After parting ways with the six students, Qin Shilei and Zhang Xiaoli continued towards the laboratory.
Because the zombie outbreak occurred during lunchtime, there weren't many zombies in the teaching building area. The scattered few were also easily dealt with by the two.
"The building up ahead is the experimental building. The generator is in the innermost part of the first floor," Zhang Xiaoli said, pointing to a five-story building to the east.
Just then, a young man walked out of a classroom to their right. Upon seeing Qin Shilei, he instantly raised his saber defensively, his eyes darting left and right as if searching for an escape route.
"Senior Zhong, what a coincidence!" Zhang Xiaoli waved and greeted him.
"Is that your classmate?" Qin Shilei turned to ask.
"We met by chance. He's skilled in Taekwondo, very good at fighting," Zhang Xiaoli replied, blushing. In fact, Zhong Renhe had pursued her before, and she had almost agreed, but she later found him to be a bit of a playboy, and the matter ended there.
Seeing that Qin Shilei didn't seem to recognize him, Zhong Renhe lowered his saber and asked with a smile, "Xiaoli, is the person next to you your boyfriend?"
"Qin Shilei, my benefactor."
"Zhong Renhe." Zhang Xiaoli introduced them to each other.
"Hello," Qin Shilei greeted him casually.
"Hello, aren't you the one who killed the giant zombie?" Zhong Renhe asked, pretending to recognize Qin Shilei.
"Just a stroke of luck," Qin Shilei replied humbly.
"Where are you two heading?" Zhong Renhe slowly approached them.
"We're going to look for the generator." Zhang Xiaoli hesitated, then, seeing no reaction from Qin Shilei, honestly revealed their destination.
"What a coincidence! My teammate's drone is also out of battery, and we were just about to look for a generator. Why don't we go together? We can look out for each other," Zhong Renhe said casually, as if it were a mere happenstance, and proposed they team up.
Zhang Xiaoli turned to Qin Shilei, looking to him for a decision. Qin Shilei frowned slightly, then nodded. "Alright, let's go then." Although he suspected the coincidence, there was only one path to the experimental building, and it was difficult to ask the other person to detour.
Seeing Qin Shilei agree, Zhong Renhe smiled and moved closer to Zhang Xiaoli, showing concern and asking about her well-being, as if he were back in the days when he was pursuing her.
"So, he just wanted to pursue Zhang Xiaoli." Qin Shilei felt he understood the man's intentions and paid him no further attention. Only then did Zhong Renhe's tense nerves finally relax. He had left Liu Yuanliang's group that morning due to a dispute over spoils. Thinking there was a convenience store in the teaching building area, he had come over alone. He had also seen the video of Qin Shilei taking down over ten people in five seconds. Not only could the man kill giant zombies, but he was also ruthless with his own kind. Zhong Renhe truly feared that such a fierce individual might strike him down at any moment. For now, it seemed the man didn't know he had been part of Liu Yuanliang's group.
The three soon entered the experimental building. A long corridor lined with various laboratories stretched before them. Due to poor lighting and no power, the corridor was quite dim.
"Don't you think it's too quiet here?" Zhang Xiaoli said, looking around uneasily.
"It was just after class, so it's normal for there to be few people here," Zhong Renhe explained.
"Everyone be careful," Qin Shilei said, tightening his grip on the Seven Star Sword.
Occasionally, they spotted dried bloodstains in the corridor, but no bodies. The doors of the laboratories on both sides were all closed, and they didn't know if there were zombies inside.
"Creak!"
In the silent environment, a door suddenly opened behind them.
"Who's there?" Zhong Renhe immediately turned and shouted.
Qin Shilei also turned and approached the door on the right.
*Knock, knock!*
Standing by the side of the door, he reached out and knocked. There was no response. With a casual push, the door swung inward. He glanced inside; it was a biology laboratory, with some equipment but no zombies or humans in sight.
"Let's not worry about it. We need to get to the generator room quickly, grab the generator, and leave," Qin Shilei said, closing the door and continuing forward.
"Let's walk faster. It's so quiet here, I feel a chill," Zhang Xiaoli urged them to quicken their pace.
They soon arrived in front of the generator room at the end of the corridor.
"Do you hear a rustling sound?" Qin Shilei suddenly asked.
"Ah! Rats!" Zhang Xiaoli jumped onto Qin Shilei, screaming in panic.
Qin Shilei turned to see twenty to thirty white mice scurrying out from behind him.
"These are probably lab mice. Don't be afraid," Qin Shilei patted Zhang Xiaoli, hoping she would get down.
"I'm scared of any mouse," Zhang Xiaoli clung tightly to Qin Shilei, refusing to get down.
"No, could these white mice be zombie mice? Look at the wounds on their bodies, there's no blood coming out," Zhong Renhe pointed out, referring to the injuries on the mice.
"Whether they're live white mice or zombie mice, can they stop my Seven Star Sword?" Qin Shilei prepared to step forward and kill all the mice. However, Zhang Xiaoli clinging to him was a bit of a hindrance.
"Bang!"
At that moment, the main door of the experimental building was pushed open from the outside. A large group of zombies then rushed in.
"Let's get into the generator room first." Qin Shilei turned to open the door and hide inside. He twisted the handle, but it wouldn't budge.
At this point, the zombie mice were already ten meters away, and the zombies were not far behind them.
"Zhang Xiaoli, get down. I'll kick the door open." Qin Shilei said sternly, his face grim.
"I'm not scared, they're just zombies, just zombies." Zhang Xiaoli, her voice trembling, chanted, and released her grip, stepping down from Qin Shilei.
*Thump, thump, thump.* After three forceful kicks, the solid iron door finally gave way. Zhong Renhe rushed into the generator room first. Qin Shilei turned, pulled Zhang Xiaoli, who was still gathering her courage to face the mice, and with a flash, also dashed into the generator room.
"Why are there so many zombies suddenly appearing?" Zhong Renhe asked, still shaken. Before they entered, zombies were still pouring in from outside the main door. There were at least a hundred zombies, and who knew how many more were outside.
"These zombies are so strange. It's like they were waiting for us to enter here before appearing. Could they also be strategizing?" Zhang Xiaoli finally recovered from her fear of the mice and said, also surprised.
"Quick, find something to barricade the door!" Qin Shilei yelled at Zhong Renhe. What a clueless guy, the lock was kicked off, and you wouldn't even find something to brace the door. Qin Shilei turned to look and was stunned. The generator room was about twenty to thirty square meters, with nothing but a machine the size of a minivan. Where was the promised generator?