33: Jialejia Supermarket

Jialejia Supermarket exuded an aura of death and decay. The traces of the cleanup seven or eight days ago had long been covered by new death. The air was thick with the stench of blood, putrefaction, and the strange odor emitted by rotting vegetables and meat. Shelves were overturned, merchandise was scattered everywhere, and everything was dirty from being trampled. Large patches of dark brown bloodstains were congealed on the walls, silently recounting the past chaos and bloodshed.

Zhang Lei led a platoon of elite Red Alert Soldiers, stepping once more into this land of death. Their footsteps echoed loudly and clearly inside the vast, silent supermarket. Muzzles swept vigilantly across every dark corner, ready to spit out lethal fire at any moment. The number of zombies roaming inside the supermarket far exceeded expectations; clearly, they had been re-attracted and gathered here by the residual “human presence” or some unknown factor.

Intense gunfire erupted again inside the supermarket. The soldiers cooperated seamlessly, using controlled bursts, sweeping fire, and grenades to clear the area, systematically eliminating the obstacles. Gunsmoke mixed with the stench of zombies, making it suffocating.

Deep inside the supermarket, behind the heavy metal warehouse door, was another world ruled by fear and atrocity.

Inside the Warehouse:

The light was dim, with only a few emergency lamps casting a pale glow. The air was a mix of sweat, the pungent odor of excrement, the acrid smell of cheap perfume, and an indescribable sense of despair. Over a hundred survivors, like lambs waiting to be slaughtered, were crammed between the cold shelves, their eyes empty and expressions numb. They were ragged and emaciated, and many bore scars.

In the center of the warehouse, on a “throne” cobbled together from several empty crates, sat a burly man wearing a greasy work vest—Liu Xu. His chest was exposed, showing thick chest hair and solid muscles, and he was squinting, enjoying the trembling, mechanical massage given by two young cashier girls behind him. A frantic young man in a security uniform scrambled in, his voice choked with tears: “Boss Liu... Liu Xu! This is bad! Outside... there's gunfire again! Those soldiers... they've come back!”

Liu Xu's good mood was abruptly shattered. He suddenly opened his eyes, a trace of violence flashing within them. He rose abruptly, like a furious brown bear, taking two steps to stand before the young man. His large, palmetto-sized hand, carrying the sound of whistling wind, slapped the youth hard across the face!

“Slap!”

With a crisp sound, the youth screamed, spun 180 degrees, saw stars, and blood immediately seeped from the corner of his mouth. His cheek swelled up visibly.

“Wailing like it's a funeral! You ruined my fun!” Liu Xu spat, his ferocious gaze sweeping over the huddled survivors like a searchlight, causing them to collectively flinch. Behind him, over a dozen equally burly, fierce-eyed men immediately gathered, holding fire axes, crowbars, and even sharpened steel pipes, glaring at the crowd like vicious dogs.

Liu Xu pointed at the warehouse door, his voice grating like sandpaper and full of menace: “Listen up, all of you! Those dog-skinned bastards outside are here to steal my territory! Steal my supplies! If anyone dares to make a sound or call for help...” He gave a sinister laugh and made a throat-slitting gesture, “I'll send them to meet the King of Hell! And you lot!” He pointed at the dozen or so thugs, “You've been following me, eating well and drinking well these past few days, and the women in this warehouse are yours to use as you please. You know clearly what wicked things you've done! If those soldiers open this door, the things you've done would warrant a hundred death sentences! Keep your eyes peeled! If anyone dares to move or scream, I'll chop off two of their fingers first!” His gaze, like a viper's, swept over the trembling women and terrified girls.

“Yes, Boss!”

“We obey!”

“Don't worry, Boss, if anyone dares to move, I'll be the first to kill him!”

The dozen or so thugs responded raucously, their faces showing cruelty mixed with a hint of panic at being exposed. They knew their crimes too well—just a few days ago, a young girl who tried to resist was repeatedly violated by them and finally tormented to death amidst desperate cries. The other survivors had long lost the will to resist under Liu Xu's Iron Fist and the thugs' tyranny. The image of Liu Xu effortlessly smashing a resistor's head like a watermelon was a persistent nightmare for them.

Before the apocalypse, Liu Xu was just a supermarket porter. When the zombie outbreak occurred, he was operating a Forklift, moving goods in the warehouse. The terror of watching his co-worker turn into a zombie before his eyes ignited the savagery deep within him. He drove the Forklift, crushing the zombie into a pulp, then mustered the courage to use a fire axe to sever its head, unexpectedly finding a cloudy crystal. Since he usually read apocalypse novels on the Fenqie APP, he immediately knew what it was. He swallowed it without hesitation! A savage power instantly surged through his body, his muscles bulging, and his strength increased threefold! He became a strength-enhanced Evolver!

The power brought him not responsibility, but inflated ambition and bestial desire. He quickly took control of the warehouse, captured several attractive cashiers, and began living like a local tyrant. The last time Jiang Xin led a team to clear the supermarket, he was so terrified he hid behind the shelves, trembling and barely breathing. Once the military left, he intensified his actions, gathering more survivors (captured ones), and established a bloody and brutal rule in the warehouse, relying on absolute strength and the thugs he recruited.

Outside the Warehouse

Zhang Lei stood before the heavy metal warehouse door, his brow slightly furrowed. His keen perception could detect the suppressed breathing and heartbeats behind the door—a considerable number. There were people inside, and the atmosphere was wrong.

He looked toward the three-star veteran Chen Xiao beside him, signaling with his eyes.

Chen Xiao understood and stepped forward, shouting loudly and seriously toward the door crack: “Listen up, people inside! We are the Yongjiang County Rescue Team! The outside is now safe, and we have established a secure Survivor Base in Yongjiang Ancient City! We offer food and shelter! Open the warehouse door immediately and transfer with the troops!”

Inside the warehouse, Liu Xu roared, repeating his threat: “Shut your damn mouths! Whoever speaks dies!”

Zhang Lei waited for a moment, but the heavy iron door didn't budge, and silence reigned inside. A cold arc curved on his lips, his eyes sharp as knives. A well-stocked supermarket warehouse was not something they would abandon.

“People inside, if you don't come out, I'm breaching the door!” Zhang Lei's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chill that seemed to penetrate the metal.

Still no response.

“Heh.” Zhang Lei chuckled softly, extending his right hand flat, palm facing up. Blazing flames emerged from thin air, intensely rotating, compressing, and solidifying! A lifelike, five-meter-long Flame Dragon, radiating terrifying high temperatures, leaped into form in his palm! The scorching heat wave caused the surrounding soldiers to instinctively step back half a pace.

“Blazing Dragon Break!” Zhang Lei whispered, his voice carrying a hint of youthful passion, and he violently swung his arm forward!

“Roar—!”

The Flame Dragon, carrying an immense momentum, roared and slammed violently into the heavy metal warehouse door!

“Boom—!!!”

A deafening explosion rang out! The metal door, which could withstand ordinary impacts, twisted, melted, and finally collapsed inward like paper under the impact of the fire Superpower, which was comparable to a grizzly tank's main cannon! Scorching airflow, carrying smoke, dust, and metal fragments, instantly surged into the dim warehouse!

Inside the Warehouse:

Blinding light, a massive sound, and a heatwave struck them! The survivors were scared out of their wits, letting out terrified screams and desperately curling up into the corners. Liu Xu and his dozen thugs were also stunned by this earth-shattering method of breaching the door, their faces filled with unbelievable terror.