, we’re supposed to get down now!"
As if a hammer struck their heads, Archeng’s stuttered words reminded everyone why Lu Rui had sneaked into the alley—to knock over their wooden ladder, cutting off their escape route.
"What a ruthless guy!" Tang Xiaoquan was shocked, having initially believed Lu Rui would follow the pre-planned emergency measures and leave escape guides to reunite with the main group.
However...
It seems I was too naive. As Tang Xiaoquan looked up, he met Wang Qiang’s hopeful eyes.
The latter’s reaction was subconscious, for even he didn’t understand why he instinctively thought of his brother when faced with perilous situations.
But Tang Xiaoquan wasn’t a superhero; he was just a young man in his early twenties. Though his thought process might be more thorough than others, he still couldn’t figure out any method to help the group escape from such a high vertical distance.
The air seemed to freeze at that moment, with everyone looking at each other in silence.
Sweat poured like water sprays, and the shadow of death loomed over everyone’s hearts.
Until a low voice broke the silence...