This was the only road leading directly to Duong Quang Residence. At previous times, there were indeed quite a few zombies here, but absolutely nothing compared to the current horde. It seemed like they had stumbled here unknowingly while wandering about.
"Uu uu…"
"Roar…"
Though not very far, the growls of the zombies were clearly audible.
The zombies had grouped together in a terrifying, staggering mob, looking gruesome and terrifying—enough to make anyone retreat at first sight.
"So many of them."
Lam Pham wasn't afraid of zombies. Frostmourne in his hand was enough to guarantee his safety. Judging by their current numbers, he could probably clear them out if he charged in—but it would take some time.
Still, he had no such intentions. There were survivors with him, including Doggi. If he neglected their presence just to fight, accidents could easily happen.
"B-Bro… Brother, should we take another route?" Vuong Khai stammered, trembling. His fear of zombies ran deep in his bones.
If it were just a few limping ones…
He might still have the guts to grab a weapon and chop them down. But this current horde had completely shattered his nerves. He couldn't think straight.
"Take another route?" Lam Pham smiled. "No need. This is the shortest way home. Don't panic. Don't be scared. Trust me—I'm strong. I've already thought of a plan."
Vuong Khai stared at him in shock.
A plan?
With so many zombies in the way, how could there be any plan—unless they could fly?
Ha… That would be a fantasy, even in dreams.
"Get off the bike," Lam Pham said calmly.
Vuong Khai was stunned. His mind went blank.
Get off the bike?
The pressure from the zombie horde ahead was overwhelming—more terrifying than a street full of gangsters in black wielding knives.
Knowing how scared Vương Khai was, Lam Pham added, "I'll carry you, you hold Doggi. I'll get us across."
With that, he moved in front of Vuong Khai, grabbed him by the waist, and effortlessly lifted him. Doggi flailed its paws, then was snuggled into Vuong Khai's arms.
Then, Lam Pham picked up the Emma electric scooter—normally very heavy, but to him, it was like holding tofu. No problem at all.
"This bike belongs to a cool guy. I can't just throw it away."
"Bro… What exactly are we doing?" Vuong Khai asked, still shaking.
Lam Pham smiled. "There's no way around this blocked road, but we can jump over it. Don't worry. I never do anything unless I'm sure. You just need to trust me."
As they spoke—
"Uu uu…"
The zombie horde grew agitated. Clearly, they had noticed the fresh scent of human flesh. Groans and thuds echoed, and even the ground began to tremble.
"They're coming!" Vuong Khai cried out in panic, eyes bulging, breath ragged. His worst nightmare was becoming real.
Lam Pham remained calm, stepped forward, and started running toward the zombie tide. His pace grew faster and faster. As they neared the horde, Vuong Khai shut his eyes tight.
Dead, dead for sure...
He screamed in his heart. If he could take one last look at the outside world, that'd be good enough. But this looked like the end.
Then—
Boom!
Lam Pham leapt into the air—like he could fly—soaring over the zombie horde. Looking down, even he was shocked by how many there were. At least several hundred, possibly over a thousand. Where had they all come from?
All the zombies looked up, mouths agape, reaching for the meat flying overhead—but they couldn't grab it.
Bang!
They landed heavily on the other side, the ground cracking under the impact.
Lam Pham safely put down the Emma bike.
"We're good. Let's ride." he said.
Vuong Khai opened his eyes, completely lost. Turning around, he saw the zombie horde now behind them.
His mind filled with question marks: ???
"Hurry up, they're fast. If we hesitate, they'll catch us," Lam Pham said with a smile.
Soon after—
The Emma electric bike, under extreme danger and desperation, burst forth with astonishing power.
Vuong Khai sat in the back, constantly glancing behind.
Weren't the zombies ahead just now? Why were they suddenly behind?
"How… did we get across?"
He held his forehead. Was this an illusion from too much pressure? Was everything that happened just now a hallucination?
They say the best way to snap out of hallucinations is to pee yourself—because pee is warm.
After all, people always say "go pee and wake yourself up." That implies it works.
Lam Pham didn't know what Vương Khai was thinking. Riding the scooter, he casually said, "We jumped over. There were just too many zombies. I originally wanted to see if they'd attack us. If they did, I would defend myself and slice them all. But I worried about your safety—so I jumped over."
"…Huh? Do you smell that? A bit of a… urine smell?"
Hearing this—
Vuong Khai blushed. His pants were a little damp.
"Maybe Doggi peed himself. Dog pee tends to smell."
He threw the blame completely onto poor Doggi.
Doggi smiled at his owner. Man and dog exchanged a glance. Then Doggi licked Vuong Khai's face, clearly showing affection.
"Really? I don't feel anything wet… whatever, forget it."
Lam Pham didn't mind. Even if Doggi had really peed, he wouldn't be angry. Just a quick wash once they got home—no big deal.
They continued riding the electric scooter.
Vuong Khai looked down, then up at the back of Lâm Phàm's head. He definitely heard him say—
Jumped over?
What a confusing explanation…
Soon after—
They returned to the residential area.
Lam Pham returned the scooter. Its battery was nearly drained, no longer enough for his needs. He dragged it into a store for charging.
"Boss, thank you."
Vuong Khai had no idea who Lam Pham was talking to. He assumed there was someone in the shop, but after a long look around, he didn't see anyone. Only thing impressive was how clean it was.
"Who were you talking to?" he asked.
Lam Pham replied, "The boss—Mr. Tan Phong from the real estate agency. He was a good man. Turned into a zombie. I chopped him down and threw him in the trash. Come on, let's go. I'll take you to the compound. There are more people there."
Vương Khai: ...
Room 804.
Vuong Khai devoured food like a starving beast—bowl after bowl. The others were shocked, but understood his situation.
Luckily, Sister Ly had cooked extra for the evening. If not, Vương Khai would've been left hungry.
"Slow down, no one's taking it from you," Lam Pham said.
"Mm-hmm…"
Vuong Khai nodded, but didn't stop. His mouth was full of rice, like a reincarnated ghost who hadn't eaten in years. One thing filled his mind:
So delicious. So delicious.
Even plain rice tasted like a heavenly dish.
Dog food?
Get lost.
Just the sight of dog food made him want to puke.