"Gaohai, are you looking for me?" Zhang Xu walked over with a fshlight in hand. He saw that Gaohai's hands were still pulling on the rge iron double doors, which were constantly being tugged by the living dead outside, making a "whooshing" sound. Although the force wasn't particurly strong, as long as Gaohai let go, the living dead outside would definitely rush in immediately.

  "Zhang Xu... I want to ask you for a favor, please promise me!" Gaohai clung to the door, straining his neck to look at Zhang Xu.

  "Just say it. What's there to ask between brothers? If I can do it, I definitely will!" Zhang Xu waved his hand carelessly, seeming indifferent.

  "I want... I want you to take care of Lu Jia and do your best to keep them both safe!" Gaohai looked at Zhang Xu with an unusually serious gaze, his heavy tone tinged with a hint of sorrow.

  "You..." Zhang Xu was taken aback. Lu Jia was Gaohai's wife. Why on earth would he ask him to take care of his wife? A sense of foreboding suddenly crept up Zhang Xu's spine. He looked closely and realized that Gaohai's face had gone pale, rge beads of sweat were continuously sliding down from his forehead, and his eye sockets were sunken deeply. Moreover, Lu Jia probably also knew something. She was originally sobbing quietly on his shoulder, but upon hearing Gaohai's farewell-like words, she couldn't hold back anymore and burst into loud crying, clinging to Gaohai tightly.

  "Brother, I know it's asking too much to have you protect them in this chaotic world, but I really have no other way out. I won't say anything nice, just consider it a plea from your brother, please promise me!" Gaohai looked at Zhang Xu with tears streaming down his face. Although he was still holding onto the door, he slowly knelt down in front of Zhang Xu.

  "Brother Gaohai, don't do this. I... I promise you. As long as I, Zhang Xu, am still breathing, I will never let your wife suffer!" Zhang Xu hurriedly stepped forward to help Gaohai up, speaking anxiously, "Were you bitten? When did it happen?"

  "It was when we were rescuing Old Wang. But it wasn't a bite, it was a scratch!" Gaohai shook his head weakly, releasing one hand from the door and gently lifting his T-shirt. Sure enough, a scratch on his left rib had almost completely turned bck and was still emitting a faint stench. Anyone who had witnessed a zombie transformation would understand that Gaohai had been infected with zombie venom and probably only had two or three hours left to live.

  "Honey, I... if you don't go, we won't go either. We will stay with you, mother and child!" Lu Jia clung tightly to Gaohai's neck, shaking her head desperately.

  "Fool..." Gaohai gently stroked Lu Jia's face with infinite tenderness and said softly, "You still have our baby in your belly. Not for yourself, but for him, you must stay alive. This time you must listen to me. The child is our only hope for survival. You must raise him well, okay? Be good. Follow Zhang Xu, he will take good care of you. Don't worry too much about me. If you're not doing well, I'll worry about you in heaven!"

  "No! Husband..." Lu Jia clung to Gaohai with great sorrow, almost incoherent with tears.

  "Brother..." Gaohai looked at Zhang Xu with a pale face and said with a hint of apology, "I'm sorry for the trouble. I don't expect you to let them enjoy life, but just don't let anyone bully this mother and child. As for your great kindness, brother, I can only repay you in the next life!"

  "Brother Gaohai..." Zhang Xu also looked seriously at this robust man, slowly raised three fingers, pointed to the sky, and said, "I swear in front of you. From now on, as long as anyone dares to bully them, they must first step over my body!"

  "Thank you, brother, thank you!" Gaohai nodded heavily, hugged Lu Jia one st time, kissed her softly on the face, and said with tears in his eyes, "Wife, don't linger. Let's go. When our child is born, don't tell him that his father turned into a zombie. Just say... I was seriously injured and couldn't walk!"

  "Husband, I won't go, I won't go. I want to stay with you..." Lu Jia shook her head desperately. It was hard for any woman to abandon the man she loved deeply at such a time.

  "Go... you stupid woman, are you going to stay and let me bite you and the child to death?" Gaohai's eyes suddenly turned red, and he roared at Lu Jia. But Lu Jia still clung to him, refusing to let go. Gaohai then roared at the anxious Zhang Xu, "Zhang Xu, quickly pull Lu Jia away. I feel like I can't hold on much longer!"

  Zhang Xu didn't come forward, but Lin Tao did. He walked over in a few steps, pced his hand gently on Lu Jia's neck from behind, and the originally agitated Lu Jia immediately tilted her head back and slid softly from Gaohai's arms into Lin Tao's embrace.

  Lin Tao looked at Gaohai's surprised eyes, turned around, and handed Lu Jia to Zhang Xu behind him, softly saying, "Don't worry, I just made her temporarily unconscious for about half an hour. Otherwise, she would be too agitated, which is bad for herself and the fetus!"

  "...Hmm! Thank you!" Gaohai hung his head weakly. When he raised it again, his face was already pale. He looked at Lu Jia in Zhang Xu's arms with great reluctance and almost tremblingly said, "Brother, if one day you can't even protect them... please don't make it difficult for yourself. Let them die a quick death. I definitely won't bme you... Alright, goodbye everyone. May we meet again in the next life!"

  "Brother Gaohai... may you rest in peace!" Zhang Xu lowered his head sadly, tears welling up in his eyes. Finally, everyone left the dark basement, which had taken the lives of four people, with a heavy heart that was hard to describe.

  ...

  "Zhang Xu, what are you pnning to do?" Before getting into his Jaguar, Lin Tao stood by the car, turned around, and looked at Zhang Xu behind him. Beside Zhang Xu was Lu Jia, her face pale with grief. Losing her beloved must have been a huge blow to her. Although she had eaten some hot food under the persuasion of Zhang Xu and a few women, her pretty face still showed no color, and her eyes were extremely swollen.

  "I want to go with you to find some guns first. If we can find any, I'll join you at the gathering pce. After all, Lu Jia is about to give birth, and she needs a doctor. There happens to be a good one at the gathering pce!" Zhang Xu also lost his usual cheerfulness, looking listlessly at Lin Tao, while his gun had been returned to its original owner, Hu Lao Da.

  "Alright, let's go together. Even if we can't find any guns, I'll still give you a rifle. You can't take care of a pregnant woman alone in the wilderness!" Lin Tao nodded without hesitation, called out to Zhang Xu, and then turned to get into the car.

  Because there were suddenly seven people, including six adults and one child, Lin Tao and his team specially got a Jiangling pickup truck from the parking lot that was still in decent condition. It could carry people and also hold a lot of supplies. Zhang Xu and Gao Chujiang took turns driving the truck. As for the cook Wang Peng, who had broken his leg, it seemed that everyone suddenly disliked him. Zhang Xu, in particur, treated him very roughly because he had indirectly caused Gaohai's death. He left Wang Peng alone in the bed of the pickup truck, completely ignoring his life or death.