Chapter 41

It was the season when winter transitioned into spring.

Just past six-thirty, the sky had already gone completely dark.

The streets, once bustling with cars and people, now stood empty without a single vehicle or soul in sight.

Only two rows of streetlights remained standing, steadfast in their duty, flickering on and off to light the way ahead.

Click—

At the street corner, headlights flared to life, sweeping across the road as they approached from afar.

Whoosh—

A sudden night breeze stirred, sending a red plastic bag lying smack in the middle of the road tumbling into the air.

Scrape—

The pitch-black heavy-duty pickup truck swerved right, deftly dodging the oncoming bag.

The bag grazed past the side of the vehicle, leaving a faint red streak behind.

It turned out the plastic bag was stained red with blood.

Lin Zao let out a long breath and straightened the steering wheel, continuing forward.

He knew the way to the auto factory; he’d gone there many times with Fu Cheng.

It had just been too long since he’d driven, so he wasn’t quite steady yet.

When they’d left home, he’d nearly crashed into Grandpa Zhang’s place.

A moment ago, he’d meant to turn on the headlights but had flipped the wipers instead.

Things were going much better now.

The truck was steady, the road straight and empty as far as the eye could see.

Lin Zao relaxed and pressed down on the accelerator.

If only the roads had been like this when he’d practiced for his road test.

Time to make a right turn now.

Lin Zao held back from honking and simply turned the wheel.

Honking would attract zombies—or any survivors lurking nearby.

Better to stay cautious.

While keeping a firm grip on the steering wheel with his left hand, Lin Zao tugged his right hand back. “Fu Cheng, come here.”

Fu Cheng sat in the passenger seat. Hearing Lin Zao call him, he extended his left hand toward him.

Here.

There was no helping it—their hands were cuffed together.

When Lin Zao’s right hand moved, Fu Cheng’s left had to follow.

Fu Cheng stretched out his arm and leaned back against the seat, gazing at Lin Zao’s focused profile with a smile in his eyes.

This was nice.

Little Zao driving him out for a spin.

His mind rarely held memories like this.

The next second, Lin Zao freed up his hand and smacked Fu Cheng’s.

“No laughing.”

“Roar—”

Fu Cheng responded with a grunt, forcing his mouth into a straight line, though his eyes stayed fixed intently on Lin Zao.

Just then, Lin Xiaobao called out from the back seat. “Dad, Big Daddy.”

Fu Cheng turned to look at him.

Lin Zao glanced up too, checking him through the rearview mirror.

“Hmm—”

“Little Bao, what’s up?”

Lin Xiaobao held half a rice ball in both hands, his little face scrunched up. “I can’t finish it.”

Lin Zao asked gently, “Are you full? Or do you not like it? Or is it too dry?”

“Um…” Lin Xiaobao paused, then whispered, “Dad’s driving is all bumpy, like a TV with bad reception. I can’t eat like this.”

“I see…” Lin Zao gave a dry chuckle. “Put it in the bag for now. Once we get there and I park the truck, you can take it out and eat.”

“Okay.”

Lin Zao reminded him, “Stay put in the truck, and don’t look out the windows.”

“Got it.” Lin Xiaobao stowed the rice ball beside him.

He wouldn’t look outside the windows.

He’d look inside the truck—at Dad and Big Daddy!

Lin Xiaobao watched them, blinking his eyes. “Dad, Big Daddy, what’s that on your hands?”

“This?” Lin Zao raised his right hand and shook it lightly.

“Yeah.” Lin Xiaobao tilted his head, full of curiosity.

“It’s a bracelet.”

Lin Zao said it with a straight face, leaving Fu Cheng unable to argue.

“But why does the bracelet have a chain?”

“This is…” Lin Zao thought for a moment. “It’s the red string between Dad and Big Daddy.”

“Red string?”

“That’s right.” Lin Zao explained solemnly. “Didn’t Dad tell you the story of Yue Lao before? People who truly love each other are connected by a red string.”

Fu Cheng glanced at Lin Zao, clearly pleased with the answer.

“But this isn’t a string—it’s made of iron.”

“That means Dad and Big Daddy’s love is stronger than steel.”

“But it’s black, not red.”

“That means Big Daddy has a heart as black as night.”

Fu Cheng paused, his gaze darkening as he looked at Lin Zao.

“But…”

“Anyway, it’s proof of how close Dad and Big Daddy are. Big Daddy can’t talk right now, and Dad has to focus on driving.”

“Mm.”

Lin Xiaobao nodded and covered his mouth, holding back any more “buts.”

Lin Zao drove on, glancing out the window now and then.

These streetlights were all solar-powered.

They had built-in panels that generated light from sunlight during the day.

A few flickered erratically, probably damaged from lack of maintenance.

Others had gone completely dark, their poles pried open with wires spilling out.

Someone must have eyed the solar panels and tried to steal them.

No one had succeeded, though—the wires and panels lay in a tangled, ruined mess.

Lin Zao made a mental note. If they got the chance, and if Fu Cheng still remembered any electrical work, he could send him to fix them.

Their small city nestled against rugged mountains.

A reservoir up in the mountains generated power and supplied water.

Under normal circumstances, as long as the reservoir held up, electricity and water shouldn’t be issues.

But Lin Zao figured even the reservoir would eventually fall into disrepair, just like these streetlights.

Power and water outages were inevitable, so…

Lost in thought, the little family of three arrived at the auto factory gates.

The two iron doors had long been battered open, hanging crookedly from the frame.

The wind made them creak and groan.

The Tri-Colored Trio had visited a few times but deliberately left them alone.

It created the illusion that the place had already been looted, discouraging others from entering.

Lin Zao floored the accelerator and drove straight in.

Following the map The Tri-Colored Trio had drawn.

Straight down the main road.

At the third fork, turn right onto the side path.

The auto factory cafeteria sat up on a rise.

Workers usually took stairs to reach it for meals.

But a cafeteria needed regular deliveries of rice, oil, and supplies—cooks wouldn’t haul those up and down stairs repeatedly.

So this back road was for supply trucks.

Unless you worked there, you might not even know about it.

Drive along the path until a two-story building and a row of sheds came into view—that was the spot.

The Tri-Colored Trio had surely cleared the sheds, so Lin Zao had no plans to check them.

He gunned the engine and barreled the truck right into the cafeteria backyard.

If not for the three steps at the back door, Lin Zao might have driven straight into the dining area.

He parked as close as possible to the cafeteria, blocking the door, then shifted into gear and pulled the parking brake.

Done.

Lin Zao unbuckled his seatbelt while instructing, “Little Bao, Dad and Big Daddy are going inside to look for stuff. You stay in the truck—I’ll lock the doors and check on you soon. Don’t be scared, and don’t move around, okay?”

“Got it.” Lin Xiaobao nodded.

Dad had told him this many times already.

“You can eat the rest of your rice ball too.”

“Okay.” Lin Xiaobao thought for a second, then asked, “Dad, can I take off one layer of clothes? It’s hot in here.”

“Sure.”

Lin Zao leaned back from the driver’s seat, helped him shrug off his jacket, and set it aside. He pulled out the big keychain from home, stuffed it under Little Bao’s seat, and kept only the truck and handcuff keys for himself.

“Dad and Big Daddy are heading out.”

Lin Zao cupped Lin Xiaobao’s face and planted a kiss on his forehead.

“Who’s the smartest, most obedient Little Bao Bao in the family?”

“Me!”

“Good boy.”

Lin Zao turned to get out.

The next instant, the handcuff yanked him back.

He looked over to see Fu Cheng still buckled in, sitting in the passenger seat and staring at him expectantly.

Fu Cheng ducked his head and fumbled with the seatbelt button using his clumsy fingers, but it wouldn’t release for some reason.

Little Zao, sorry—he hadn’t meant to.

Lin Zao puffed out his cheeks, climbed back in, and lunged forward to sprawl over Fu Cheng, unfastening the belt for him.

The two of them got out through the passenger door.

Lin Zao locked it and cracked all four windows just a sliver.

Fresh air could get in, but no zombie or human fingers could.

Perfect for the current weather.

Through the window, Lin Xiaobao waved at them. “Bye, Dad! Bye, Big Daddy!”

“See you soon.”

Lin Zao waved back, then led the way with a flashlight in one hand and Fu Cheng’s hand in the other, up the steps.

The cafeteria back door’s lock had been violently broken too.

But the door stood ajar.

When The Tri-Colored Trio had handed things off, they’d told him they’d closed it and wedged a strand of thread in the gap.

If the thread was still there, no one had entered since they’d left—meaning it was relatively safe inside.

They’d picked up the trick from TV shows online.

Lin Zao shone the flashlight up and down and spotted the black thread intact.

He relaxed a bit and reached to push the door open, but Fu Cheng stepped forward, blocking him.

I’ll go first.

Lin Zao gazed at his tall back and suddenly felt much safer.

Now Fu Cheng led Lin Zao as they entered.

The cafeteria wasn’t large. The back door opened straight into the kitchen.

Plastic bags and crates littered the floor—likely old veggie containers.

Their contents had been trampled long ago, so Lin Zao didn’t linger and pressed on.

The night was pitch-black with no moonlight.

He didn’t dare turn on the lights, but the flashlight sufficed—and Fu Cheng’s eyes glowed.

With Fu Cheng guiding him, they moved steadily.

Lin Zao swept the flashlight around as they went.

Sink over here, cutting board there, and…

There!

Lin Zao’s eyes lit up. He tugged Fu Cheng over.

In a hushed whisper, he said, “Brother Cheng, quick—over here.”

He pulled Fu Cheng to the stove where the cooks fried dishes.

The stove hadn’t been used in ages, covered in a thick layer of dust.

Lin Zao didn’t care. He crouched and patted the metal box beneath it.

This had to be where they stored fuel for cooking!

The cafeteria kept gas canisters locked up tight inside.

Lin Zao yanked at the padlock but couldn’t budge it. He stepped back and directed Fu Cheng. “Brother Cheng, open this.”

Fu Cheng grunted in acknowledgment, grabbed the lock in his hand.

Click, click.

The next moment, he’d twisted it out of shape; it clattered to the floor.

“Brother Cheng, you’re amazing!”

Lin Zao was too busy to say more than that. He flung open the box.

Exactly what he’d hoped!

A liquefied gas canister sat right there!

“Quick—there’s more over here.”

Lin Zao dragged Fu Cheng along, and together they cracked open the boxes under all three stoves.

Sure enough, all liquefied gas.

Lin Zao stretched to check the valves were tight with no leaks, then yanked off the hoses and hauled the canisters out.

He gripped the handles with both hands, lifted to test the weight.

Not too heavy—probably half used.

But it was precious fuel all the same.

Lin Zao hoisted his canister, ready to carry it out, when he realized the problem.

The handcuffs still dangled from their wrists, and Fu Cheng was right beside him.

Lin Zao fished out the key and unlocked the cuffs. He rushed back, dragged out the other two canisters too.

“You take those two. I’ll take this one. Handle them gently—no squeezing like you do me. Let’s go! Back to Little Bao!”

Fu Cheng shouldered two effortlessly. Lin Zao lugged one, gritting his teeth to keep pace.

They hurried back the way they’d come.

At the truck, Lin Zao rushed to the window and peered in.

Lin Xiaobao sat there, nibbling his rice ball. Spotting Dad, he turned and flashed a grin.

Hey, Dad—I’m fine.

Relieved, Lin Zao dropped the tailgate and directed Fu Cheng to load the canisters.

In the midst of it, a thought flickered through his mind—

If Fu Cheng could twist off a padlock like that, how had he gotten cuffed in the first place?

Whatever.

The thought flashed and vanished from Lin Zao’s mind.

No time to waste. Lin Zao covered the canisters with a tarp, grabbed Fu Cheng, and dove back into the cafeteria kitchen.

There were water purifiers in there too!

He had to get them!