Zombie Siege: The Road to Survival Begins at School - Chapter 21
Zhang Wei decided to make a move at night—to track down the hidden Xu Long.
But he didn’t know which dorm room Xu Long was hiding in.
Nor did he know how many people the other side had. With just the three of them, blindly searching would be risky.
Even if one pair of fists could take on four hands, a fight would inevitably draw the zombies.
The safest option would be to wait until the seven-day mark, then search and eliminate room by room.
But Zhang Wei wasn’t the kind of person who liked sitting around and waiting. He had survived far more dangerous situations in his past life.
After dark, while Zhang Wei was still pondering strategies, a knock suddenly came at the door next door.
“Who would be knocking this late?” Zhang Wei tightened his grip on the watermelon knife in his hand and quickly blew out the recently lit candle.
Not many people knew he was staying in dorm 511. Counting the dead, he could count them on one hand.
Worried that Xu Long might have captured the two girls and returned, Zhang Wei signaled the others to keep quiet.
A few seconds passed, and the knocking came again—thump thump thump.
No, this wasn’t Xu Long. That guy would never knock so politely.
Zhang Wei opened the door cautiously—and the person outside flinched in surprise.
He was carrying a huge bundle. Zhang Wei squinted—turns out it was Zhao Zhenxiong.
As soon as he saw Zhang Wei, Zhao got excited.
“Didn’t you say you were staying in 511? I’ve been knocking forever—no one answered. Did I get the wrong room? Where are the girls? Let me see them!”
Zhang Wei yanked him inside and motioned for him to lower his voice.
Zhao caught on quickly—it was about not attracting zombies—so he whispered, “I’ve been thinking, it’s better to stay with you guys. Living alone is too depressing. I brought my bedding and everything. I’m kind of picky about where I sleep, but all the school’s wooden beds are basically the same. Really, I just need my own blanket… I’ll protect the girls in your dorm!”
Only then did Zhang Wei see in the dim light that Zhao was hugging a summer quilt to his chest, with a rolled-up bamboo mat tucked under one arm, and a large backpack slung over his shoulders.
He had moved in completely!
Zhang Wei finally let go of his earlier suspicions about Zhao Zhenxiong. Previously, he had suspected Zhao of distracting them with a supply run to the sixth floor while Xu Long looted their dorm.
But now, that doubt was gone. Zhao’s words couldn’t have been faked.
Having one more person increased their odds of success.
And that meant his plan was now even closer to perfection.
Zhang Wei briefed Zhao on what had happened earlier in the day.
“What? Xu Long looted you? And the two girls are missing?” Zhao felt like he had come for nothing.
“So, what’s your plan?” Zhao asked, lighting a cigarette.
“You still have cigarettes?” Zhang Wei blinked in surprise—he had seen Zhao picking up used cigarette butts from the ground just the other day.
“I made them myself,” Zhao replied, handing one to Zhang Wei.
Zhang Wei didn’t smoke, but his curiosity got the better of him, so he accepted it.
“I used printer paper and rolled up toilet paper inside—works in a pinch. I even gave them a brand name: ‘Toi-Lux’ cigarettes,” Zhao said proudly, like he’d just invented the fifth greatest thing since sliced bread.
“I was outraged you didn’t get a Nobel Prize in chemistry,” Zhang Wei joked, handing the cigarette back.
But Zhao’s eyes were soon drawn to the half-pack of betel nuts on Lu Renjia’s bed.
Zhang Wei had given them all to Lu earlier.
“Cigs and betel nut—ultimate combo!” Zhao said, fired up.
“We might have a fight coming. How many guys can you take on?” Zhang Wei asked casually.
“Two… maybe,” Zhao replied uncertainly.
He already understood what Zhang Wei intended to do. Zhang Wei wasn’t really doing it to rescue the girls—if they hadn’t been harmed, they’d be safe wherever they were.
This was about authority. Xu Long had crossed a line, and Zhang Wei had to make a statement.
Still, Zhao had no doubt about where he stood—he’d be following Zhang Wei, no question. It was pure instinct. He knew that sticking with Zhang Wei gave him the best chance of survival.
“Alright, here’s the plan,” Zhang Wei said. “It’s a little crazy—I’m calling it: Luring the Snake from the Cave…”
He gathered the four of them together and explained the details in hushed tones.
Just after midnight, the four of them left the room, one by one. One went to the second floor, one to the third, one to the fourth.
Zhang Wei headed down to the first floor, where he slid the metal gate shut across the entrance and carefully locked it.
He moved with precision, making barely a sound.
Now the dorm building was a prison—everything inside was under control.
Zombies couldn’t come in, and no one could go out.
“It’s time,” Zhang Wei muttered, pulling out a phone he had found earlier in the dorm manager’s room at the stairwell corner on the third floor.
The battery indicator in the top right corner was red—just 16% remaining.
“Let’s use this phone for all it’s worth.”
The phone couldn’t make calls. With the power out, there was nowhere to charge it. In his hands, it was barely more useful than a brick.
He took a condom from a box of Durex he’d found in the dorm, wrapped the phone in it, and turned the volume all the way up.
Then, he hit play on the music app and threw the phone flat through the gap in the gate.
It landed neatly on a grassy patch twenty meters away.
♪ “Burn my calories…” ♪
A loud ringtone suddenly blared.
Say what you will, but the dorm manager’s knockoff smartphone might not have been top-of-the-line, but the speaker volume was insanely good—cheap manufacturers really knew how to amp it up.
In the dead silence of the night, the song could be heard clearly within a hundred meters.
Within seconds, every zombie nearby was running toward the sound. As they moved, they attracted even more zombies, and in no time, a massive horde had gathered in front of the dorm building.
Zhang Wei kept a close eye on every room door on the first floor. The moonlight was faint, enough to see outlines but not details—but that was all Zhang Wei needed.
If someone opened a door—even without making noise—he’d notice.
That ringtone was almost irresistibly tempting for anyone still alive inside—Zhang Wei knew if he heard that sound in the middle of the night, even he wouldn’t be able to resist taking a peek.
Zhang Wei watched the first floor.
Zhou An watched the second.
Zhao Zhenxiong watched the third.
Lu Renjia watched the fourth.
If there was no movement on any of those floors, Zhang Wei would focus his attention on the fifth floor.
But actually, he had already ruled out the fifth floor from the start.
One minute…
Two minutes…
Three minutes…
Nothing.
Zhang Wei carefully withdrew—he couldn’t stay at the gate too long. With the phone blasting music at max volume, that 16% battery wouldn’t last long.
He met up with Zhou An on the second floor.
Zhou An shook his head.
They moved to the third floor and met with Zhao Zhenxiong.
Zhao also shook his head.
Then the three went to the fourth floor to meet Lu Renjia.
Lu nodded.
“Which room?” Zhang Wei asked quietly.
“Room 410.”
“Oh? So it’s the room directly below Xu Long’s…” Zhang Wei muttered.
That was a little unexpected.