It took them over three hours to reach the 4S store.
They could have gotten there faster, but neither of them was very familiar with the way, so they took a detour for half an hour.
The once grandly decorated car dealership, like everywhere else now, had its glass doors and windows smashed to smithereens. The items placed outside had been corroded by the acid rain, leaving only frames, a sight that brought a pang to the heart.
Especially the young man who had spoken earlier. He was clearly a car enthusiast.
Seeing the cars parked outside in such a state, he almost threw himself at them and cried.
The others didn't give him the chance. Seeing that the cars outside were unusable, they went inside.
This car dealership had several floors. Fearing that there might be zombies inside, they proceeded cautiously, moving up floor by floor, but after searching for a long time, they couldn't find any usable vehicles.
Because they didn't have car keys.
There were hundreds of cars parked in this dealership. Even if they found the keys, charging them and pairing them one by one would be a huge undertaking.
So, someone suggested they check the parking lot.
That place wouldn't be exposed to the acid rain. Perhaps they would be lucky and find something usable inside.
Thus, everyone went downstairs again and headed directly to the underground parking lot on the first basement level.
As soon as they entered, a disfigured male zombie lunged at them. It was covered in blood, and from its tattered clothes, they could vaguely recognize it as a staff member from here.
Zhu Jin instinctively drew her sword and attacked.
Xiao Chongyan also instinctively exerted his control.
In the end, it was Song Qi who used the inconspicuous fruit knife in his hand to sever its head.
He was eager to prove his abilities.
"There are zombies in here, everyone stick close."
The others quickly regrouped, forming a perfect defensive posture back-to-back, following the two who moved with ease.
They seemed somewhat redundant.
After following them into the main parking area, Song Qi finally realized how foolish their actions were and told everyone to relax their formation and walk normally.
Someone turned on a flashlight. The beam was particularly noticeable in the dim parking lot. Instantly, there was more noise around them, the sound of hitting and scratching cars.
Clearly, there were more zombies here.
Song Qi and his companions were on high alert, resuming their defensive posture from before.
"Turn off the light," Zhu Jin said calmly. The girl holding the flashlight instinctively extinguished it, and the sounds of movement gradually disappeared.
"Give it to me."
The girl handed the flashlight to Zhu Jin.
Zhu Jin, holding the flashlight, walked straight towards the row of cars.
The others cautiously followed.
Soon, she stopped in front of a white SUV. When she shone the flashlight inside, a terrifyingly ugly little zombie suddenly lunged at the window, startling everyone behind her into a scream.
Zhu Jin raised her long sword, about to smash the car window, but seeing the people recoiling beside her, she quietly reminded them, "Have him open the car door."
Xiao Chongyan could control zombies, but he had never told anyone about it after his rebirth. Hearing Zhu Jin's words, he instantly understood something.
But after a moment's hesitation, he manipulated the little zombie to open the car door.
The little zombie lunged out from inside. Zhu Jin stepped forward and flicked it away with her sword. It fell heavily back to where it was. Zhu Jin's flashlight beam shone on it, and it suddenly raised its head. Its eyes, now entirely white, stared at the people not far away, startling them.
Several girls in Song Qi's group were on the verge of tears, holding onto each other for comfort.
The little zombie's leg was broken, and it slowly crawled up from the ground, moving towards them in a contorted posture. The scene was no less terrifying than watching Sadako climb out of a television at home.
Even though they had been fleeing for several days, not everyone could handle such a sight. The girls couldn't help but shrink back. Song Qi, holding his small knife, was eager to act.
Zhu Jin handed him the sword she was holding: "Use this."
When Zhu Jin wielded this sword, it felt incredibly smooth, making everyone believe it was a very powerful weapon.
However, when Song Qi took it, he found the sword to be as light as a child's toy, lacking any sense of power to cut through things.
Seeing the little zombie crawling closer, he had no time to think and brought the sword down with a chop.
The little zombie's head was split in two by his strike. Zhu Jin shone her flashlight, and something sparkling flickered in the midst of the red and white brains.
She shone the light a couple more times, confirmed its presence, and then stepped forward, using her sword to pry out the object.
"Water."
Someone handed her a bottle of mineral water. She poured it onto the crystal core, which was stained with red and white matter. She rinsed it for a while before stopping.
It was a white crystal core, about the size of a soybean, less than a fifth of the size of the previous one and its color was a common white.
"Is this also a zombie crystal core? Why is it so small?"
Zhou Shanshan analyzed, "Only this small one is normal. Don't you remember the previous zombies guarding that crystal core outside?"
If it were ordinary, they wouldn't have persisted for so long.
"That makes sense."
Zhu Jin put away the crystal core and said to them, "Let's see if the car is still usable?"