Zombie Siege: The Road to Survival Begins at School - Chapter 35

“From now on, we move only under orders,” Zhang Wei said as he took the half-eaten bag of chips and grabbed a handful to stuff into his mouth.

Crunch.

Zhang Wei had always loved exploring the unknown.

His first time in the girls’ dorm felt a little novel. Besides the colorful wallpaper and pink bed canopies, the rest looked pretty much the same as the guys’ dorm.

As he rummaged through the room, he actually found a small can of Wangzai milk.

Zhao Zhenxiong and Lu Renjia stared at it longingly, but Zhang Wei ignored them. He tilted his head back and downed it in one gulp, then tossed the empty can out the window.

The sound probably startled some zombies—he could hear the thud of it landing and the howls that followed.

“Let’s go,” he said. “Time to meet up on the rooftop.”

Zhou An and Hu Die were still waiting up there.

“Meowww~”

Just as they were about to open the door to leave the girls’ dorm, a cat’s meow came from next door.

Zhang Wei remembered seeing a cat through the binoculars before. It looked like it was on a balcony on the third floor.

But they were on the fourth floor now.

Was the sound coming from below?

“Meowww…” Zhang Wei meowed back.

“Meowww…” came the reply from downstairs.

“There really is a cat!” Zhao Zhenxiong said, surprised.

Logically, a pet cat shouldn’t have survived this long—unless it could hunt mice and wasn’t trapped inside.

“Let’s try to bring it up. Someone go get a bucket from the bathroom.”

Zhang Wei had someone fetch a bucket while he rummaged through the cabinets again. Finally, he found a jump rope. He’d noticed it earlier, right when he spotted the Wangzai milk, but didn’t think much of it—he definitely wasn’t planning to exercise in this situation.

Still, the rope was over two meters long. Long enough to tie to a bucket and lower it down.

Thus began Zhang Wei’s cat-catching plan.

He grabbed a handful of dog food from his backpack and tossed it into the bucket.

It was compressed beef jerky-style dog food—Zhao Zhenxiong loved snacking on it, so there was no reason a fat cat wouldn’t.

“Meowww…” The cat called again from below when things went quiet.

Hold on, kitty, just get in the bucket already…

Zhang Wei lowered the rope down but realized it was still about a meter short of the balcony floor.

He was just about to ask for a towel or shoelace to extend the length when the white cat suddenly leapt and landed straight into the bucket.

It immediately started gobbling up the dog food.

Guess it was starving.

Zhang Wei gave the rope a tug. Seeing the cat had no intention of jumping out, he quickly pulled the bucket back up.

“Whoa! Why is this cat so fat?” Lu Renjia poked the cat’s back.

“Don’t touch it. You’ll get scratched,” Zhang Wei warned.

“What’s the big deal? It’s not a zombie.”

“Can you be sure there’s no zombie virus in its claws? Even if there isn’t, what about rabies?”

“Come on, it’s probably someone’s pet. I’m sure it’s been vaccinated.”

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, why’d you haul it up here, boss?”

“I’m not sure. The first time I saw it from the rooftop across the way, it climbed into a first-floor window. Then the second time, it was on a third-floor balcony…”

“So what does that mean?”

“Cats can climb trees, sure. But they can’t run up walls. And the outer walls of the girls’ dorm are tiled—no way its claws can grip that.”

“You’re saying…?”

“The door to the third-floor girls’ dorm must be open.”

“What if it’s not?”

“Doesn’t matter. Even if it’s closed, we can use a rope from the fourth floor to get down to the third-floor balcony.”

“That’s doable. But if there’s no food, what’s the point? Wouldn’t it make more sense to head back to the guys’ dorm and search each floor? We’re bound to find something.”

“I’m not looking for food.”

“Then what?”

“Survivors.”

Zhang Wei explained what he and Zhou An heard from the rooftop across the way—a female voice yelling, ‘Water’s free, damn it! You bastards owe me two months’ rent and still haven’t paid!’

“Boss, are you saying… there’s a landlady down there?”

“No, I doubt it. From the sound of it, she’s probably a student. Maybe just a Stephen Chow fan.”

“So you think the cat belongs to her?”

“Not necessarily. Students are busy—probably a stray that got fed and taken in. Or maybe it’s just a mooching cat that got stuck on the third floor.”

“Hey! Anyone down there?” Lu Renjia cupped his hands and whispered toward the lower floor.

No response.

But a few nearby zombies heard the noise and started shambling over.

“What did you say?” Zhou An called down from above. Zhang Wei leaned out over the balcony and saw Zhou An peeking down from the rooftop, his head sticking halfway out.

“Can you and Hu Die come down?”

“No can do. The rooftop’s locked—with a heavy-duty chain, not a U-lock.”

U-locks were easier—you could smash them open with a few good hits. But a chained lock with a micro keyhole? Almost impossible without the key.

“Find a spot to sit tight. We’ll meet up with you in a bit,” Zhang Wei shouted back.

That shout alerted even more zombies, and they started groaning and gathering below.

Zhang Wei glanced at their numbers. Honestly, even if he jumped from the fourth floor, he might not die—the zombie horde made a decent landing pad.

Too bad we don’t have any gasoline. Otherwise, I’d pour it down and roast these bastards.

Not that it would smell any good…

“You full yet, kitty?” Zhang Wei looked at the cat, which was still munching on dog food with messy enthusiasm.

“That’s not a kitten. That’s a full-grown cat,” Lu Renjia said helpfully.

“Yeah?”

“Definitely. Kittens aren’t that big—this one’s at least three years old.”

“Three? Then it’s still young. My grandma used to say cats can live twenty, thirty years if they’re lucky.”

“Sure, sure. Whatever you say, boss.”

“Got any dog food left in your pack? Share a little. I’m almost out.”

“Is that a good idea? What if it eats itself to death?”

“You didn’t die eating it. Why would a cat?”

As they argued, the white cat finally finished its meal and began rubbing against Zhang Wei’s legs.

“So clingy? Come here, let Uncle hold you.”

Zhang Wei didn’t care anymore about whether its claws were infected. He sat on the bed, pulled the cat onto his lap, and let it settle in.

He poured a bit of water into his palm, letting the cat lap it up.

Once it had eaten and drunk its fill, it didn’t want to move. It started grooming its fur right on Zhang Wei’s lap.

Then it curled up into a ball, tucked its head under its body, and dozed off.

“This cat’s got some serious nerves…” Zhang Wei stared in disbelief.